>> Moore, Sajak team up to star, donate all proceeds at Hawaii Theatre play

Schedules are subject to change; check theater websites for show times and ticket information.

HAWAII SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL

hawaiishakes.org

>> “Comedy of Errors” : A man and his servant who don’t know that they each have a twin brother, unwittingly visit the town where their twins live. July 11–20. The Arts at Marks Garage, 1159 Nuuanu Ave.

>> “Hamlet” : Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, returns home following the sudden and unexpected death of his father and discovers that his widowed mother has married his uncle, Claudius, and that Uncle Claudius is now king. When his father’s ghost reveals that Claudius murdered him to get the crown, Hamlet is confronted with questions of justice, morality, and revenge. Aug. 8-17. Manoa Valley Theatre, 2833 E. Manoa Road.

HAWAII THEATRE CENTER

hawaiitheatre.com

>> “Prescription: Murder” : Longtime friends Pat Sajak and Joe Moore reunite to star in their revival of this classic 1962 crime drama about a psychiatrist (Sajak) who murders his wife and the police detective (Moore) assigned to the case. All ticket sales benefit the Hawaii Theatre Center. July 31-Aug. 10

I’M A BRIGHT KID FOUNDATION (IABK)

imabrightkidfoundation.org

>> “Gypsy” : Castle High grad Jacquelyn Holland-Wright returns home from Las Vegas to star as Mama Rose, the relentless “stage mother” who pushes her daughters into careers in vaudeville, a story based on the memoirs of “striptease” dancer Gypsy Rose Lee. Proceeds benefit IABK programs perpetuating the legacy of famed educator and director Ron Bright. Paliku Theatre, Windward Community College. Aug. 8-24

KUMU KAHUA THEATRE

46 Merchant St.; 808-536-4441, kumukahua.org

>> “Smother” : A “fiercely devoted but meddlesome mother” tries to steer her “sweet but independent” daughter away from bad relationships and “into the arms of a ‘perfect’ partner.” Playwright Sara Ward says any similarities between the characters in the story, and her real-life relationship with her own daughter, are, well, in the eye of the beholder. Aug. 28-Sept. 28.

>> “Outlandish” : Victorian-era travel writer Isabella Bird meets King Lunalilo at a dinner party in Hilo in 1873. Nov. 6-Dec. 7.

>> “Two Nails, One Love” : “Da Pidgin Guerilla” Lee A. Tonouchi’s adaption of Alden M. Hayashi’s 2021 novel about a 40-something “recently single gay man living in New York City” and his mother, who was deported from the United States to Japan during World War II, and later settled in Hawaii. Jan. 22-Feb. 22.

>> “Lois-Ann Yamanaka’s Blu’s Hanging” : R. Zamora Linmark’s adaptation of Yamanaka’s 1997 story of a Hansen’s disease survivor who is losing “his grip on reality” as he struggles to provide for his three children, and his oldest daughter, Ivah, who has been accepted to a private boarding school — should she go and advance her education, or should she stay, help her father, and protect her siblings? March 26-April 26.

>> “Memory Beads” : An Okinawan woman, aware that her family has a history of Alzheimer’s disease, begins collecting “memory beads” that connect the life experiences of five generations of Okinawan women. May 28-June 28.

HONOLULU THEATRE FOR YOUTH

Tenney Theatre, St. Andrew’s Cathedral, 229 Queen Emma Square; 808-839-9885, htyweb.org

>> “Tales of the Sun & Moon” : Celestial myths and legends from around the world remind kids age 5 and up that all people look at the same sun and the same moon, and that every culture has its own tale about the heavens. Ages 5+. Aug. 31, Sept. 7 , 14 and 27.

>> “Line Circle Sphere” : Lines and shapes, colors and patterns, bring a two-dimensional world to life in this interactive play for pre-school audiences. Ages 2+ Oct. 11 and 19.

>> “Uncle’s Mostly True Stories of the Philippines” : HTY company member Hermenigildo “Junior” Tesoro is at the center of a new play celebrating the history, people and diverse cultures of the Philippines. Age 7+. Nov. 8, 16 and 23.

