Documentary on Maui-born opera star Tandy MacKenzie to screen at Akakū Upstairs

Akakū Maui Community Media will host a screening of the documentary “Tandy MacKenzie: Hawaiʻi’s Greatest Opera Star” on Thursday, May 15, 2025, featuring a talk story with writer, narrator and producer Wayne Moniz. The event is part of Akakū’s monthly speaker series, Akakū Upstairs.

The film traces the life of the Maui born singer, Tandy MacKenzie, from his humble origins in Hāna in 1892 to his tragic death in Los Angeles in 1963. The film covers the Hawaiian singerʻs years at Kamehameha Schools, his discovery by American opera star John McCormick, his training in Canada and his appearances around the globe. The film highlights both his personal and professional struggles.

“I had no idea who Tandy MacKenzie was. However, like several other projects, my ignorance became a curiosity, my curiosity eventually an obsession,” Moniz said. “I began my research and learned the life of a native son whose biography read like an operatic libretto.”

Moniz produced the film alongside Bob Mistysyn, Guy Gaumont and Maui Film and Research.

A Maui author, playwright and poet, Moniz has written books, screenplays, short stories, poetry and lyrics. He was named Teacher of the Year in 1994 and received the Cades Award in Literature in 2005, Hawaiʻi’s most prestigious writing prize. In 2010, he earned the Ka Palapala Poʻokela Reader’s Choice Book of the Year award from the Hawaiʻi Book Publishers Association for “Under Maui Skies and Other Stories.”

Akakū Upstairs salons are offered on the third Thursday of each month in Suite 204. The event is free, but registration is required and seating is limited. Doors open at 5:45 p.m. with the salon starting promptly at 6 p.m. and ending at 7:30 p.m. Register at https://bit.ly/MaySalonRegistration, akaku.org or by calling 808-871-5554.