By Suzi Bond

We all have big dreams and some of us actually get to live them. Joshua "Baba" Tavares, UH Hilo Performing Arts Senior, is getting ready to live his. On June 25, he has a one way ticket to New York City, where he hopes to one day “make it” in musical theater. To showcase the awesome talent he has, Joshua, “Baba” to all who know him, will present “All in One Package, Island Boy with City Dreams”; an intimate night of music, dance and pure entertainment.

This one-night-only event will take place on Friday, February 24, at 7:30 p.m. at the East Hawaii Cultural Center. Admission is by donation. All proceeds go to offset the cost of the production. The show shines a spotlight on the vocal versatility of this Big Island native as he performs a wide array of musical genres including Hawaiian, Reggae, Jazz, Pop, R&B, Musical Theater and even an original piece. There will be some Beyonce, Adele, Paula Fuga, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and JayZ. There will even be hula and chanting. The show will be intimate with Baba talking and sharing the significance of the songs throughout the evening.

Not only will he showcase his singing, but his dancing, as well. Joining Baba on stage will be Robbie Craddock, Dailee Morrone and Cristina Hussey. Dancing with him will be Heather Cloud and Leah Fournier. All of this talent will be backed up by Rich Gomez on piano, Kaipo Bailado on bass and Justin Chittams on drums.

Baba is a Big Island boy. He was raised in Kona where he went to immersion school starting in preschool. He began singing when he was about five. He comes by his musical tradition honestly. His father is one-time Ho’aikane member, Walter Boy Tavares.

“The show has a really long title; All in One Package, Island Boy with City Dreams. The “All In One Package,” I “stole” the name from my dad. It was the title of his solo album. On it there was Hawaiian, reggae, R&B; it shows his versatility and this inspired me to do the same. The “Island Boy with Big City Dreams” speaks to my moving to New York to pursue a career in musical theater. I am really excited about this new chapter, but I will never forget where I’m from. I will stay true to my roots, whatever I accomplish.”

Baba did not do theater until his junior year in high school. “That was when it all meshed together; everything I wanted to do was all in one place. I would make up scenes and play for my little sisters and their friends. I was always a character when I was young. Unconsciously, I guess I was always theatrical, but I didn’t realize it.” After he graduated from Kamehameha-Kapalama in 2008, he went to New York City with the Drama Club. They saw six shows. “I was blown away when I saw my first Broadway show; full scale, on a professional level. That’s when I knew this was what I wanted to do.”

Since coming to UH-Hilo, Baba has been learning and honing his craft. His first show was “Twelfth Nite or Whateva.” Since then, he has appeared on the UHH stage in “Amadeus,” “Seussical,” “Folks You Meet at Longs,” and “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” where he played Jesus. He did tech work on “Go, Dog, Go,” he says, “to learn the other side of theater,” and this spring will be playing one of the Dynamos in “Hairspray.” He auditioned for The Glee Project, XFactor and American Idol and “although I didn’t get in to any of those, it was a great opportunity and learning experience.”

As always Baba is humble. “There are so many people I want to thank. Jackie Pualani Johnson, for being my mentor and inspiration throughout my college career. Mahalo to my family and friends for always being supportive of my dreams. The love and support I get from everyone in the community is pleasantly overwhelming and it genuinely means the world to me. Mahalo, mahalo, mahalo!”