Alice in Wonderland @ KS Maui

Kamehameha Schools Maui (KSM) High School will be debuting their interpretation of Alice in Wonderland tonight, Friday, February 28th at 7:00 pm, with two more shows tomorrow, Saturday, March 1st at 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm.  Be sure to check out the production as it is free and open to the public at the Pukalani school's High School campus.

Opening scene of Kamehameha Schools Maui High School's Alice in Wonderland.

Mouse, Mad Hatter, & March Hare

As a big fan of Disney's 1951 cartoon movie of Alice in Wonderland, I was really excited to get a sneak-peek during the high school students' last "dress rehearsal" as they performed for the Elementary Students at KSM.  I loved the creativity used for the costumes, props, and set.  If you've ever seen or read any version of Alice in Wonderland, you're familiar with the extravagant fantasies that would be difficult for anyone to convey in real-life.

The cast and crew are made up of students from all grades.  The lead role of Alice is played by a sophomore.  All cast sang, with many characters performing solos.  These teens have great vocals, which is not surprising considering the fact that KS has a long history of choir and singing events.

Dave Chappelle Stand-Up on Maui

"The theme of the night is...hopelessness.  Now you can't have hope without hopelessness." - Dave Chappelle

Maui finally got to host Dave Chappelle and his stand-up comedy, a visit that was waayyy long overdue.  After practicing stand-up around New York's comedy circuit, a few failed TV pilots, and several silver-screen appearances, Chappelle really gained notoriety when he burst onto the entertainment scene 10+ years ago with Comedy Central's "Chappelle's Show" in 2003.  Known internationally for his character comedy and jokes on racism, sexuality, and pop-culture, Chappelle ranks #43 on Comedy Central's "100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time."

Tickets for Dave Chappelle's stand-up show, scheduled for February 5th at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center (MACC), went on sale January 15th.  No less than 24 hours later, a second show was arranged for those who missed out on tickets for the first show.  Chappelle's comedy was in such high demand, MACC was forced to add three more shows, giving Chappelle a total of five sold-out shows in the MACC's 1200-seat Castle Theatre.