>> “Anika’s Elephants” : A Kenyan girl befriends a baby elephant and learns “that family can be anything — an animal sanctuary, a herd of hunted elephants, an orphaned girl and a calf.”Age 5+. Jan. 16, 18, 25 and 31.

>> “Joseph Kekuku and the Voice of the Steel Guitar” : A hana hou production of playwright Moses Goods’ brilliant multi-media musical biography of Joseph Kekuku and the invention of the Hawaiian steel guitar. Age 7+. Feb. 13, 15 and 21.

>> “Pa Ka Makani” : A hana hou production of Hawaii playwrights Lokomaikai Lipscomb, Marques Hanalei Marzan, and Annie Cusick Wood’s story of a young Hawaiian woman’s quest to find her place within her culture. “What can the breezes of the islands teach her about her own voice and her relationship to her beloved Tutu?” Age 7+. Feb. 27, March 1 and 14.

>> “The Tiny Tree” : Matt and his dad ride Roger Rocketship to a mysterious planet where they find a magical blue seed and learn the importance of caring for our planet and for each other. Age 2+. April 4 and 12.

>> “Hapa” : “A celebration of diversity within our community and within every individual.” Age 5+ April 25, May 3, 10 and 24.

THE ACTORS’ GROUP (TAG)

Brad Powell Theatre, The Shops at Dole Cannery, 650 Iwilei Road; 808-722-6941, taghawaii.net

>> “The Piano Lesson” : The year is 1936. In the fourth play of August Wilson’s 10-play “Century Cycle,” Boy Willie wants to sell the family piano and use the money to buy land in Mississippi where their ancestors worked as slaves. His sister wants to keep it because two of their ancestors were sold so the slave owner could buy the piano for his wife, the ancestors’ faces were carved into the piano, and some years later, another ancestor stole the piano from the slave owner’s family. Sept. 5-21

>> “Higher! Higher!” : The aggressive president of a club for billionaires is not happy when two private investigators arrive on his remote “newtopian” island looking for his son and the extremely dangerous AI his son has stolen. The island is somewhat similar to Brigadoon, Bali Hai, Camelot, La Mancha, and Shangri-La, and the detectives fall in love and want to stay. Angered by his son’s disloyalty, the club president seeks to eradicate the entire island. Oct. 31-Nov. 16.

>> “Seven Guitars” : The year is 1946. Blues singer Floyd “Schoolboy” Barton returns home after 90 days in the county jail. Inspired by the success of heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis, and with a record deal at hand, “Schoolboy” plans to patch things up with his estranged girlfriend, go to Chicago, and build a career as a recording artist. Jan. 9-25.

>> “Fire Pit” : Lee Cataluna’s new play is described as “a dark comedy about survival instincts, letting go and that popular catchphrase, ‘the new normal.’” March 6-22.

>> “Fences” : Pittsburgh in the mid-1950s. Troy, a former Negro League baseball star who did time in prison for robbery, makes history by becoming the first Black man in Pittsburgh to drive a garbage truck instead of loading it. Meanwhile, Troy’s son is weighing an opportunity to attend college on a football scholarship. May 1-17.

>> “The Lake Effect” : The death of an Indian-American restaurant owner, and the terms of his will, forces his estranged children to confront the issues that drove them apart. June-26-July 12.

MANOA VALLEY THEATRE

2833 E. Manoa Road; 808-988-6131, manoavalleytheatre.com

>> “Da Mayah” : The classic 1998 Lee Cataluna comedy about ineffectual small-town mayor Lester Perez and the loyal executive assistant who makes him look competent. Sept. 11-28.

>> “Priscilla Queen of the Desert” : Three drag performers travel across the Australian Outback in the bus they call Priscilla. Nov. 13-Dec. 7.

>> “Dial M for Murder” : A man plans to end his marriage with a perfect murder — but then something goes wrong. Jan. 22-Feb. 8.

