Meet The Improvhi Team

Originally from Kaneohe, local girl Kimee Balmilero is the founder and “Head Sillypino” of improvhi. Kimee has been performing professionally since 1994 thanks to her first paying gig as “Woody Woodpecker” at an Earth Day Fair in Hawaii. She got the role because she was the only person in her high school drama class that was short enough to fit in the costume. You can currently catch her as Medical Examiner, Dr. Noelani Cunha on CBS’s “Hawaii Five-0.” Other credits include: The 3X Emmy Nominated Kid’s TV Series “Hi-5,” the Original Broadway Cast of “Mamma Mia,” and the 2nd National Touring Company of “Miss Saigon.” While working in NYC and LA, she studied improv and sketch comedy at the famed Uprights Citizens Brigade Theatre. Kimee has performed in such venues as: UCB in LA, Second City-Hollywood, iO West, Radio City Music Hall and the Kodak Theater. In March 2015, Kimee produced the first ever Hawaii Sketch Comedy Festival at The Honolulu Museum’s Doris Duke Theatre.A lifetime student of the legendary Ronald E. Bright, Kimee made her directorial debut with the Hawai’i Premiere of “Mamma Mia” at the historical Diamond Head Theatre in Honolulu. The show was a hit with Hawaii audiences and was sold out for the entire run and extension. When not doing comedy stuff, Kimee loves watching shows about food, shopping at flea markets and garage sales, karaoke-ing, instagram-ing and looking at her husband John’s face. She is also an only child. Go figure. kimeeb.com

Sean Choo has been involved in the performing arts for most his life. From humble beginnings portraying Joseph in a Christmas pageant as a toddler, Sean is currently a company actor at Honolulu Theater for Youth. You may have seen and heard his work at Tenney Theater most recently as sound designer and actor, performing in “Extraordinary Stories From an Ordinary ‘Ohana”. Improv got a hold of his life a few years ago when On The Spot Improv asked him to help with their classes. Sean and his great friend Jasmine Fernandez started Yobo-Pocho Productions, which put on its first variety show, “Kumu’s Hukilau” at Kumu Kahua Theater in February 2017. His current favorite musical is “Waitress”, and his current favorite podcast is “Off Book”.

Trevor Danielson (founding member) grew up across from buried dead people in rural Minnesota. While his cousins were busy learning to fix trucks, kill animals with guns, and talk to girls, Trevor, built like an obedient typist, turned to the mirror for companionship. With the bathroom door safely shut he learned to transform himself into anyone he could imagine, from a southern baptist pastor preaching the value of biblical devotion to a well mannered housewife preaching the value of a buttered pan. Two decades later that bathroom is the ImprovHI stage, he still likes to play a well mannered housewife, and you are the perverts standing around the toilet watching him perform.

Jasmine Fernandez (founding member) is an actor, improviser, performing arts teacher and director. She recently directed Ohia Production’s Legends of the Pacific in the 2016 Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. She is also the leading lady of Yobo-Pocho Productions, a local company focused on producing theatre and the arts in Hawaii. Improv is very near and dear to her heart. She’s been performing improv since 2008 starting with On the Spot and developed lifelong friendships with improvisers from around the world by saying, “Yes, and” to any opportunity that comes her way.

Sarah Halford is a Hawaii-born artist who has been acting professionally in Los Angeles for the last few years. She is overjoyed to be back home and jumping into the wild world of Improv. She holds her Masters in Acting from one of the top grad schools in the country, UC San Diego. While in Los Angeles, she starred as Heather Chandler in the world premiere of Heathers: The Musical. Other professional TV and Film Credits include: “Anger Management,”“Hawaii 5-0,” “Cristela,” “Road Hard,” with comedian Adam Carolla, and a few national commercials. Since moving home, she has been featured in Mamma Mia! and All Shook Up at Diamond Head Theatre. She also enjoyed filming a virtual reality short film “Escape to Calypso Island” in Summer 2016 with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson for his You Tube channel. Sarah teaches performing arts classes to kids all around the Island, and is passionate about good hugs and spam musubis.

Susan Codispoti Hawes is a world renowned comedic musical theater character actress. Well, she’s a comedic musical theater character actress. I mean, she enjoys performing improv and sketch comedy, and she’s done plenty of musical theater. And she always plays a character. The character part was on the up and up. Scout’s honor.* Susan found improv through ImprovHI classes in 2016, and she has been full speed ahead ever since, devouring short form, long form, musical, and rap improv, and anything else that terrifies and delights her. Speaking of terrifying and delightful, Susan spawned two sons and a daughter with her favorite husband, Andy, and they are all very active in Mililani, where they moved from Nashville, TN in 2015.

*Susan Hawes has never been a Scout.

Nick Kawakami has been doing improv his whole life, and only until 2016 did he finally decide to ask for formal training. Son of a Father and a Mother, he was born and raised on the island of O’ahu, Hawaii. After early stints in various school theater productions, Nick ignored the pull of stage acting for unpromising shots at athletics in high school. It wasn’t until a mid-third-life crisis, and a desire to master the hippodrome of adulthood, that he decided to signup for an improv comedy class and unknowingly return to the artistic stage. In 2017, Kimee Balmilero picked him to join the Improvhi team, and he hasn’t stopped yelling in glee!

