A Producer
With Aloha

I arrived for initial casting. Jeff picked me up at the Maui airport and I saw a side of him that is not often seen. Jeff — the unrelenting, overworking producer — was cool and relaxed. He said: "Welcome to Maui, My Laria." (I believe he viewed me as malaria, because what producer really likes a director? Jeff Gitlin — that's who.) "Aloha, Jeffery!" And we were off to the Hyatt for auditions.

Jeff was a different person in Maui. He loved the island and was never afraid to express it. We turned left at the Maui Ocean Center onto the Pali Highway and I was blown away by the view of Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi. Jeff pointed both out and even pulled off at the Pali viewpoint just so he could savor the sight of the trio of islands that make up the core of Hawaiʻi.

He showed me the sights like an earnest tour guide. Coming around a corner of the island, he said with sweet assurance: "This is Lāhainā. I love it here. We have to go to Kimo's." I thought: "I'll go anywhere with this Jeff. I didn't know what the hell Kimo's was, but Jeff liked it so I liked it." As he pointed to the city by the sea, I had an opportunity to glance over at the Aloha-shirt-wearing workaholic who called me every day to make sure Tony n' Tina's Wedding Las Vegas was on target. This Aloha Jeff had narrowed all of his angst down to a soothing wonder and peace. He even had a tan and a puka-shell necklace around his neck. When he pulled up to the Hyatt, he got out of the car like he was arriving home.

"You have to see Swan Court!" Jeff nonchalantly said as we entered the rotunda-like lobby of the Hyatt. A forest of balconies and green plants grew upwards. "Why not?" I responded, hoping it was a venue for the show — with a bar — so I could drink some of the Mai Tai Mystical Kool-Aid Jeff had obviously consumed.

This was not my first trip to Maui — I had been often and even stayed at the Hyatt — but to see it through Jeff's eyes was a virgin's journey. He said "aloha" and "mahalo" to everyone he saw. We sat in Swan Court, a high-end restaurant that looked out on the ocean and was flanked by small rock pools with live swans. Jeff saw the entire production in this venue. As a director, I was used to producers welcoming me into church basements and abandoned dining halls. Jeff didn't blink an eye as he pointed out where the band could be placed — and then said: "We can do the ceremony upstairs in the bar by the penguins." Words I will always cherish. Swans and penguins and Tony n' Tina's Wedding had never combined, but Jeff presented it to me on a platter. He envisioned the play in the room, and as he sat there like Kamehameha doling out proclamations, I too began to envision the play in this most unlikely of venues.

We had done a casting call and when we entered the ballroom for the auditions, I smiled. I was greeted by the most unusual set of actors ready to audition for an Italian-American play that I had ever witnessed. The mélange of faces were brown and local, Asian, white (haole) with suntans on their faces and slippers on their feet.

I wanted to separate the actors between local-looking and non-local-looking, but Jeff wouldn't allow it. He commented that the Hawaiian culture was mixed — ala mixed plate — and that was the beauty of it. His love and respect for Hawaiʻi were growing every minute.

We mounted the play, assembled an interracial, diverse cast, and changed tuxedos for white and red Aloha shirts. It was a dream of a production: Swan Court, penguins with cocktails, and a conch shell to begin the festivities. A kumu was invited to bless the production, and his prayers were answered.

Tony n' Tina's Wedding Maui ran for several years at the Hyatt and in different venues — including on all three NCL cruise ships. We would bring the show onto each ship when it entered the Maui harbor; the cast would depart before the ship sailed and show up ready for the next ship the following day. Three venues for a single play, three times a week. We blocked the venues on each ship separately and rehearsed each band separately. Even the food was different each night from each ship's kitchen. Sounds like a mess — but it ran very smoothly for over a year.

We then did the Kāʻanapali Beach Club ballroom as our third venue and put together a very tight, lovely show. And Jeff was there for us at every turn — setting up tables, preparing menus, sharing marketing advice, and growing his love for Hawaiʻi.

And all of this prepared Jeff for becoming the producer of Huakaʻi — Journey Through Polynesia at the Kāʻanapali Beach Club in 2015. Created by Melody and Kaniala Masoe, this lūʻau ran for six years and only ended because Covid-19 decided to have its own production in Hawaiʻi.

Once the lūʻau ended, Jeff continued to dream. We approached so many venues — from the Kāʻanapali Beach Hotel to the Maui Ocean Center — but the time was not right.

By the time Covid-19 was a little under control, Jeff began again to aggressively search out venues. He emailed and called every venue he could find. He even went on a trip to Maui in July of 2021 with his wife, Jessica, promising not to do "too much" business — but every restaurant, every beach and brewery became a possibility for a new updated production of Huakaʻi. He would quietly walk away from dinner and FaceTime me to show me where they were having dinner or lunch, asking if I thought we could do the lūʻau there.

Eventually, Jeff found his way to the Maui Ocean Center, where he knew destiny was at hand. A lovely restaurant — covered but open air (most lūʻaus have to close on a rainy night in Maui). He arranged a meeting and, with what seemed like his last possible hope, Jeff — with Hawaiʻi in his heart — struck a deal to bring Huakaʻi back to life. Not in just any venue, but in the Maui Ocean Center's restaurant Seascape, overlooking Māʻalaea Bay. A venue known by everyone who comes to the island, either visually or through a family visit. Sea turtles and whales star in the Maui Ocean Center show — and now they would be able to include singers, dancers, and musicians in the ʻohana.

Booking the lūʻau was Jeff's gift to all of us who thought that Huakaʻi was a memory. Jeff turned that memory into reality by never giving up the dream of producing yet another show in Hawaiʻi. He respects the culture of the ʻāina and gives back by ensuring a production that elevates the culture that exists there.

Huakaʻi — Journey Through Polynesia opened November 3, 2021, and Jeff Gitlin was there with his Aloha shirt on, embracing the islands and producing from his heart. Perhaps this time we will find out the ingredients in his Mai Tai Mystical Kool-Aid. I suspect when we do, it will be courage, determination, and the spirit to continue a dream without setting boundaries.

Jeff sees the future and then realizes it into an experience for the audience — part dream, part entertainment, and all heart.