>> “Spring Awakening” : A rock musical exploration of the trials and tribulations of teenage self-discovery. A hit for MVT in 2012. March 19-April 5.

>> “Yellow Face” : An Asian American playwright confronts a casting controversy and considers his views on “cultural authenticity.” May 14-24.

>> “Shrek The Musical” : The stage version of the 2001 DreamWorks Animation animated feature film about Shrek the Ogre, Donkey and Princess Fiona, and their search for a happy fairy tale ending. Kaimuki High School Performing Arts Center, 2705 Kaimuki Ave. June 25-July 12.

DIAMOND HEAD THEATRE

520 Makapuu Ave.; 808-733-0274, diamondheadtheatre.com

>> “Come From Away” : In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, 38 planes carrying approximately 7,000 passengers are diverted to Gander, Newfoundland, where residents step up to accommodate them. The characters in this 2017 Broadway musical are based on real-life stranded travelers and Gander residents. Sept. 12- Oct. 28.

>> “Piney Needlesmith and the Road Less Traveled” : A misfit pine tree and charismatic polar bear embark on an unforgettable adventure. Nov. 21- Dec. 7.

>> “The Last Five Years” : Can shared dreams sustain a relationship when lovers have divergent careers? Playwright Jason Robert Brown tells one character’s story in chronological order starting shortly after they first meet, and the other character’s story in reverse chronological order starting five years later. Jan. 23-Feb. 8.

>> “West Side Story” : “Romeo & Juliet” transposed from 16th century Verona, Italy, to 20th century New York City. With music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and choreography by Jerome Robbins, “West Side Story” is generally rated as one of the greatest Broadway musicals of the 20th century and is perennially popular in Hawaii. March 20-April 5.

>> “Funny Girl” : The classic Broadway musical treatment of the career and stormy personal life of comedian and Broadway star Fanny Brice. May 22-June 7

>> “Les Miserables” : French fugitive Jean Valjean seeks redemption amid the miserable, the downtrodden, and those who exploit them, in Broadway’s mega-hit treatment of Victor Hugo’s epic novel. July 31-Aug. 16.

UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT MANOA

Kennedy Theatre, 1770 East-West Road; 808-956-7655, 808ne.ws/kennedytheatre

Prime Time Series – Kennedy Theatre Mainstage

>> “Dancing in the Diaspora” : The UHM Dance Program partners with the Center for Philippine Studies (CPS) for a multi-cultural celebration of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the CPS and the experiences of Filipinos outside the Philippines. Performed in Tagalog, Ilokano and English. Nov. 14-23

>> “Panji and the Lost Princess” : Balinese master artists I Ketut Wirtawan and I Made Moja deploy giant shadow puppets, human actors and dancers, complex electronic lighting effects and a live gamelan ensemble in presenting a traditional Javanese story as modern wayang listrik (“electronic shadows”) Indonesian theater. April 17-26.

Prime Time Series – Earle Ernst Lab Theatre

>> “The Yellow Boat” : A young boy’s boundless creativity turns his world into “a sea of possibilities.” Recommended for ages 8 and up. Sept. 24-28.

>>“Dolls: A Toy Story” : Two dolls in an American toy story in the 1940s — one Black, one white — find their love challenged by laws that prohibit interracial marriage. Outside the store, World War II leaves its mark on American society and brings about unforeseen changes and challenges. Oct. 22-26

>> “MFA/BFA Dance Concert” : Five degree candidates premiere original choreography. Jan. 28-Feb. 1

>>“Lele Wale” : MFA candidate Ikaika Mendez wrote and directs this Hana Keaka (Hawaiian theatre) production exploring the experiences of Lahaina residents who survived the wildfire of 2023 and now are addressing questions of identity, displacement, and what Lahaina will become for future generations of Hawaii residents. Performed with mele and hula, with dialogue in Hawaiian, pidgin and standard English. March 4-8

Late Night Series – Earle Ernst Lab Theatre

>> “Friends” : MFA candidate Robert Morris III reworks Japanese playwright Abe Kobo’s absurdist comedy as the studio taping of a sitcom with a live studio jazz band. Nov. 15-22

