Our 2023-24 Season in the Castle Theater with LIVE audience!
Concerts begin at 3:00 pm with intermission and printed programs.
TICKETS: $22, $35, $55, $65 (plus applicable fees) / Students 18 & under w/ID half-price (except for $22 tickets)
TICKET SALES ARE ONLINE ONLY at www.mauiarts.org
The MACC Box Office is not open for window transactions until the day of the concert. The Box Office windows will open at 12pm on concert days for will call pick up and window sales. It is recommended that patrons utilize print-at-home ticketing to facilitate touchless transactions. Tickets may also be downloaded to electronic devices for scanning upon entry into the venue. The Box Office is available for inquiries and to assist with special seating needs by email or phone (808-242-SHOW) Tue-Fri, 10am – 4pm.
Pre-concert dining and beverages will be available starting at 1:00 pm in the Yokouchi Pavilion.
December 10th – Holiday Pops featuring vocalist Kalani Pe’a
Under the baton of Music Director James Durham, Maui Pops Orchestra invites you to ring in the holidays with a festive concert featuring 3-time Grammy® winner Kalani Pe’a. The Hawaiian singer/songwriter has also won multiple Na Hoku Hanohano awards including in 2023 for his “Purple Hawaiian Christmas.” Music from this album will be featured with full orchestral backup, along with other holiday favorites. A special treat will be hula provided by members of award-winning Hālau o ka Hanu Lehua. Let the beauty of it all captivate you as we celebrate the spirit of the season – island style!
3 Grammy Awards!
Hawai‘i’s Male Vocalist of the Year!
Purple Hawaiian Christmas CD – Na Hoku Winner!
Kalani Pe‘a’s Hawaiian Christmas show is a celebration of the warmth and special aloha of the Holiday Season, sharing much-loved songs from both western and Hawaiian roots. A three-time Grammy winner (3 CD releases, 3 Grammys!), Kalani is a charismatic performer with a gorgeous voice, powerful nd charming apresence, and captivating style not-to-be-missed. The first Hawaiian performer presented at Lincoln Center’s American Songbook (it sold-out), he was recognized by his Hawai‘i peers at the Na Hoku Hanohano (Hawai‘i’s “Grammy”) Awards, winning honors for both Male Vocalist of the Year and Song of the Year. His 5 Na Hoku wins include Christmas Single of the Year in 2021, and his most recent CD, Purple Hawaiian Christmas, took home the Na Hoku Award for Contemporary Album of the Year.
More information: kalanipeamusic.com Instagram: @kalanipeamusic
January 21st – Disney and Beyond – The Music of Alan Menken with Conductor Michael Kosarin and vocalists Susan Egan & Adam Jacobs
The magical musical world of Alan Menken – eight-time Oscar-winning composer of scores from The Little Mermaid to Beauty and the Beast and Hercules – will brighten your day with familiar songs featuring the vocal talents of some of the stars who originally performed them: Susan Egan and Adam Jacobs. Under the direction of Menken’s long-time conductor/arranger Michael Kosarin, Maui Pops will bring it all to life. Take the whole family to experience the magic of this delightful program!
Susan Egan headlined on Broadway as Thoroughly Modern Millie, won critical acclaim as ‘Sally Bowles’ in Cabaret, starred in Triumph of Love and State Fair, and received Tony Award® and Drama Desk® nominations for “Best Actress” as the original ‘Belle’ in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Regionally, Egan starred alongside Carol Burnett in Putting It Together and Tommy Tune in the national tour of Bye, Bye Birdie. Her film credits include 13 Going on 30, Gotta Kick It Up for Disney Channel, and many award-winning independent films. Susan has voiced leading characters in the animated features Hercules (Meg), Spirited Away (Lin), Porco Rosso (Gina), Lady and the Tramp II (Angel), has guest starred on The Simpsons, Disney Channel’s Amphibia and spent six seasons on Cartoon Network’s Steven Universe (Rose Quartz/Pink Diamond). On television, she spent two seasons on the WB’s Nikki, recurred on Drew Carey and Almost Perfect, and has guest-starred on: Modern Family, House, Numb3rs, NYPD Blue, the Disney+ series Encore and more. Susan has headlined with more than 70 symphony orchestras worldwide, including return engagements at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center and the Hollywood Bowl, and has over 40 recording credits including seven solo albums. Susan is an executive producer in partnership with Disney Concerts for titles such as Disney Princess – The Concert, which has played 16 countries and over 100 US cities and Walt Disney Animation Studios – The Concert, which premiered at the Hollywood Bowl last summer. She is also an accomplished master teacher in music performance, obsessive gardener, happy wife, and mom to two daughters, who ask her repeatedly to stop singing. Instagram: @IAmSusanEgan
Adam Jacobs is most known for originating the role of “Aladdin” in Disney’s Aladdin on Broadway for which he received a Drama Desk and Grammy nomination. Other Broadway credits include “Simba” in The Lion King, and “Marius” in Les Miserables. Regional credits include: Tommy at the Goodman Theatre, US Premiere of Zorro at Alliance Theatre (Suzi nomination), Once On This Island at Paper Mill Playhouse, and Something Rotten at the Marriott Theatre, IL.
