Manoa Valley Theatre Features Loretta Ables Sayre and Jody Bill On This Week's MVT LIVE

This week's episode of Manoa Valley Theatre's new live streaming video series called MVT Live, features two heavy hitters in the entertainment world. Viewers will have a front row seat and an exclusive behind the scenes look at the glamorous world of live theatre and performance. The stream will be posted on @manoavalleytheatre's Live Facebook stream. The host, Dylan Chace Lee, will chat with Tony Award nominee Loretta Ables Sayre and the talented singer and actor Jody Bill. They'll talk about everything from their background in performing, favorite acting experiences and even a live performance by Jody.

Each live episode feature chats with favorite actors and directors from current and past productions at MVT in a casual, from-home streaming video format. Executive Director Kip Wilborn will join in with news from the theatre and talk about the exciting new season, including four Hawaii premieres.

Loretta Ables Sayre received a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress, and a Theatre World Award for her Broadway and NYC debuts as Bloody Mary in the 2008 Lincoln Center Theater revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific. In addition, she performed Bali Hai on the nationally-broadcast 2008 Tony Awards Preview Concert. The nearly three-year run concluded with a live production of South Pacific on the nationally televised PBS program Live From Lincoln Center. She made her London debut in 2011 in Lincoln Center Theater's production of South Pacific at the Barbican Theatre and appeared in the production's U.K. tour in cities across England, Scotland and Wales. Loretta began singing professionally in 1979 as the first featured female vocalist with Keola and Kapono Beamer in the Ocean Showroom of the Reef Hotel in Waikiki. She was the opening act for comedian Andy Bumatai in the Monarch Room of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in 1981.

In 1989, she began singing as the featured vocalist of the Lewers Lounge in the Halekulani Hotel in Waikiki. She performed at the five-diamond hotel five nights a week for 10 years for numerous guests including Luther Vandross, John Travolta, Dick Clark and Natalie Cole. From 1999 to 2006, she performed at The Veranda at the five-diamond Kahala Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Among her accolades was a command performance requested by Neil Sedaka. Other theater credits include Dolly Gallagher Levi in Hello, Dolly! (Diamond Head Theatre), Mrs. Meers in Thoroughly Modern Millie (Goodspeed Opera House), Bloody Mary in South Pacific (The MUNY) (Paper Mill Playhouse) (Asolo Theatre) (Diamond Head Theatre) (Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera) and co-director South Pacific (Diamond Head Theatre), Wrestling Ernest Hemingway (Hawaii Theatre), You Somebody (Diamond Head Theater), Dreamgirls (Hawaii Theatre), Song of the Navigator (Honolulu Theater for Youth - U.S. tour including Kennedy Center and Australia). She has performed in concerts as the opening act for The Beach Boys, Kenny Loggins, James Brown, Four Tops. As a sought-after soloist, she has been featured at the Blue Note Hawaii and with the Cleveland Orchestra, Andy Einhorn conducting. Television credits include "Hawaii Five-0" - recurring role, "Beyond the Break," "North Shore," "Hawaii," "Baywatch Hawaii," and "Byrds of Paradise." Loretta's movie credits include "Sex and The City 2," "dress" with Henry Ian Cusick, "Jungle Cruise" with Dwayne Johnson, and "Next Goal Wins" with Director/Actor Taika Waititi. For more information, visit lorettaablessayre.com or Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Jody Bill recently moved to NYC after spending 10 years in Hawai'i as a teacher and active member of the theatre community. Credits include: Kinky Boots, Beehive, Something Rotten, Nice Work if You Can Get It, Evita, Legally Blonde, 9 to 5, Sister Act, Shrek - Diamond Head Theatre. At MVT, Jody appeared in Avenue Q (2011 and 2019), Lysistrata Jones, Rent, Young Frankenstein, and the Manoa Marquee. Jody most recently appeared in "Underscoring Commitment," as well as cabaret productions at Feinstein's/54 Below and The West End Lounge.

Manoa Valley Theatre continues its online streaming offerings by presenting, for a limited time, Lorenzo DeStefano's 2018 production of "SHIPMENT DAY," on MVT's Facebook page ( www.facebook.com/manoavalleytheatre) and YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/manoavalleytheatre).

Amid COVID-19 concerns, MVT will continue to follow the lead of our city, state and federal elected officials as it implements strategies recommended by public health authorities and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and will be in touch with ticket holders with any performance changes. MVT will also post updates on its website at manoavalleytheatre.com/alerts.

Manoa Valley Theatre recognizes Season Benefactor Sponsors Alexander & Baldwin, Inc., Cades Schutte and the Cades Foundation, and D. Suehiro Electric, Inc. The Season Presenter Sponsors are the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and 'Iolani School. Season Sponsors are Bob & Corrine Taylor on behalf of Maui Divers Jewelry, the George Mason Fund of Hawaii Community Foundation and Jeffrey S. Portnoy in memory of Sandi Portnoy. The Season Supporting Sponsor is First Hawaiian Bank.

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