The Sewing Hui collaborates with Maui OnStage for the production of Seussical

The Sewing Hui, a nonprofit specializing in sewing initiatives for Maui, expands their efforts to contribute to the thriving arts and culture on Maui. 

Initially, the organization focused its efforts on mask making in the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Most recently, The Sewing Hui collaborated with Maui OnStage for their production of the musical Seussical, based on the works of Dr. Seuss. This production runs from July 12 to Aug. 4, 2024 at the Historical ‘Īao Theater in Wailuku. Seussical is a magical tale of The Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, Mayzie LaBird, Gertrude McFuzz, the Whos, and many other characters from the books.

The Sewing Hui volunteers, made up of Maui residents and visitors, have spent the past couple of months creating original costumes for this production. Costume Director Jennifer Oberg led the passionate team of volunteers in creating a unique costume wardrobe for this whimsical production. It has been a whirlwind of creativity and hard work as the team meticulously crafted each costume to bring this fantastical world of Dr. Seuss to life.

The original Broadway production in 2000 did not do well, partly due to the costume design. The Sewing Hui took a different approach, and attempted to recreate the characters in a 2-dimensional form. 

“I was having trouble getting past the costumes I was seeing in other productions of Seussical,” said Oberg.  “I was seeing costumes that could be in any play, anywhere.  I wasn’t seeing costumes that really felt like Dr. Seuss. So I was talking with my husband Craig Mullins about it.  He is a concept designer for film and games.  He suggested approaching the costumes in a 2-dimensional way.  He was right on target, so we proceeded in that fashion. When I presented the idea to the director Tina Kailiponi, she embraced it, as well as the rest of the production team. The color palette was minimized to 2-3 colors per costume, with black illustration lines applied strategically, so the costumes would appear as if they stepped right off the page.”

The Sewing Hui moved full speed ahead to get the costumes done on time.  When one of Jennifer’s family members got COVID a few weeks before opening night, the Sewing Hui paused.  “We lost about a week, but when we got back together the volunteers jumped right back in and came day after day to finish up the costumes,” said Oberg.

Sewists Beth Fox, Elaine Gima, Jani Hoffmeier, Madeline Reese, Pamela Patrick, Patty Davis, Vickie Conmy, Gail Pickholz, Vicky Gray, Cheryl Bien, Tia Lanzetta, Vicki Shortell, Samantha Sheehan, Marilyn Tsang and Lisa Pestana worked diligently to sew the costumes together. “We have some truly talented individuals who work with us. For example, Elaine Gima is a wonderful designer in her own right, having her own business for many years making custom dyed silk kimonos. Maui is fortunate to have these sewists giving their abilities to the community,” said Oberg.

Textile Artists Sara Oberg, Micah Oberg, Layli Gonzalez, Heidi Mathison, Debbie Shimabukuro, Sandy Rice, Lilia Zangpo, Sally Daniels, and Kathy Amico painted directly on the costumes to create the illusion of illustration.

“We used acrylic paints and strips of felt to achieve the look,” said Oberg. “Another good example of the creative people on our team is Debbie Shimabukuro, who is a wonderful artist, specializing in glass. Sally Daniels has also been an important part of the Maui theater community and we are lucky to have her joyful spirit present with us.”

Headdress Artisan Denise Green created Horton’s elephant ears, the Kangaroo’s ears, and the Hunches finger-pointing hats. 

“Denise is a genius with EVA foam, and has continued to work with The Sewing Hui even after relocating to North Carolina,” said Oberg.

Costume Props Artisans Nicole Belknap, Caroline Gochnour and Murray Donaldson worked on many of the props used in the costuming. Design Assistants Lynne Donaldson, Micah Oberg, and Marsi Smith provided many good design ideas that were used throughout the show.

“Lynne Donaldson is another volunteer who is talented in so many ways.  She has creative ideas, shares her amazing embroidery machine with us, and comes up with solutions with the mind of an engineer,” said Oberg.

Visitor-Volunteers Donna and Jon Gianelli, Luan Bien, Mitsziko Mote and Karen Gochnour spent time at the sewing studio during their visit to Maui to give back to the community of their time and talent. Yasmine Lindskog is the Assistant to the Costume Director.

“Working with the cast and crew was wonderful. I enjoy the collaborative process of bringing a show to life. And we have such incredible talent here on Maui. I mean, read the bios of these actors in the program when you see the show. The collective experience they bring to the table is fantastic. Tina did a superb job of casting,” said Oberg.

Cast members had good things to say about their costumes. Aaron Pardini plays the fun-loving Cat in the Hat with high energy and elegant style. 

“Jennifer’s costuming was a key component in finding my character,” said Pardini. “Her attention to detail is exquisite and she really captured the essence of the Dr. Seuss world by sticking with her simple color scheme and 2-D edging work. And Jennifer is such an amazing costumer to work with for her positive attitude, her hard work ethic, and her ability to adapt and collaborate.” 

Micah Howlett plays Horton the Elephant with tender care, endearing him to all the audience.

“I love my costume,” he said. “It keeps me cool under the hot lights. Figuratively and literally! I feel larger and love the way that it wobbles. It’s like I jumped right off the page. I also feel like this just might be the cutting edge of high fashion.” 

