Matt Shingledecker to Star in HEART's 5th Anniversary Benefit Concert in Hilo

Hilo Education Arts Repertory Theatre also known as HEART, will celebrate its fifth anniversary with a benefit concert and community fundraiser at the Hilo Palace Theatre. The concert will take place on Monday, February 9 at 7:00 p.m. and will raise funds for HEART’s upcoming youth production of Disney’s Frozen.

The evening will feature special guest Matt Shingledecker, whose Broadway, Off-Broadway, and national tour credits include Wicked, Les Misérables, West Side Story, Rent, and Spring Awakening. Additional performers include Nashville-based singer-songwriter Hobo Cane (Javier Mendoza), HEART performer Meili Aspen (Cabaret, Heathers, Chicago), and local artists Pomai Conant-Longakit and Kimo Apaka.

The concert will also include performances by the cast of HEART’s upcoming production of Dear Evan Hansen, along with preview material from future productions including Frozen, SIX: Teen Edition, and Les Misérables.

The fundraiser supports HEART’s youth theatre program and its upcoming production of Frozen, a large-cast musical designed to include between 50 and 100 local youth performers both onstage and behind the scenes. HEART has previously produced large-scale youth productions including Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and Grease.

According to Reitzer, the organization is facing increased financial challenges following the loss of its largest grant amid broader cuts to arts funding. Funds raised through the benefit concert will support production costs and sustain HEART’s youth programming.

Founded in Hilo, HEART has received statewide recognition for its work, including five BroadwayWorld Awards in 2025, most recently earning Best Youth Theatre in the State of Hawaiʻi and Best Play for its production of A View from the Bridge.