Sean Koegel (founding member) began his study of improvisational comedy at the age of 29 in Chicago where he enrolled in a year-long introductory short-form improv comedy program at the Second City Theater. From that point, improv comedy became ‘that girlfriend’ whom Sean can’t marry nor breakup with. Following his arrival in Hawaii (2006), Sean immediately sought out the improv scene and over the years has had the opportunity to have played with numerous groups and many talented people. In-Yo-Face Improv, LaughTrack Theater, On The Spot, ThinkFast and RealProv are just some of the groups that have helped Sean practice the art of improv comedy. About five years ago Sean found a home at what is now ImprovHI. Today, Sean is ever grateful for the opportunities ImprovHI has created under the leadership of Kimee Balmilero. Forever the student, Sean continues to learn, practice an improve his improvisational capabilities, which he now shares with his 4-year old son, whom occasionally attends practices and performances. Sean is excited to share his love of improvisational comedy with the love of his life (Kelly-Boy).

Ryan Okinaka  is a local stage actor, improvisor, director and playwright who recently made his TV debut in “Hawaii Five-0.” His first full-length play entitled “iHula” premiered at Kumu Kahua Theater in the fall of 2016. Other stage credits include Mrya Mongoosette in Manoa Valley Teater’s production of “Lisa Matsumoto’s Once Upon One Noddah Time,” Stan Ono in Kumu Kahua Theater’s production of “Shoyu On Rice,” and Brad in “Rocky Horror Picture Show” at the Art’s at Mark’s Garage. Oki started improvising in 2010 as a member of In Yo Face Improv. He’s proud to be a core member of ImprovHI.

Born and raised in Hawaii Nei, Marni Ramirez has been a fan of improv since 2007. Marni-Kehau started off her lineage in improv with troupes like Comedy Crusaders, The Initiative, Second Class Citizens, In Yo Face Improv and now calls ImprovHI her home. Improv makes Marni Kehau happy. A mother of three and manager by day , laughter is important to Marni-Kehau. Marni-Kehau has performed in a few local theater shows at Leeward Community College, Manoa Valley Theater and Diamond Head Theater. Marni-Kehau loves to make people laugh on and off stage and enjoys her friendship, group mind, and overall silliness that ImprovHI provides her daily. Tall, loud, vulgar and spicy are what makes Marni-Kehau unique. *she will also like you to always call her by her full name of “Marni Hyphen Kehau.”

Originally from Hawaii, a class advertising “conquer fears”, “overcome shyness”, and “learn how to fail” is what caught Kiyoshi “Yosh” Shiraishi‘s attention and lured him into the world of improv. After moving to Washington state for university, he stuck around in Seattle and started improvising in 2013. He started studying at Unexpected Productions and Jet City Improv in Seattle before moving back home to Oahu and joining ImprovHI in 2017. A data analyst and self-proclaimed nerd, Yosh studied and made a career in areas with few opportunities for subjectivity, creativity, and laugh-itivity. He enjoys improv most for the chance to play and be goofy and delightful with wonderful people.

Jose Ver (founding member) is in his 30s, but in true Chuck Norris form…he has over 50 years of experience. He’s been performing professionally for over a decade doing everything from stand up to emceeing and all forms of improv. He’s a comedian, singer, improvisor, actor, director, musician, martial artist, teacher, cook, uber driver, dancer and whatever else you need him to be! When not showcasing one of his many talents to the world, Jose teaches beginning and int/adv level improv at improvhi. Lucky us!

Micheline “Murf” McManus (founding member)  is a rock star mother of 3.5 awesome kids and an amazing wife to one funny hubby. When not making up funnies on stage, you can find Murf teaching and changing lives in the English Department at Iolani Schools. A lover of books, football and hand shakes, Murf is always an audience favorite!

Tom “Mad Dog” McManus (founding member) makes his home in Manoa with his wife, 3.5 children, and his trusty dog Zelda. Mad Dog is a sort of comedy carpetbagger. He has sold his snake oil in Philadelphia (ComedySportz), Baltimore (BIG) and at festivals around the country. By day, he works in education and is deeply committed to making the next generations resourceful, insightful, and funny. Mad Dog was born in Massachusetts and people actually thought that his sports fandom was cute 20 years ago before the plucky rebel alliance turned into the evil empire that is New England sports. He is sorry for being so wicked awesome all the time. Mad Dog would like to thank his partner in everything, Murf McManus, for making life beautiful. For all of you reading this website, you both should come see our shows, take our classes, and hang out with our peoples at ImprovHI. It’s life affirming and fun!

Amy Toner Sullivan is super happy to be a part of Improv HI, where she fulfills a decades-long dream of doing musical improv! (what?! I get to do musical improv?!). She’s also a wife, step-mom to three (well, they’re all adults, so there’s not really much “parenting” happening), an actor, a singer, and she’s just started exploring the possible option of venturing timidly into stand-up comedy. But don’t ask her to tell you about when. No way. Not yet. Much more practice is needed before committing to public humiliation in front of people who sort of know who she is – hahahaha!
Around town you might have seen Amy as “Albert Einstein” in Picasso at the Lapine Agile at TAG, as a singer in Rise Up: a Musical Call to Action at Paliku Theatre, as “She” in MVT’s Stage Kiss, as “Mabel Cantwell” in The Best Man at TAG, as “Sister Mary Martin of Tours” in DHT’s Sister Act and as “Becky Foster” in MVT’s Becky’s New Car, for which she won a Po‘okela.
Other favorite roles include “Ida” See How They Run, “Rosemary Sydney” in Picnic, “Hermia” in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, “Reno Sweeny” in Anything Goes, “Peggy” in The Tafettas, and “Frenchie” in Grease.