Pat Sajak's Big Acting Gig After “Wheel of Fortune” Retirement Will Raise Money for Local Hawaii Theatre (Exclusive)
Gregory D. Dunn, President and CEO of Hawaii Theatre Center, tells PEOPLE about how Sajak "generously donates his time and talents to raise money" for the program
Eric McCandless/ABC via Getty
Pat Sajak is pictured on 'Celebrity Wheel of Fortune'Pat Sajak is just coming off a long-running tenure as host of Wheel of Fortune, and the 77-year-old TV veteran already has his next big project lined up.
Next summer, Sajak will star in a play at The Hawaii Theatre, titled Prescription: Murder, alongside longtime friend, KHON-TV Hawai’i newscaster Joe Moore. The production, directed by Rob Duval, is based on the 1962 play Prescription: Murder, written by William Link and Richard Levinson, who later turned it into the popular 1960s drama series Columbo.
Gregory D. Dunn, President and CEO of Hawaii Theatre Center, tells PEOPLE exclusively that they're "very fortunate" to have both Sajak and Moore volunteering their time to the program.
"Pat Sajak and Joe Moore are longtime friends from their service in the army in Vietnam. Joe Moore is Hawaii's leading broadcast anchor. He's been on the KHON 2 news for decades, and he and Pat still enjoy acting together," Dunn shares. "So through his relationship with Joe, Pat has been invited to perform at The Hawaii Theatre, which is the state's premier historic performing art venue for several years."
"They've done six shows together over the years and over that time, Pat has donated very generously his time and talents to raise money to support the nonprofit venue," he continues. "We don't receive any state or city or federal funding to operate the venue, which is 102 years old. So it's a very expensive facility to maintain. Part of Pat's philanthropy, he very generously donates his time and talents to raise money to help support the theater."
Having worked with both Sajak and Moore over the years, Dunn enjoys being able "to see their authenticity and their genuine appreciation and love for people," noting that "the arts comes through in each of the shows that they bring to the stage of Hawaii Theatre."
courtesy Joe Moore
(L-R) Joe Moore and Pat SajakDunn shares that Sajak and Moore, who will complete rehearsals over Zoom while residing in different states, "not only forego any salary or any compensation for this, but they also bring in donors to help underwrite the program."
"They bring in friends from both Hawaii and also from California, primarily with past friends and family that have been very generous and donated tens of thousands of dollars to the theater to help us operate," he explains, noting that supporting cast and crew members do receive compensation for their efforts. "We couldn't be happier to welcome Pat back, and it really is something that we look forward to every couple of years."
Remarking on Sajak's acting abilities, Dunn has nothing but praise for the former game show host.
"It's really exciting when you, as someone that has grown up with Wheel of Fortune. I used to sit and watch the show with my grandmother when we were children," he says.
"To be able to engage with him and recognize that he is the authentic and kind person you see on the show, that's his true personality and the way he interacts with people and his fellow actors and with the cast and crew, he is really a talented actor that brings an immense amount of craft to the stage," he adds. "Our audiences every year are delighted when they're able to enjoy his performances on stage."
Although fans won't be able to see Sajak perform until July 2025, tickets are available to purchase now through The Hawaii Theatre's official website.
"We're hoping that people that reside either in the mainland or internationally will consider a trip to Hawaii and take advantage of the opportunity to see Pat on stage," he adds. "People in Hawaii have been very fortunate to be able to enjoy his talent on stage over the years, and it's been one of those best-kept secrets for his fans on the mainland and the international fans, that they could also come if they wanted to plan a trip and see him on stage."
Sajak's final Wheel of Fortune episode aired on June 7. Though his longtime co-host Vanna White will remain on board in her old position, Sajak will be replaced by Ryan Seacrest, who will make his debut in September 2024.
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Prescription: Murder will run at The Hawaii Theatre from July 31, 2025 through August 10, 2025. Tickets can be purchased online here.
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