>> “Late Night Tech Takeover — A Night of One-Act Plays” : MFA candidate Antonio Hernandez directs two plays that celebrate the stage crews that make things happen backstage — and all the things that can go wrong when actors take the stage. Hernandez’s choices are “K*ll the Playwright” and “And The Crew Plays On.” April 18-25

BROADWAY IN HAWAII

https://broadwayinhawaii.com

>> “Chicago” : The classic Kander & Ebb Broadway mega-hit about corruption and “celebrity criminals” in 1920s Chicago performed by the national touring company. Dec. 2-7. Blaisdell Concert Hall.

BALLET HAWAII

ballethawaii.org

>> “The Nutcracker” : Tchaikovsky’s beloved Christmas story transported from Nuremberg, Germany, in 1892 to Honolulu in 1858 — the first time Christmas is known to have been celebrated at Washington Place. Dec. 12-14. Blaisdell Concert Hall.

HAWAII OPERA THEATRE

hawaiiopera.org

>> “The Riot Grrrl On Mars” : Gioachino Rossini’s “L’italiana in Algeri” (“The Italian Girl in Algiers”) is transposed from early 19th-century Algeria to the planet Mars and becomes the story of the Riot Grrrl, her beloved Mosquito, and the King of Mars. Performed in English with English super-titles. Feb 13 and 15. Blaisdell Concert Hall

>> “Kamalehua: The Sheltering Tree” : Hawaiian baritone Quinn Kelsey stars as Timoteo Ha‘alilio, Royal Secretary and lifelong friend to King Kamehameha III, whose 1842-45 mission to the United States, Great Britain, Belgium, and France secured treaties recognizing Hawaii as a sovereign nation. May 1, 3 and 5. Blaisdell Concert Hall

New federal regulations are expected to jolt up Hawaii electricity costs and make it harder for the state to achieve its clean energy goals.

Changes enacted July 4 under President Donald Trump’s domestic policy bill threaten to imperil several planned utility-scale solar farms and thousands of additional residential rooftop solar systems across the state by eliminating a 30% federal tax credit for such project costs much sooner than previously slated.

Potentially affected projects include one on Oahu that would be the biggest solar farm in the state and two on Maui that are on or near a bubble for starting construction by July 5, 2026, in order to qualify for credits under the new law.

Other planned solar farm projects, including two on Kauai projected to save ratepayers $800 million over 25 years and one slated to provide 20% of electricity needs on Hawaii island, are not expected to qualify for credits, putting their prospects in doubt or making them more costly for ratepayers.

For residential rooftop solar, credits will end for systems not placed in service by the end of this year, which is expected to result in a steep drop in what had been several thousand new systems added statewide annually in recent years.

“This new federal law is a gut punch to Hawaii’s rooftop solar market,” Rocky Mould, executive director of the Hawaii Solar Energy Association, said in an email.

Mould expects industry job losses plus future price increases for system components because of anticipated cutbacks in manufacturing and demand nationally.

“The sudden elimination of the federal residential tax credit after this year throws the market into disarray,” he said.

Hawaii, largely because of its geographic isolation, has the highest electricity prices in the nation and is subject to unique consequences of the new renewable energy policy changes.

Both rooftop and utility-scale solar systems have been the main driver in replacing imported foreign oil and diesel fuel-burning combustion turbine power plants that cost Hawaii ratepayers more for electricity while also emitting higher amounts of greenhouse gases contributing to climate change.

Previously, federal tax credits were available for residential projects that went into service before 2034 and for utility-scale projects that began construction before 2034.

Longer-term impacts

The effects on Hawaii ratepayers from the accelerated elimination of tax credits for utility-scale solar projects are expected to be longer-term, and could include higher prices from fossil fuel-­fired power plants running longer and higher prices for power generated by solar farms developed without tax credit subsidies.

Hawaiian Electric, which provides power to Oahu, Maui County and Hawaii island as the state’s largest utility, said there’s no question the new federal law will make it more difficult and potentially more costly to reach the state’s goal to have 100% of electricity generated by renewable sources by 2045.

