The Hawaii State Theatre Council honored Chaminade University’s spring production of “Into the Woods” with seven Po‘okela Awards – including “Overall Musical” and “Ensemble Performance in a Musical” – thus tying for the second-most accolades at the August 7 ceremony.
Winning a “Pokie” for “Director of a Musical” was Bro. Gary Morris, SM, with Chaminade’s Division of Humanities and Fine Arts. In addition, the associate professor of performing arts won the “Leading Male in a Musical” award for his role in “1776: The Musical,” staged at Windward Community College’s Paliku Theatre.
Chaminade’s production was also recognized for:
- Sound Design & Engineering (Daniel Yoo);
- Set Design (Michelle Bisbee);
- Lighting Design (Christine Sutrov); and
- Hair, Make-Up and Wig Design (Grace Capellas).
Serving as stage managers were Chaminade students Marchella Verstegh ‘18 and Ava Wong ‘20. The musical ran from March 31 to April 9 at the campus Mamiya Theater.
“Into the Woods,” with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, offers a modern twist on classic fairy tales with a “be careful what you wish for” theme. The Tony Award-winning musical premiered on Broadway in 1987. Walt Disney Pictures released a film adaptation in 2014.
