{"id":99571,"date":"2024-11-27T09:05:08","date_gmt":"2024-11-27T19:05:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hawaii.carpentermediagroup.com\/midweekpro\/?p=99571"},"modified":"2024-11-26T10:01:54","modified_gmt":"2024-11-26T20:01:54","slug":"ballet-hawaii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hawaii.carpentermediagroup.com\/midweekpro\/ballet-hawaii\/","title":{"rendered":"His Next Act"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

Photo by Lawrence Tabudlo<\/p><\/div>\n

After decades under Broadway\u2019s lights, Richard Vida leads Ballet Hawai\u2018i into a bright future, starting with the upcoming performance of \u201cThe Nutcracker.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

A young Richard Vida would make the two-hour journey from Connecticut to New York City to sit under the bright lights of Broadway. He\u2019d perch on the sidewalk across from the marquee, eyes fixed on the stage door that promised a world of dreams on the other side. He\u2019d watch, mesmerized, as Peter Pan \u2014 actress Sandy Duncan \u2014 disappeared through the entrance. In his mind\u2019s eye, he could already see himself crossing that same threshold. <\/p>\n

The door became etched in his memory. For him, it was never a matter of if he would walk through it, but when.<\/p>\n

In 1994, after years of classes and auditions, Vida made his Broadway debut in The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public. On opening night, he gripped the stage door\u2019s metal handle and was struck by a visceral feeling: this was the exact entrance he\u2019d visualized as a child. <\/p>\n

His moment had arrived.<\/p>\n

\u201cManifesting and visualization has always been not something I learned,\u201d Vida says, \u201cbut it was always a part of my innate sensibility.\u201d<\/p>\n

That same superpower would eventually lead him from the Broadway stage to Ballet Hawai\u2018i as its new executive director \u2014 though he didn\u2019t know it at the time. But first, he had a dream to chase.<\/p>\n

He landed a role in Busker Alley with 10-time Tony Award-winner Tommy Tune before his career-defining break arrived: a spot in the original production of Les Mis\u00e9rables.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll my other colleagues were like, \u2018Oh, you made it,\u2019 because we were the Hamilton of the day,\u201d he shares. \u201cLes Mis was the biggest show, the biggest phenomenon, and it was just insane. Sold out every night for a decade.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vida traveled the world performing shows until age 35, when he shifted to television production, working with The Food Network, The Learning Channel and helping launch HGTV. <\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s where I truly learned about producing, \u2018the business,\u2019 cultivating relationships and writing, and how shows are put together,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

He then returned to the stage for The Drowsy Chaperone, touring the country for 15 years before transitioning to producing and investing in theater shows \u2014 until the pandemic brought Broadway to a standstill. <\/p>\n

Throughout his 30-year career in New York, Vida would occasionally escape to the islands. In the small world of Hawai\u2018i\u2019s performing arts, paths naturally crossed, and he soon connected with Ballet Hawai\u2018i\u2019s artistic director Pamela Taylor Tongg. These visits led to teaching at Hawai\u2018i Theatre Center and Ballet Hawai\u2018i, where his tap and musical theater classes deepened his connection to the community.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I loved about coming to Hawai\u2018i was there was less television here. It was more of an outside lifestyle,\u201d he recalls. \u201cHawai\u2018i has such cultural roots in dance and music. It\u2019s so much a part of your life. It was wonderful for me to come into a room, and everybody immediately wanted to dance, whether they had experience or not.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over time, O\u2018ahu became Vida\u2019s second home. In 2006-2007, he helped bring traveling Broadway shows to the islands \u2014 something mainland companies rarely attempted due to logistics and cost. <\/p>\n

Last year, during what was meant to be a vacation, he got an unexpected offer: Would he consider becoming Ballet Hawai\u2018i\u2019s new executive director? Though moving 5,000 miles from his Broadway roots was daunting, it felt like destiny.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re doing some wonderful things here and I just love the arts community in Hawai\u2018i,\u201d says Vida, who took on the role earlier this year. \u201cWe have an amazing ballet, amazing dance schools, amazing talent here, and my vision is that we can all start working together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now at the helm of the 48-year-old institution, Vida sees unlimited potential for Hawai\u2018i\u2019s performing arts scene, particularly as the community continues to emerge from the pandemic\u2019s shadow. <\/p>\n

