Hawaii Profiles - Broadway Babies Menu

We have never been much into musicals. We loved the Sound of Music and Miss Saigon and West Side Story, but for the most part we (meaning I) have only yawned at the thought of watching musicals.

Until one day, Kristian Lei gave me (oops ... us) a call. "Rick, I need your help," she said. "We're putting on a show and we're bringing in some really good talent from the mainland. They're all donating their time and I already have raised alot of money to put on the show and I'd like you to photograph everything ... from the beginning rehearsals to the shows."

Well, I have always had a weakness for Kristian Lei. Ever since I photographed her mother's wedding I realized that she is one of the purest, most wonderful angels bestowed upon the earth. She is beautiful, funny, super super talented and has a heart of ... what's above gold or platinum??? ... heart of heaven.

"Kristian Lei is an exotic beauty with a wealth of experiences for such a young age. She played the role of Kim in the Stella Musicals / Mackintosh Production of Miss Saigon in Germany for almost 2 years RIGHT OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL!

"She has since returned to her home in Hawaii to throngs of new fans and guest appearances at the Hawaii Ilima Awards, the Opening of the Legislature in 2000, the Governor's Mansion, and the Hawaii Filipino Chamber of Commerce 2000. She is a much sought after talent at home and abroad.

"Kristian Lei has a voice that reminds us that there are powerful angels on high, and that her gift of song is truly divine. She is a formidable presence in the entertainment scene with a long road of successful performances ahead!"

- www.ginai.com/csn_may2003 -

At first I thought that a few of her friends were coming over and they were going to put on some small production. What I soon came to realize that all of her friends were top-notch talent just as she is. All of her friends have musical resume's that would make any Broadway producer drool.

The shows she and her friends appeared and even starred in include Miss Saigon, Les Miserables, Pocahontas, Jesus Christ Superstar, Showboat, The King and I, Metropolis, West Side Story, South Pacific, Beauty and the Beast, Fiddler on the Roof, Lion King, Rent and many, many more.

With such an all-star lineup, all Kristian had to do was come up with a show lineup - a menu for the audience to enjoy. So she came up with the idea of a Broadway "Mixed Plate" featuring a combination of imported talent and local talent to perform scenes from various musicals and other shows.

The shows were held at the Leeward Community College Theater but they were so powerful that they should have been held at the Neil Blaisell Center (NBC) Concert Hall. We asked Kristian if she would use the NBC Concert Hall next year but she said no because Leeward was like home to her and she wanted to stay loyal to them.

That sounds nice, but this year these shows took everyone by surprise. Next year, they won't be so lucky. They will either have to use the NBC Concert Hall or offer more shows.

Bye the way, Chicago came on cable the other night and I watched it in sheer delight as I pictured the Broadway Babies performing some of the same song and dance routines that I saw in the Mixed Plate.

Now, I am no critic and I admit that I do have a rather biased opinion, but ... Broadway Babies Mixed Plate was every bit as good to me and it did awaken the love of musicals that I never thought I had.