“Any loss in renewable energy tax credits will likely result in higher prices for new renewable projects, which rely on such incentives to provide clean, affordable energy,” Rebecca Dayhuff-­Matsushima, Hawaiian Electric vice president for resource procurement, said in a statement.

In 2024 new utility-scale and rooftop solar power systems boosted the share of electricity generated by renewable sources for Hawaiian Electric to 36% from 33% a year earlier.

Those additions included the 60-megawatt AES Kuihelani Solar farm on Maui and three projects on Oahu: Hoohana Solar I (52 megawatts), Kupono Solar (42 megawatts) and AES West Oahu Solar (12.5 megawatts).

Several thousand new private rooftop solar system installations with a combined 61 megawatts of capacity also expanded use of renewable energy that generally costs less than power produced from fossil fuel.

Now with new federal tax credit deadlines, rooftop solar installations are expected to drop next year while utility-scale projects face major challenges to obtain tax credits if “substantial” construction does not begin by July 5, 2026.

Mould expects a near-term rush of homeowners trying to beat the Dec. 31 deadline, but also said permitting backlogs and interconnection delays make this challenging.

Some solar system loan companies and installers are considering cutoff dates as soon as September or October to avoid risk of missing the deadline, according to Mould, who also said there are efforts to expedite permitting and interconnections given the federal law change.

Marco Mangelsdorf, a ProVision Solar executive who has been in the business locally for 25 years, said a “shock wave” is about to hit the industry, resulting in a drop-off in business, job cuts and even some company closures.

A decade ago, after the state Public Utilities Commission ended a popular incentive program in October 2015 for rooftop solar installations that allowed system owners to sell excess electricity to utilities at the retail rate, the number of building permits issued for new systems fell from 14,249 in 2015 to 8,509 in 2016 and then to about 5,000 in each of the next two years.

There was a moderate rebound in subsequent years that reached 10,848 permits in 2023, according to data from Mangelsdorf, so there is some optimism that the anticipated falloff in rooftop solar system additions won’t be permanent.

Mould noted the state has a renewable energy income tax credit ranging from 22.5% to 35% that is capped at $5,000 per residential system.

“Given Hawaii’s high electricity prices, solar and energy storage still make a ton of sense,” he said.

Still, other factors including stiff tariffs being imposed by Trump on goods imported from foreign countries could make systems even more expensive.

Project pipeline

For utility-scale projects, a more complicated landscape lies ahead.

Under the new law, such projects that start construction by July 5, 2026, and go into service within four years from then can obtain federal tax credits.

Dayhuff-Matsushima said an upcoming request for renewable energy project proposals sought by Hawaiian Electric likely will result in projects that aren’t eligible for federal tax credits.

More immediately, four solar farm projects where renewable energy developers are negotiating contracts with Hawaiian Electric have projected construction schedules close to the tax credit deadline.

Of the four, two anticipate starting construction after the deadline, and two expect to start construction three to six months before the deadline.

The two projects in the worst spot are Keamuku Solar planned for Hawaii island, where construction of the 86-megawatt facility is projected to begin in 2027, and a 40-megawatt expansion of Kuihelani Solar on Maui, where construction is projected to begin between July and September of 2026.

In a better position are the 120-megawatt Mahi Solar project on Oahu and the 20-megawatt Pulehu Solar project on Maui, with construction anticipated to start in the first quarter of 2026, making any potential delays in regulatory and permitting approvals a critical issue.

Two developers pursuing the four projects, AES Corp. and Longroad Energy, did not respond to requests for comment.

AES also plans two solar farms on Kauai, where ratepayers own the utility company.

Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative announced in March that the two projects — Mana Solar and Kaawanui Solar with a combined capacity of 78 megawatts — were expected to displace the use of 13 million gallons of diesel annually while saving ratepayers $800 million over 25 years, generating enough power for over 30,000 homes and bringing the utility’s share of renewable energy to nearly 80% by 2028.

Construction, however, isn’t projected to begin until 2027, according to a PUC filing.