\u201cI believe that Honolulu and the state are just so ready for an amazing artistic renaissance,\u201d he says. \u201cEspecially now post-COVID, where we\u2019re just starting to finally find our way back.\u201d<\/p>\n

His vision for this renaissance is taking shape with Ballet Hawai\u2018i\u2019s The Nutcracker, premiering Dec. 14-15 at the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena. When Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall\u2019s temporary closure forced a venue change, Vida and his team didn\u2019t just adapt \u2014 they innovated.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have worked tirelessly to create something very special this year,\u201d Vida says.<\/p>\n

The arena will feature an enhanced theatrical seating and new risers, ensuring optimal views from every angle, as well as state-of-the-art LED projection screens that will display animated sets.<\/p>\n

Set in 1858 Kingdom of Hawai\u2018i, Ballet Hawai\u2018i\u02bbs version of The Nutcracker replaces traditional characters with local counterparts \u2014 the Sugar Plum Fairy becomes the Sugar Plumeria Fairy and the Waltz of the Snowflakes takes place atop a snow-dusted Mauna Kea. <\/p>\n

For its fifth year, the production boasts an impressive lineup: New York City Ballet\u2019s Megan Fairchild will dance the Sugar Plumeria Fairy alongside Chun Wai Chan as the Cavalier. Hawai\u2018i Symphony Orchestra will provide live accompaniment, while more than 130 cast members will bring the classic performance to life.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an extraordinary event,\u201d Vida says. <\/p>\n

Before the curtain rises on opening night, Ballet Hawai\u2018i has an extra touch of holiday magic in store. Each year, on the final dress rehearsal, the company throws open its doors for Angel Night to welcome children from Title I schools, Make-A-Wish Foundation recipients, Shriners Children\u2019s Hawai\u2018i patients and military families to a free performance that\u2019s equal parts entertaining and educational.<\/p>\n

\u201cLast year we had 300 (people). This year we\u2019re going to have 3,400-plus at the arena,\u201d Vida says. <\/p>\n

Keiki receive study guides, learn about the orchestra, and get a lesson in the proper use of \u201cbravo,\u201d \u201cbrava,\u201d and \u201cbravi\u201d before watching world-class dancers perform alongside local students \u2014 many of whom they know from school. The fully funded event has become a highlight not just for the community, but for visiting performers who often say it\u2019s their favorite night of the year.<\/p>\n

The initiative extends beyond the arena, too. Ballet Hawai\u2018i partners with Shriners for special performances and Q&A sessions with patients unable to attend the Blaisdell show. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a beautiful evening,\u201d Vida says, his voice warm with pride. \u201cIt\u2019s the highlight of the year.\u201d<\/p>\n

While The Nutcracker may be Ballet Hawai\u2018i\u2019s holiday crown jewel, the organization enriches the community year-round.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs we say, we start at age 3 to ageless,\u201d Vida says, describing programs that span multiple dance styles, with classes for beginners through advanced levels. (For a complete list, visit ballethawaii.org<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like going to the gym,\u201d he explains of the adult classes, some of which require no prior experience. \u201cYou\u2019re learning and you\u2019re getting physically fit.
\n\u201cWe do everything we can at Ballet Hawai\u2018i to bring the best of the best to our community,\u201d he adds. <\/p>\n

His enthusiasm for Hawai\u2018i\u2019s arts scene is palpable. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere is so much talent on this rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean that most people are unaware of,\u201d he says, \u201cand I think it\u2019s time the world knows just how incredible we are here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just as a young Vida once sat visualizing his path through a Broadway stage door, he now envisions a bright future for Ballet Hawai\u2018i. His dreams, it seems, have a way of manifesting. <\/p>\n

\u201cCome see what we do, and we\u2019ll blow you away,\u201d he says with the same certainty that carried him from Connecticut to Broadway and finally to Ballet Hawai\u2018i. \u201cThe holiday season doesn\u2019t start without The Nutcracker.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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