Photos by Kaiehu Helelā & Tayshia Kaohu
Leeward’s very own college theater celebrated its astounding 50th year in production on September 22nd. The free event, which was orchestrated under the name Holomua i ke ao hou (Move Onward to a New Future), showcased breathtaking performances from various Leeward Community College alumni such as Kristein Lei, Honeybal Sosa, and many more. With the event's outstanding turn out and captivating performances, the Leeward theater has made its 50 year anniversary an event to remember.
The Leeward theater was founded in 1974 as a training ground for upcoming students in the performance arts. For the past 50 years it has given our students the opportunity to share their passions through their talents. Theater manager Elisa Olson, assistant theater manager Chelsea Yamashiro, technical director Sarah Whitehead, and the rest of the theater staff organized a lineup of diverse and talented performers. Audience members were enthralled by the plethora of unique performances including a magic act, singing, dialogue, Japanese Taiko drumming, and dance routines.
In the opening performance, Harvey Ouchi (Mr. O) put on a humorous yet skillful display of magic. He began his pursuit in magic in 1993 when he worked as a vice-principal at Leihoku Elementary School. You could tell as soon as he danced onto stage that he had the innate ability to entertain and interact with anyone from any age. His eccentric personality and shimmering wardrobe immediately caught the attention of the audience.
One of the most well known performers within the show, alumni Kristian Lei, landed her first major lead role in Kim at the age of 19. Since then she has become a phenomenon within the performance arts world. On top of her 29 years as a producer/director for many concerts, she has starred in performances such as Disney’s “Festival of the Lion King” and went on to produce her own music, of which she has released two solo albums. When she performed “Journey to the Past” from Anastasia and “I’d Give My Life for You" from Miss Saigon , the whole theater seemed to teleport into a Disney film. After hearing her 2 performances go from upbeat tempo to melancholy drama, I was immediately taken aback by her range as a performer. It was truly hard not to get choked up whilst her voice thundered throughout the theater like heavy rain.
Two alumni whose performances demand attention is the duo known as Liliu Project, starring Honybal Sosa on guitar and Starr Kalahiki on vocals. They performed a piece named Ku’u Pua i Paoakalani. Honybal was nothing short of an artist using strings instead of brushes. His skill mixed with Starr’s awe inspiring talent left the crowd entirely silent, just focused on the song. After the mele, I had the privilege of speaking to both of the performers to get more insight on the history behind Ku’u Pua i Paoakalani. Starr explained that the song was written by none other than Queen Liliokalani during her time in captivity. I was surprised to find out the song was written without instruments. Honybal actually wrote the guitar into the song, in a key he also created.
The cumulative performance was a fitting call back to the long standing influence the Leeward theater has held on not only the school, but the community as well. The staff and performers put on a production that brought out their own love and passion for their craft. As a Leeward student, I could not be more proud of the theater that represents our front in the performing arts.
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