Favourite Maui Entertainers

We are sad to say that two of our favourite Maui entertainers are leaving the island to help out Debra's family in Florida. The first time we saw husband and wife team Debra and Jerry perform, was at the historic Iao Theatre in Wailuku. They did selections from Broadway with such flair and pizazz that we became followers for life. Their unique love story is a fairytale that began when she was Guinevere and he was Lancelot in a production of Camelot at the Iao Theatre in 1998. From that day they became fast friends and musical partners, and over the years have delighted Maui audiences with many concerts, dinner shows and Musical Theatre productions.
A special night for us was a St. Patrick's Day dinner show at Mulligan's on the Blue in Wailea. They had just returned from a tour of Ireland and related to us a beautiful story of Jerry proposing in a small stone church, in the town of Ballyvaughan. They sang Irish songs of course, as well as other favourites and the slide show presentation of their photos of Ireland completed a magical evening. Needless to say on Aug 6, 2006, they got married in the Iao Theatre where they had first met. This time it was a happy ending for Guinevere and Lancelot and the wedding was a wonderful event with knights in shining armor and music from Camelot. To top off this surreal occasion, former mayor Alan Arakawa declared Aug 6, 2006 as Jerry Eiting and Debra Lynn day.

Debra and Jerry each bring their own special talents to the relationship and the combination is dynamite. While Jerry had a BFA in musical theatre, Debra has a BA in voice performance and was also trained in the Italianate Bel Canto "Beautiful Singing" tradition.

This Christmas we were proud to be a part of the "Sing it Youself Messiah" held in the Ballroom of the Hyatt hotel in Kaanapali. Debra Lynn was the soprano soloist and her talents as a classical singer were obvious as she flawlessly tackled the difficult music.

Other memorable performances by these special people were Jerry as Professor Hill in the 2008 production of The Music Man, the annual Christmas in Wailuku concerts at the Iao Theatre, and Phantom with Debra as Christine and Jerry as Count de Chandon.

We attended their last concert "Inspired By Love" and of course it was on Valentine's Day. The audience didn't want to leave and understandably there wasn't a dry eye in the house as they sang their last goodbye to Maui.

Much to their credit Debra and Jerry were founders of the Maui Civic Light Opera, now a mainstay in the Maui arts community.

I have not nearly covered the many acheivements of this amazing and talented couple, but suffice it to say that they will be sorely missed on Maui and we hope and pray they will be back, if not to live, at least to share their music with us again.

Credit for the wonderful "Inspired by Love" photo goes to photographer David Hessemer