It’s possible that development can be accelerated for one or more Hawaii solar farm projects. However, Trump administration officials also aim to redefine what constitutes beginning construction, possibly requiring that a “substantial portion of a subject facility has been built,” according to an executive order Trump issued Monday.

“For too long, the Federal Government has forced American taxpayers to subsidize expensive and unreliable energy sources like wind and solar,” the order states. “The proliferation of these projects displaces affordable, reliable, dispatchable domestic energy sources, compromises our electric grid, and denigrates the beauty of our Nation’s natural landscape.”

Planned Hawaii solar farm projects also may have to contend with tariffs and further restrictions on tax credits depending on where components are made.

2045 outlook

Mark Glick, director of the Hawaii State Energy Office, said federal tax credit law changes will result in higher electricity prices but won’t block the state from achieving its 2045 clean energy goal.

“Neither the U.S. Congress nor federal tax credits are driving Hawaii’s commitment to be more energy self-sufficient,” he said in an email.

The state’s strategy to achieve the 2045 goal involves a mix of renewable energy sources, including biofuel, hydrogen, geothermal, wind and liquefied natural gas.

New federal tax credit deadlines also apply to wind farms but aren’t expected to upset one near-term project on Maui representing extended operation of an existing project at a lower cost. There is a more ambitious plan to develop a 400- to 450-­megawatt offshore wind farm to supply about 25% of Oahu’s electricity need, though this project has a longer-term horizon and faces other challenges.

Glick expressed confidence that regulators, utilities and energy producers in Hawaii will, in the long term, devise ways to maintain economic feasibility for new utility-scale solar farms while rooftop solar systems continue to offer savings even without federal tax credits.

“Congress removing the tax credits doesn’t change the fact that in Hawaii, electricity produced by solar is cheaper than electricity produced by oil,” he said. “People and businesses in Hawaii are smarter than the short-sighted Congress because we understand that our economy will remain vulnerable to the devastating effects of oil price volatility as long as diesel and low sulfur oil are the majority fuel for generating electricity.”

———

Solar farm development pipeline

Six planned utility-scale solar farm projects in Hawaii could be upset by a new federal law reining in tax-credit incentives.

>> Mahi Solar on Oahu, 120 megawatts

>> Kuihelani Phase 2 Solar on Maui, 40 megawatts

>> Pulehu Solar on Maui, 20 megawatts

>> Keamuku Solar on Hawaii island, 86 megawatts

>> Mana Solar on Kauai, 35 megawatts

>> Kaawanui Solar on Kauai, 43 megawatts

———

Source: Hawaii State Energy Office

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The area of high pressure is expected to slowly move north over the weekend, which will help the trades weaken. A drier airmass is expected to move in, with limited clouds and showers mainly impacting the north and east sections of the islands. The one wrinkle to the forecast will be the evolution of an upper level disturbance to the north of the islands. This disturbance could help to enhance instability over the western half of the state which could bring some enhanced showers this weekend and early next week.

A great tool to have is our First Alert Weather App and interactive radar.

(Waves & Ocean) No marine warnings currently in effect for Hawaiian Waters.

A reinforcing longer period south swell is scheduled started to arrive last night. This little boost, in tandem with another small, long period south swell arriving Sunday night into Monday, will hold south-facing shore surf to slightly under summertime averages thru possibly Tuesday.

East-facing shore surf will remain rough as moderate to fresh trades blow through the day. A very small northwest swell originating behind a front hanging up far northwest of the islands may pass through early next week. This will keep north-facing shore surf from going completely flat.

(WAVE HEIGHTS)

Chief Meteorologist Jennifer Robbins has Hawaii’s most accurate First Alert Forecast every weeknight at 5, 5:30, 6, 9 and 10. Get weather updates every ten minutes on HNN Sunrise, weekdays with Guy Hagi and weekends with Billy V. Meteorologist Drew Davis has your forecasts on This is Now at noon, First at Four and Hawaii News Now at 6:30. And join Ben Gutierrez weekend evenings.

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