The Wickersham Brothers had a lot of monkeying around to do in their costumes, and did it with great aplomb.

“The attention to detail on these costumes are out of this world,” said Jordan Hernandez-Rodas. “The way her and her team were able to create the illusion that the characters were ripped right off the pages of the books is amazing, truly bringing these characters to life.” 

Scott Smith said, “Jennifer has been so professional/caring throughout our whole process, always checking to see if we need anything regarding costume adjustments. She’s a real gem.”

Sawyer Dunning-Zeches remembers watching the costumes come to life. “I remember how cool it was that just every time we’d come downstage and find that the costumes were a little more complete and then a little more complete and then a little more complete, until eventually we were at the time of the show and our amazing costumes were complete and the amount of detail and work that went into all of them was just so apparent and amazing and I feel it really helped as a big contributing factor to what made the show.”

Sawyer’s brother Finch Dunning-Zeches bounced around playing a Who and a Cadet. He liked his colorful costume. “I like how the whole cast looks like a cartoon.”

The versatile Kameron Lum plays a Who, a Circus Carny, and a Hunch with great expression. “The way Jennifer captured each character’s personality through the costumes was truly impressive and added an extra layer of magic to production.”

Grace Lily, who plays the concerned Mrs. Mayor, was disappointed at first when told that her costume colors would be yellow and orange. “But when I saw and tried on my costume, I was absolutely enthralled with how it felt on, fit and looked on me. Any hint of disappointment I had before about the colors I’d have to wear diminished immediately because she did such a fabulous job. Jennifer gave me short sleeves that are so feminine and fun to dance in. I felt so seen and special that Jennifer only met me once to take measurements and based on that brief interaction, she knew how to make a costume that I’d love and still fit my character.”

Talent runs in the Pascua family.  Sisters Elliana and Janelle are both in the show.  Elliana loved her costumes for her character JoJo.  “I love how my orange trousers glow under blue light. It’s so fun. Second of all, both of my costumes are comfortable and colorful which brings me so much joy. And lastly, I love how I can move around in them easily. In the scenes where I jump and run around, having a flowy costume makes the experience 100x better. Overall, my costumes are 10/10.” 

Her sister Janelle agrees.  “All of my costumes are so pretty and fun. As a Who, the fact that my costume is very formal fits right into the theme of Whoville.”

Sayler Koskey and Reina Charan play Who BFFs in Whoville.  Sayler said, “It was amazing having Jennifer work with us on this show. There are so many different characters and she was able to capture each in a specific way as she designed each costume. She made sure they all fit and that we were comfortable in every costume we had.”  Reina said, “The amount of detail The Sewing Hui put into the costumes really made the show come to life.”

Another talented family are the Schobels. Stephanie Schobel plays a Who, along with her energetic daughters Addy and Teagan.  “Jennifer made me look as cute as can be in my character dress. Her skills are extraordinary and she really listens to you and helps you look the way you want to look,” said Stephanie.

The production team was pleased with the work of The Sewing Hui.  Stage Manager Madeline Hamada noted, “Working with Jennifer has been an absolute highlight of my Seussical experience. Her imaginative vision and vivid colors brought these characters to life. Jennifer and her team’s dedication is most appreciated and she has my deepest respect and admiration.”  

Executive Director Luana Whitford-Mitchell said, “A HUGE mahalo to the extraordinary efforts of Jennifer Oberg and her volunteers at The Sewing Hui of Maui.  Their time and talents have brought the whimsical 2-D world of Seussical to life with their incredible creations. Every stitch has been made with such care and such aloha.  Each costume pops with color and personality, making our production truly unforgettable. We truly couldn’t have done it without you.”   

“The Sewing Hui volunteers are the heroes in this story,” said Oberg. “They are dedicated, talented, creative, caring, and so much fun to be around. We have a great time together working on our projects.  Without them, none of these costumes would exist. The team put in over 1,000 hours of community service to make this possible.” 

A lover of all things theatrical, volunteer Sally Daniels said, “To be volunteering, along with such positive, inspirational, creative people in a beautiful studio, is one of my happy places.”

Volunteer Tia Lanzetta started volunteering with The Sewing Hui six months ago. “Through the Sewing Hui, I’ve been able to help make walker bags for our kupuna and costumes for our keiki. Nothing has compared to the experience of watching Seussical costumes emerge literally from whole cloth. Jennifer’s creativity expanded all of her helpers’ abilities, to the benefit of everyone involved. Each time I walked into the studio, the bright colors uplifted and energized me and I could see it did the same for all the volunteers. I can’t wait to see the audience’s reactions in a live performance,” said Lanzetta.

Volunteer Lisa Pestana has her own business making beautiful accessories from axis deer hide.  She said, “I had a wonderful experience working on the Seussical costumes. Although my role was small, Jennifer’s amazing organizational skills and compassionate teaching made the project enjoyable. Her creativity always leaves me in awe. I always enjoy my time at the Hui.”

This must-see summer event is happening at the Historical ‘Īao Theater in Wailuku. The production highlights local talents while celebrating creativity, community, and the whimsical world of Dr. Seuss.

For more information and to reserve your tickets visit https://www.mauionstage.com/seussical/. To learn more about The Sewing Hui and their various efforts in the Maui community, or to volunteer or donate, visit www.thesewinghui.com.