Tsukimi event enlightens community about the moon
Tsukimi event enlightens community about the moon
A wedding of science and culture took place Sept. 28 at Imiloa Astronomy Center in Hilo. Subaru Telescope and Imiloa teamed up to present a variation of tsukimi, which literally means “moon-viewing” and refers to a Japanese celebration honoring the autumn full moon. The evening’s activities wove together several phases that included a planetarium show featuring the Earth’s moon, as well as moons orbiting other planets in the solar system; stories about the moon drawn from different cultural traditions; and the sharing of mochi, a small sweet rice cake, representing one of the traditional Japanese offerings to the moon.
Subaru Telescope staff members greeted visitors at an exhibit area as they entered Imiloa’s atrium. Both before and after the event, visitors could learn about the operation of Japan’s large, premier telescope situated on Mauna Kea and pick up complimentary postcards, posters and informational brochures at the exhibit’s table. About 100 guests filled the planetarium and enjoyed a varied presentation by planetarium systems technician Christopher Phillips.
“Why are we so fascinated by the moon, and what is it like?” he asked. He not only described interesting scientific facts about the Earth’s moon but also took visitors on an informative journey that included pictures and narratives about the moons of other planets in the solar system — Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune.
The scene shifted to the next phase of the event in Imiloa’s exhibit hall, where the audience gathered around an illuminated model of the moon. Ramsey Lundock, astronomer and Subaru Telescope outreach associate, donned a dark brown kimono, usually worn for special occasions in Japanese culture, and geta, traditional wooden sandals that look like flip-flops (or slippers) on little platforms. He entertained the audience with a variety of Asian folk tales about the moon.
All the while, visitors savored the mochi served by two Imiloa volunteers dressed in bright red, black and white happi coats, straight-sleeved jackets usually worn at festivals.
Toward the end of the evening, the moon emerged from its cloudy shroud to allow the audience to view it with a telescope on the grounds of the astronomy center.
‘Rocky Horror Show’ begins run Thursday
Kona theater goers will be seeing a lot of familiar faces in this year’s limited engagement of “The Rocky Horror Show” — though not necessarily in the roles they may be accustomed to. Relative newcomer Johnny Gomez is taking the lead as Frankenfurter. David Parsons is letting out his inner freak as the Narrator. Roxanne Fox will be playing Columbia, and Jerry Tracy is joining the cast as Riff Raff. Returning are some favorites, including Sue Boyum as Magenta, Barry Levine playing the title creation Rocky Horror and Miguel Montez, doing double duty, as Eddie and Dr. Von Scott. The demented duo of Brad Majors and Janet Weiss will be played by Sam Valenti and Sara Hagen, respectively. A cast of phantoms includes Sandra Huitt, Rachel Leonard, Robin O’Hara, Janemarie Singer, Justine Smith, Jen Johansen and Steven Orton.
“The Rocky Horror Show” is a live action musical stage play, not to be confused with “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” where performers act out key moments of the 1975 film adaptation in front of a movie screen. The music, book and lyrics were conceived by Richard O’Brien. “The Rocky Horror Show” was first performed at London’s Royal Court Theatre Upstairs in 1973. Since then, the stage show has been in almost continuous production.
This year there will be five performances at the Aloha Theatre in Kainaliu, Thursday through Sunday and Oct. 31. Sharon Cannon leads the live rock band, with Fox as director, Boyum as vocal director and choreograpy by Lee Vinson, Joanie Collins, Smith, Huitt and O’Hara. Designers include Ariana Bassett, technical and sound; Bob Gage, lighting, and Gerald Lucena, costumes and set. Yvonne Buscher will create the show’s makeup, and Toni Reynolds is supplying the props. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit alohatheatre.com or call 322-9924.