Spring show by Kalihi’s T-Shirt Theatre features original music by Hawaii rapper Jonah “Big Mox” Moananu.
Hawaii American Idol contestant and local musician Jonah Moananu returns to T-Shirt Theatre as the Musical Director in the role of the artist educator and music mentor, where he once was a student
“The more I grow, I look at things in different ways, re-imagined my stage I’m a player that came to play” sings the company in a number titled “Big Ideas” an original song composed by local rapper Jonah “Big Mox” Moananu. Jonah, T-Shirt Theatre alumni, and current T-Shirt Theatre Musical Director contributes more than his music, he has been an artist educator and life mentor to the “Kalihi kids” since 2001. When American Idol came to Honolulu in 2003 Jonah performed and made it to one round after the Hollywood auditions and achieved a ranking of 32 out of an original 80,000 try-outs.
Jonah is a teaching artist with the Pow Wow School of Music, and is working with Professor Rod Labrador in the Department of Ethnic Studies at the University of Hawaii exploring Hawaii hip-hop and “oceanic urbanism.”
He says working as a teaching artist is one of the most fulfilling aspects of his career, and his role as a mentor is a result of having been encouraged by his own mentors George Kon, Walt Dulaney, and Primo Asis. He says, learning that “my imagination, and the ideas I had – were valid” was a powerfully “Big Idea.”
The “Big Ideas” in Jonah’s music were inspired by student collaborations that in-turn sparked this collection of music covering: relationships, speaking from the perspective of a bully, the virtue of apologizing, and other universal themes. “They were all ideas creatively relayed from the kids about the future – I remember being one of those kids. You can never count the kids out because they’ll glue the ideas together no matter what goes on.” The T-Shirt Theatre theme or value is that no matter what is going on, one can learn and contribute to it.
Big Ideas: Re-Imagined is a show that everyone will enjoy! To make it more exciting, Jonah plans on gathering one-line written ideas from the audience and composing a free-style rap, live on stage, that brings his experience, the kids, AND the audience together. What a wonderful BIG IDEA!
Big Ideas: Re- imagined will be performed at the Kaimuki High School Auditorium
Thursday, April 9 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, April 12, 2015 at 4:30 pm