Take A Deep Breath And ... Sing!
Back home after a long career with Disney Entertainment, Marian Morrison directs The Breathe Concert on Saturday at Hawaii Theatre
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Del.icio.usand highly influenced and immersed in the sounds of Hawaiian, jazz and early R&B music, he’s excited and curious about what’s to come out of his first Breathe Concert.
“Audiences can expect a brand new Willie K,” he says. “This show will be a great spotlight. For singers and people in any business that has to do with walking, talking, dancing - taking care of your lungs is so important - healthy lungs are a major tool!”
As an ex-smoker as well as a parent, Kahaialii knows how diseases like asthma can affect Hawaiian children. According to ALAH, studies indicate that children of Hawaiian ancestry under the age of 14 have 2.5 times the incidence of asthma as the national rate, and Hawaiian teens (14 to 17) have more than twice the national rate of asthma cases.
“I’ve seen my loved ones affected by lung problems, and you see and watch them slowly deteriorate,” Kahaialii says. “I encourage all those who have friends and family inflicted with lung disease to please come and show your support. It’s always great to learn something new about lung cancer and to support the Lung Association and the music of Hawaii.”
As far as music goes, Kahaialii has chosen to focus on his solo career once again, but also has collaborated with Maui’s Joe Cano and Avi Ronen to form the highly acclaimed jazz trio Lima Wela. And talented as he is, Kahaialii admits that he hasn’t rehearsed for the concert, instead choosing, as he says, to “go on the fly.” You might think this would be any director’s worst nightmare, but surprisingly, Morrison isn’t the least bit concerned.
“This is so unlike any other production,” she says. “You would think with a cast this large you would meet in rehearsals for a whole year, but because everyone is selected on the basis of their talent and their competence, everyone rehearses independently. I’ve only attended several rehearsals sporadically.
“We will come together on Saturday, everyone will be given 10 to 15 minutes on stage to block everything, and showtime is at 7:30 p.m.,” Morrison explains.
Morrison says the show will be a breath of fresh air for all audience members, big or small, as there is a little bit of everything sprinkled in, from Hawaiian music to jazz, pop, musical theater and more.
“I have amazing choreography lined up with Marcelo Pacleb of 24-VII Danceforce, and Charlys Ing, director of Hawaii Ballet Theatre and administrative director of Punahou Dance School served as the featured choreographer for this year’s concert,” Morrison says.
Ballroom Champions Carlos Chang and Yulia Sharitova also will be dancing for the cause, along with performances by Al Waterson, Cathy Foy, Zumba by Wendy Newton and company, The Tenor-ritas (Spencer Moon, Shawn Thomsen, Cris Riel), hula legend Beverly Noa, Lea Woods Almanza, the Stars of Tomorrow (Eliana Reeves, Tia Inoue, Max Bergmanis) and Diamond Head Theatre’s Shooting Stars directed by John Rampage, as well as some surprise celebrity guests.
Adding a twist of glitz and glam to the show are Morrison’s good friends and fashion designers extraordinarie Eric Chandler and Takeo Kobayashi of 2Couture, who are serving as costume and wardrobe directors for the evening.
Kaneohe boy Johnson Enos has written the theme song for the concert, titled Breathe, which has in previous years left the audience with chills: “Breathe the air we can share, the gift of life, so make a change today - and we can breathe another day.”
Tickets cost $35, $55 and $135* (*includes an invitation to the pre-concert party in the theater’sWeyand Room). Tickets may be purchased at Hawaii Theatre Center, 1130 Bethel St., by phone at 528-0506 or online at www.HawaiiTheatre.com/boxoffice.html. For more information, visit www.alahawaii.org.
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