HANAMA‘ULU — The students at King Kaumuali‘i School were definitely excited as they waited impatiently for the cafeteria to fill with the remaining classes Wednesday morning in preparation for the Books Alive program. Andrea Pisacano, the program’s director flitted from
HANAMA‘ULU — The students at King Kaumuali‘i School were definitely excited as they waited impatiently for the cafeteria to fill with the remaining classes Wednesday morning in preparation for the Books Alive program.
Andrea Pisacano, the program’s director flitted from group to group, hectic with the last-minute details that needed tending to.
“Beard repair. Dragon repair. Those are the two biggest problems,” she said as she applied adhesive to the beard on the Wizard (aka Ptrick Ford) while students continued to file into the cafeteria.
Sponsored by the Pizza Hut Foundation, the Hawai‘i Community Foundation, and the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, the Wednesday program is enjoying its seventh year of presentations.
Pisacano said the program is a unique partnership with the Kaua‘i Childrens Discovery Museum and the school who gets all departments and levels involved in presenting the hour-long production.
Wednesday morning’s presentation was for the student body with a special presentation scheduled to start Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m. for parents and the community at large.
Under the Books Alive program, children read selected books, create poems and artwork to go along with the storyline, and the entire collection is choreographed to music and dance by Pisacano and composer Henry Curtis who is enjoying his seventh year as the production composer.
The cafeteria lights dimmed and the normally bustling eating environment was transformed into a theater with sets created by a parent volunteer from the school.
“This is not a play,” Pisacano said. “This is a musical review of (seven books) read by the classes.”
Accompanied by the lively and lilting notes from Curtis’ fingers on a portable keyboard, there was no lack of enthusiasm as the students danced, sang, rocked, and went through their paces with no noticeable miscues.
Several classes went one extra by donning costumes for the numbers they presented. Has anyone seen a flying pig?
Or, the King Kaumuali‘i version of an asian dragon?
If the response of the students are any indication, the Books Alive program definitely is an inspiration to get students interested in reading, and for those who need more information, or want a taste of this ‘musical review, the Kaua‘i Childrens Discovery Museum hosts their own program each Saturday, or take in the performance that begins at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday.
But, be prepared for a journey to Camelot.
