World renowned actress and singer Lea Salonga will perform at Kristi Yamaguchi’s GOLDEN MOMENT HAWAII, an extraordinary “concert on ice” to benefit early childhood literacy in Hawaii.
Show times are Saturday, Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 10 at 4 p.m. Tickets go on sale, available at Ticketmaster and the Blaisdell Center Box Office.
The Tony Award-winning Salonga will join a star-studded cast of figure skating champions as they take center ice at the Neil S. Blaisdell Arena in an all-new production of GOLDEN MOMENT, a project of Yamaguchi’s Always Dream Foundation (ADF) to support Hawaii’s Title 1 schools.
For two shows only, the Blaisdell Arena stage will be frozen over to showcase a cast of figure skating champions from North America and Japan. The skating extravaganza will be choreographed to live performances by Salonga and additional local artists to be announced in June. Current confirmed cast includes:
Gold Medalists: Kristi Yamaguchi (Albertville), Brian Boitano (Calgary), Meryl Davis and Charlie White (Sochi), Ekaterina Gordeeva (Calgary) and Shizuka Arakawa (Turin)
Bronze Medalists: Daisuke Takahashi (Vancouver), Jeremy Abbott (Sochi)
World Champion: Yuka Sato (Chiba, Japan)
National Champions: Caydee Denney & John Coughlin (U.S.)
Known across the world for her powerful voice and perfect pitch, Lea Salonga is a singer and actress who is best known for her Tony Award winning role in Miss Saigon. In addition to the Tony, she has won the Olivier, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Theatre World Awards, in the field of musical theatre. She was also the first Asian to play Eponine in the musical Les Misérables on Broadway and returned to the beloved show as Fantine in the 2006 revival. Currently, Lea is a judge on the Philippines hit version of “The Voice.”
Yamaguchi said, “I’m thrilled to have Lea join us for Golden Moment 2017. Hawaii is like a second home to both of us, and we’re so excited to perform here together for the first time, not only to bring a once-in-a-lifetime show to the people of Hawaii, but to support early childhood literacy for underserved kids in the Aloha State.”
The first Golden Moment Hawaii, in November 2015, raised more than $200,000, and the Always Reading program is now serving more than 400 kindergarten students at seven Elementary Schools on Oahu: Kalihi-Kai, Linapuni, Fern, Puuhale, Waiahole, Pope and Kalihi. Net proceeds from Golden Moment stay in Hawaii to support Title 1 schools throughout the state.
For further information visit www.alwaysdream.org.
Always Dream Foundation in Hawaii
An accomplished children’s book author and mother of two, Yamaguchi’s passion for reading ignited the Always Dream Foundation’s commitment to early childhood literacy in 1996. In 2012, it launched Always Reading in California as a core program to connect children with e-books and technology.
In 2014 ADF expanded the Always Reading program to Hawaii to support the state’s Title 1 public schools, beginning with Kalihi Kai and Linapuni Elementary Schools. Net proceeds from this year’s Golden Moment concert on ice remain in Hawaii and support additional Title 1 schools throughout the state.
About Always Dream Foundation
Olympic Gold Medalist Kristi Yamaguchi founded the Always Dream Foundation in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1996 to inspire underserved children to reach for their dreams through innovative reading programs and by advancing the cause of early childhood literacy. ADF’s Always Reading literacy program combines technology with books to raise literacy skills and increase overall academic success and life potential. It also inspires children to “dream big” by engaging families with community events highlighting the importance of early childhood literacy.
In May, Kristi and her Always Dream Foundation is partnering with the Honolulu Book and Music Festival.
More at www.alwaysdream.org.