The Theater Arts Conservatory of the Hawaii Academy of Arts and Sciences (HAAS) announces auditions for “Les Miserables” - School Edition. Auditions are set for 2 p.m. on both Saturday, August 26^th on the HAAS Campus in Pahoa and Sunday, August 27^th at Connections Charter School in downtown Hilo.

       “Les Miserables,” which is now the longest running musical on London’s West End and Broadway combined, surpassing both “Phantom of the Opera” and “Cats,” is slated to make its Big Island premiere at Hilo’s Palace Theater on February 2, 2007. The show is being produced by The Theater Arts Conservatory (TAC) a new youth theater program on the HAAS charter school campus in Pahoa, but open to all students ages 8-19.

        Last spring, HAAS student, Anna Kupcha, approached Steve Hirakami, HAAS school director with her idea of creating a Theater Conservatory on the HAAS campus in which students would be involved with producing major theatrical productions from procuring rights/royalties, grant writing, acting, costuming, stage make-up, lighting and technical support with instruction coming from Big Island professionals. Realizing the tremendous need for in-school and after-student artistic educational project of this magnitude, Hirakami and the HAAS faculty have made this innovative program available to the students of the Eastern side of the Big Island.

        HAAS has employed Maiva Blaisdell, to teach an in-school theater class as well as to direct “Les Miserables,“ the first of a series of musical productions which HAAS hopes to offer to the community in the near future. Blaisdell has assembled a creative team including musical director, Pedro Ka’awaloa, a recent Harvard music graduate, and Lisa Casady, a UH-Hilo theater graduate to be assistant director. In addition, HAAS dance instructor Malaika Maphalala will assist with the choreography and HAAS teacher, Susan Bowman, will serve as assistant musical director.

          In addition to primary funding from the Arts and Sciences Center (the non-profit division of HAAS) additional grant funding has been provided by Pahoa Weed and Seed, the “Healing Our Island” board, and Girl Scout Troop 1064 of the Puna district.

                To learn more about this exciting opportunity, please go to TAC’s website: http://haastheaterarts.tripod.com to learn more about the roles to be cast in this production of “Les Miserables.” Interested students may also contact Maiva Blaisdell at 965-1074.