HONOLULU (KHON2) — Our local performing arts community is remembering one of its brightest stars tonight. Broadway alumna Jade Stice died suddenly in a hiking accident on the west coast.
Jade stice was just 19-years-old when she left her hometown of Kaneohe for the bright lights of New York City, to perform with the original cast of Miss Saigon.
The Castle High School Graduate also went on to join the first national tour of “Jekyll and Hyde” — and also performed at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall and Rockefeller Center.
But Stice never forgot her roots. She eventually returned to Hawaii and performed in community theatre.
“You would always see her onstage and say yeah, that’s where she’s supposed to be,” said Devon Nekoba, a friend of hers. “It was about the energy and the spirit and the way that she took the stage. I mean, she got up there and just went, ‘mine’.”
But in recent years, Stice walked in the footsteps of her mentor — the beloved Castle High School performing arts center founder and director – Ron Bright.
Through the Bright Kid Foundation’s summer program in Kaneohe, Stice shared her Broadway knowledge and experience with the future generation of performers.
And she was set to direct a new flock of children this summer.
“We were really looking forward to it. She was so excited about the program,” added her friend Allan Lau. “The roots that she has here in Hawaii just kind of permeated her personally again, bringing those gifts and experiences that she learned professionally aboard and then being able to share that here locally.”
That meant the world to Stice, who followed in the footsteps of the man who sparked her love of the theatre and of teaching young people to believe in themselves.
“She embodied our motto with Mr. Bright in believing in yourself. She believed in every child that walked through that door,” added Lau.
Stice was the mother of three children and passed at 53-years-old.