A six-month program is bringing live concerts to some Hilo parks.
This Saturday, the East Hawaii Cultural Center and the Hilo Education Arts Repertory Theatre, or HEART, will team up to present their first free outdoor concert, “Broadway Showstoppers.”
The one-hour concert is part of EHCC’s Arts Out-of-Doors program and will feature some of Hilo’s brightest singers on a mobile stage at 3 p.m. in Lincoln Park off Kinoole Street in downtown Hilo.
Larry Reitzer, one of the leaders of HEART, pitched an idea to County Councilwoman Sue Lee Loy to bring the mobile stage to parks to perform free shows for the community.
HEART later received a county Waiwai grant for the Arts Out-of-Doors program to produce the concerts.
“We’ve been delayed getting this done, but we’re finally ready to bring the mobile stage outside for free performances,” Reitzer said. “After talking with Maurice Messina with Parks and Recreation, we’re all excited to bring performances to parks across the community.”
Conceived by Reitzer and local performer Charles Bankhead Haines, the Arts Out-of-Doors program is working to provide entertainment and arts education to underserved communities, especially in the wake of COVID-19.
In 2021, a mobile stage was constructed for the program as a way to bring performances directly to audiences in parks, schools and community centers.
HEART will present six free concerts over the next six months that will vary in theme and genre. The first concert is called “Broadway Showstoppers,” and will feature favorite Broadway songs.
“Some other themes being discussed are Hawaiian music, a family sing-along, an all-female rock-and-roll night, The Beatles nights, among many others,” Reitzer said. “We urge people to bring a blanket, chairs and picnic to the park with family, friends or a date as a way to sit back and listen to some beautiful voices sing some favorite songs.”
Featured in the cast on Saturday will be, Bankhead Haines, Yisa Var, Marlise Ahuna, Erin Smith, Cori Cooper, John Frederick, Aleah Kay, Zayne Paresa, Jason Aiwohi-Tomlin and Ricky Alvarez.
The concert will be a family-friendly, alcohol-free event. In case of rain, it will be moved to the second floor theatre at EHCC.
Additional details can be found on the HEART website, hearthilo.org.
Email Kelsey Walling at kwalling@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