TV: Soundtrack, Chicago Med, The Bachelorette, The 68th Annual Tony Awards. Originally from San Francisco, Adam graduated with a BFA in Theater from NYU. His solo album, Right Where I Belong featuring songs of Alan Menken, is available on iTunes and Spotify.
Having honeymooned in Maui and spent some time around the islands, his heart goes out to the families of those affected by the fires. Instagram: @AdamJacobsNYC
Michael Kosarin has had a happy collaboration as music director and arranger for legendary composer Alan Menken for over thirty years, beginning with the Broadway adaptation of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast in 1993, and it continues to this day, in theater, film, television, and concerts.
The Disney films you and your family will know his work from begin with Pocahontas, and proceed through Hercules, Enchanted and Disenchanted, Tangled, Home on the Range, Wreck-it Ralph II, and the live action films of Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Little Mermaid. And he’s currently at work with Mr. Menken on a new film for Skydance Animation called Spellbound, which is due out in theaters later in 2024.
On Broadway, Mr. Kosarin is currently music director of Aladdin, which recently celebrated its tenth anniversary. Prior to that, his shows with Mr. Menken included Beauty and the Beast, Newsies, Sister Act, Leap of Faith, The Little Mermaid, Little Shop of Horrors, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. He has worked steadily on Broadway since 1982, beginning with the show Nine, and his other Broadway credits include Grand Hotel, The Secret Garden, and A Chorus Line. Together with Mr. Menken, he has many additional theater projects in development, such as adaptions of Hercules, A Night at the Museum, and Nancy Drew.
His concert and recording work as conductor and arranger spans many decades, and he still maintains a very active career in that medium. He has arranged for and performed with the Boston Pops several times, and has guest conducted the New York Pops and St. Luke’s Orchestra, as well as a combination of the New York Philharmonic and Metropolitan Opera Orchestra (performing his Beauty and the Beast overture for the New York premiere of that film in 2017). He has conducted Disney films live to picture in venues ranging from The Hollywood Bowl to Tokyo’s Budokan. Mr. Kosarin is a three-time Grammy-nominated recording artist and producer, where his work ranges from dozens of theatre albums and motion picture soundtracks to long-time partnerships with such celebrated artists as Carly Simon and Barbara Cook — and, once upon a time, even singer Eddie Fisher. Most recently, he collaborated with acclaimed piano virtuoso Lang Lang on his new album “The Disney Book”.
An Emmy-award-winning television music producer and arranger, he produced and arranged all the songs for the musical series Galavant, and wrote score for the TV adaptation of the Menken/Ahrens’ A Christmas Carol, among many others. Mr. Kosarin has also composed songs and scores of his own for such children’s shows as Sesame Street, The Wonder Pets, and the BBC show Third and Bird.
February 18th – Broadway Pops featuring Morgan James & LaKisha Jones
Maui Pops Orchestra’s annual sell-out Broadway Pops concert features vocalists Morgan James & LaKisha Jones in an electrifying program of music from Broadway and Hollywood, plus powerful pop favorites worthy of the talents of these stellar divas. From Judy Garland to Tina Turner and many in between. Join us for an energy-filled afternoon that will entertain, uplift and inspire!
Morgan James is a classically trained vocalist, Broadway veteran, and recording artist. Morgan recently paid tribute to Judy Garland for her centennial, where she performed “Get Happy” with Sinfonia Gulf Coast and Nashville Symphony.
Ms. James is a frequent symphony pops soloist, whose appearances include Ravinia, Philadelphia, Virginia, Wheeling, Cleveland Pops, Houston, Sun Valley Music Festival, American Pops Orchestra, Spokane, Detroit, Harrisburg, San Diego, Utah, Youngstown, Fort Meyers, Kansas City, Charlotte, Allentown, East Lansing, Atlanta, Colorado (and many more).
A Leonard Bernstein aficionado, Ms. James has appeared with the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra, Malaysian Philharmonic, Breckinridge Music Festival, Utah Symphony, Louisville Orchestra, Colorado Symphony, and Wichita Symphony performing her solo Bernstein show, conducted by Teddy Abrams. Morgan was also featured with the Philadelphia Orchestra in West Side Story in concert, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Morgan has had the honor of being in the Bernstein MASS four times: most recently with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Ravinia Music festival, conducted by Marin Alsop; with the Louisville Orchestra (conducted by Teddy Abrams), the Philadelphia Orchestra (conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin), as well as with Baltimore Symphony at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center, (also conducted by Marin Alsop).
On Broadway, Morgan has appeared in five Original Broadway Casts: Motown: The Musical, Godspell, Wonderland, The Addams Family and Kristin Chenoweth’s For The Girls. With viral sensation Postmodern Jukebox and her own channel, her videos on YouTube have garnered 290 million views (and counting).
As a recording artist, Ms. James just released her fifth studio album of original soul music entitled “Nobody’s Fool”. Her music is available on all streaming platforms.
Morgan received her voice training at The Juilliard School.
