DOODLE DANDY
Maui Academy of Performing Arts presents “Damn Yankees”
(Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays) August 5-21, 6:15pm gates / 7:30pm show
Maui Tropical Plantation’s “Field of Dreams,” Waikapu; $25 adults / $22 seniors (62-years-old and better) / $18 students (18-years-old and under)
244-8760; mauiacademy.org
Picture this: You’re knuckles-deep in a pile of Bruddah Willy’s famous BBQ baby back ribs and mound of homemade mac-and-cheese. Hot, sticky and savory, you’re taking your sweet time–even when sweets like mini caramel apples and fresh “Maui-sadas” lie ready and waiting. But you’re in no hurry because belly business is a game of inches (and you still haven’t ruled-out having another hot dog). Besides, you’re sitting in the bleachers of Maui Tropical Plantation’s “Field of Dreams” (the isle’s only outdoor theater), enveloped by the Waikapu breeze and a blanket (i.e. if you bring one), watching Maui Academy of Performing Arts’ professional production of Damn Yankees.
A family-friendly musical comedy set in 1950s Washington DC, Damn Yankees is a Faustian tale (based on a book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop, with music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross) that follows the story of a rabid baseball fanatic who makes a pact with the Prince of Darkness in efforts to bring his beloved Washington Senators to victory against the New York Yankees.
“This is the first production of Damn Yankees on Maui in decades,” says MAPA–so they’re taking no shortcuts and “pulling out all the stops” to create an all-baseball-themed show. Home-run hits like “Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, MO” and “Whatever Lola Wants” are sure to fill audiences’ hearts with happy, hilarious song–as Bruddah Willy and friends take care of filling the rest.
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MILLER, MILLER ON THE WALL
Maui OnStage presents “All My Sons” — an ONO! (one night only) production
(Monday) August 8, 6:30pm
Iao Theater, Wailuku; free
242-6969; mauionstage.com
Thanks to his mother’s alert reading, playwright Arthur Miller (Death of a Salesman; The Crucible) based his 1947 play All My Sons on an Ohio newspaper’s reportage of a woman who’d informed the government that her own father had sold botched mechanical parts to the U.S. military during World War II. All My Sons was soon staged on Broadway (and ran for 328 shows), won Tony awards for Best Play and Best Direction of a Play, and was adapted for the silver screen in 1948 and 1987. However, the play’s criticism of our nation’s ethos landed Miller on the Hollywood blacklist during the Red Scare. (Are you humming the Pink Floyd lyrics, “Mother, should I trust the government / Mother, do you think they’ll try to break my balls”? I am!)
This Monday (August 8), catch a live reading of Miller’s All My Sons, part of the Maui OnStage’s monthly ONO! (one night only) productions at the Iao Theater. “This classic 1940s drama about ethics versus survival” features fine thespians like Don Carlson, Jerry Eiting, Michael Pulliam, Jennifer Rose, Chris Rose, Jackie Shea and Barbara Sedano–and finer still is that the whole shebang is free (though donations to help keep the theater’s lights on are both needed and welcomed).
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DOGGIE STYLE
Poi Doggie Contest
(Sunday) August 7, 2-4pm
Schaefer International Gallery Lawn, Maui Arts & Cultural Center, Kahului; $10 entry fee / free for spectators
242-SHOW (7469); mauiarts.org
Proud of your prize-worthy poi dog pup? Prove your furry friend’s worth her/his weight in kibble by taking your mixed-breed (no pedigrees!) to the MACC’s Poi Doggie Contest this Sunday (August 7). Wondering what the heck a poi dog is? Well, colloquially it means mongrel (in the best way); i.e. fauna ancestry that–like the process of poi-making–is all mashed up. Literally, poi dog also refers to a now-extinct species of Hawaiian pariah dog (it’s name being interchangeable with “pye dog” and “pi dog” you can see how the etymology ensued). In partnership with the Maui Humane Society (with support from The Pet Shop, Petco and ‘Ohana Pet Training), a variety of playful, canine-centric contests will help determine the day’s big wieners in categories including Most Mixed-Up, Dog/Owner Look-Alike, Ugliest Mug, Best Howl, Best Trick and more.
This wag-worthy shebang ties into the Schaefer International Gallery’s current “Poi Dog” exhibition, featuring provocative raced-based works–that “approach the concept of multi-ethnic roots and personal insights into individual histories while investigating ancestry, racial barriers and identity”–created by five renowned Valley Isle artists: Pat Masumoto, Darrell Orwig, Nancy Skrimstad, Michael Takemoto and Sidney Yee. While the doggie style show’s a one-off event, you can check out the art exhibit Wednesdays through Sundays, through August 20, 11am-5pm.
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