Aloha Performing Arts Company

It's a family affair at the Aloha Theatre for Aloha Performing Arts Company's next production. Real life father and son Bryan and Tanner Riley (Pictured at Left) are starring as stage father and son Geppetto and Pinocchio in Disney's "My Son Pinocchio." This new show, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by David I. Stern, explores the classic children's tale from Geppetto's viewpoint. Keaton, Tanner's younger brother, is also in the show as one of the child soloists in the big production number "Toys." The Blue Fairy, who serves as a sort of narrator of the show, is played by Tiffany Kutsunai, who is also the assistant director. Her brother, Jonathan, and her mother, Jeannie, are also in the show. Jonathan plays the inventor Buonragazzo, whose machine makes perfect children, and Jeannie is in the chorus as a parent. Other family units involved in the project are: Christy and Nicole Aragon; Kristy, Miel and Maya Krauss; Zach and Ariana Kaneshiro; Kiani and Isaac Manju; Ashlee and Heather Bartlett; and Max Troberg and his siblings Kea and Pohaku Kauka. Jaquelynn Collier plays Maria, and her mother Jill Collier, APAC's Events Director, is co-producer. Costumer Karen Aguilera will be outfitting her son, Levi, who plays Bernardo, and her daughter Whitney will serve as hair and makeup designer. Alicia Hicks plays an automaton and a roustabout, and her mother Pamela Hicks is props manager. Delaney Ross, fresh from playing Joanne in Waimea Community Theatre's "Rent," is making her APAC mainstage directing debut, with her mother, Dale Ross, as her musical mentor and pianist for the production.

APAC artistic director Jerry Tracy is co-producer and also plays Stromboli, a conniving puppeteer who kidnaps Pinnocchio, Justyn Toyama is Junior Buonragazzo, who helps his dad mechanically produce perfect children, and Aloha Theatre newcomer Rebecca Barrett plays the Ringleader, who lures kids to Pleasure Island, where errant kids are indulged and then shipped off to perform hard labor. Others in the ensemble include Atlas Duignan, Naia Ayau, Hailee Post, Jacques Liquie, Simon Ellis, CJ Jones, Sara Frazier, Sarah Rouse, Dasha Eremina, Celine Pinault, Lily Hoskinson-Weinstein, Kristiana Van Pernis, Kiana Ching, James Kelsey, Keawe Strance, Luke Van der Spoel, Pierce Marr, and Micah De Aguiar. In addition to crew members already listed, the production team includes BriAnna Johnson, choreographer, Joshua Tavares, assistant choreographer, Cathy Riehle, set designer, Kyle Ng, lighting designer, Kayla Walsh, graphics designer, and APAC Managing Director Sam Valenti, program designer.

"My Son Pinocchio" opens at the Aloha Theatre June 18 and plays through July 3, with Friday and Saturday shows at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for senior citizens, and $10 for those age 18 and younger. On two Fridays, June 25th and July 2, all adult tickets will be discounted to $12. The Aloha Theatre Cafe will be open for dinner on performance evenings, with reservations requested at 323-3383. APAC will operate the concession stand, featuring snacks and drinks, before the performances and at intermission. The show is approximately one hour and forty-five minutes in duration, with a 15 minute intermission at about the halfway point. This is a family show, suitable for all ages. For more information, call 322-9924.

5/25/10