For more information and tour dates, please visit her website: www.morganjamesonline.com. Instagram: @morganajames
Best known to millions of TV viewers as a top four finalist during the 2007 season of “American Idol,” LaKisha Jones is ready to reclaim center stage in music, theatre, and television.
Having worked with hit-making songwriters and producers including Tony Nicholas (Patti LaBelle, Luther Vandross), Ro & Sauce (Brandy, Ne-Yo), and Greg Curtis (Keyshia Cole, Yolanda Adams), Jones’ album, “So Glad I’m Me” featured a spirited mix of R&B and soul. A few noteworthy songs included the single “Same Song,” penned by award-winning songwriter Dianne Warren, Whitney Houston’s “You Give Good Love,” the gospel song “Just As I Am,” and Jones soaring ballad to her daughter, “Beautiful Girl.”
Jones then went to New York to audition for “American Idol” and segued from “Idol” to the Broadway stage for The Color Purple where she played “Sophia”, which she alternated with R&B icon Chaka Khan, who became her mentor. Jones participated in Khan’s 35th Anniversary Tour. Following her Broadway stint, Jones provided vocal coaching on MTV’s reality competition “Legally Blonde: The Search for Elle Woods,” a show designed to find and hone Broadway’s next star.
A frequent soloist with symphony around the world, Ms. Jones has performed as a guest soloist with the National Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Utah Symphony and Opera, Grant Park Festival Orchestra, Winnipeg Symphony, Evansville Philharmonic, Jacksonville Symphony, Houston Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Colorado Symphony, Maryland Symphony, Winnipeg Symphony, Virginia Symphony, Windsor Symphony, Windham Chamber Singers, Grand Rapids Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, Calgary Symphony, Battle Creek Symphony, Reno Philharmonic, Oregon Symphony, Lansing Symphony, Plano Symphony, Orchestra Kentucky, Victoria Symphony, Long Bay Symphony, Festival Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic, among many others. Instagram: @lakishajonesmusic
March 17th – Spring Pops “Roaring 20’s” featuring vocalists Ginger Pauley & Matt Tolentino
Maui Pops Orchestra steps back in time to delight in the music of the 1920’s. Featuring vocalists Ginger Pauley and Matt Tolentino – both of whom specialize in music of this era – join us for this look back to a more carefree time when the Charleston was all the rage and radio had just begun broadcasting music across the country. An entertaining history lesson!
Ginger Pauley is from Los Angeles, California and has been singing in bands and orchestras for over 15 years. She was the Lead singer in The Crazy Rhythm Hot Society Orchestra, The Mike Henebry Orchestra, The Swing Era Orchestra and also leads her own band, Ginger & The Hoosier Daddys. She has worked as a performer for Disney and Universal Studios for over 20 years.
Ginger is also an actress and hosts her own network tv show, Vintage America With Ginger, on Amazon Prime and Tubi.
You may also recognize her from comedy sketches on The CONAN (O’Brien) Show. Ginger had a leading role in the National Tour of The Three Stooges Live and is embarking on her first Australian Tour in October 2023.
After a few years in the making, Ginger is grateful for this collaborative opportunity and is excited to finally be playing with the Maui Pops Orchestra!
For More Information: vintageamericawithginger.com Instagram: @gingerpauley and @gingerthehoosierdaddys
Sharing his birthday with Fred Astaire, Matt Tolentino was born May 10, 1985. Some say he was born 80 years too late, but he’ll argue this is not the case. He works tirelessly to perform and preserve ragtime, hot jazz, and the roots of swing for today’s modern audience, and has made it his life’s mission to keep this wonderful music going for years to come.
A true multi-instrumentalist, he plays accordion, piano, clarinet, saxophone, banjo, guitar, tuba, and vibraphone. As a vocalist, Matt has been praised for capturing the flavor and spirit of the 1920s and 1930s with sincerity and authenticity. His ensembles include small combos and two fourteen-piece outfits – The Singapore Slingers Orchestra and The New Liberty Dance Orchestra – both specializing in the music of 1895 to 1935. Some recent performance highlights include the Transatlantic Ragtime Romp aboard the Queen Mary 2, wherein he took a ten-piece ragtime orchestra on the high seas for seven days of music, song, and dance.
Matt also works as an archivist – with a collection of over 6,000 band arrangements, hundreds of 78 rpm records, and notable artifacts including Adrian Rollini’s bass saxophone, he has completely dedicated himself to his craft.
Matt makes his home in Cincinnati, Ohio, sharing his 1890 Victorian with his wife Danielle, their Chihuahua Doo-Dad, a 1952 Kaiser Deluxe and a 1949 Chrysler Windsor.
For more information on Matt, his bands, and his music, please visit www.MattTolentino.com.
Programs and Artists subject to change.
We look forward to seeing you in the audience this season! (We’ll be the ones up on the stage…)
Supported by the Hawai`i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (SFCA), through appropriations from the Legislature of the State of Hawai`i or grants from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Additional support provided by Hawaii Tourism Authority through the Community Enrichment Program and Maui Visitors & Convention Bureau.
Thank you for your interest in the Maui Pops Orchestra.