Hawai'i's Loretta Ables Sayre joins an elite circle tonight when she competes for a Tony Award — Broadway's biggest prize — at Radio City Music Hall in New York.

"Between you and me, I don't expect to win, but it is overwhelmingly humbling to be nominated for this award," Ables Sayre told The Advertiser as the Broadway gala drew near.

She is one of four performers vying for featured actress in a musical, for her performance of Bloody Mary in "Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific." Her acting colleagues also are up for the prize in their respective categories.

In her Broadway debut at age 50, Ables Sayre is redefining Bloody Mary for a new generation of theater fans, since "South Pacific" is being revived on The Great White Way for the first time in nearly 60 years. The big-scale musical is blessed with the integrity and wizardry of Lincoln Center Theatre, which tapped Bartlett Sher to direct at its Vivian Beaumont Theatre. "South Pacific" has amassed 11 nominations, including Best Revival of a Musical.

"It's all coming so quickly; it's been exciting and exhausting, but really it's been the time of my life," she said.

While Ables Sayre has hometowners rooting for her, it turns out that she isn't the only Islander up for a Tony.

Kevin McCollum, local boy-turned-Broadway producer, could garner his fourth Tony with "In the Heights," the musical he co-produced via The Producing Office, which leads this year's nominations with a total of 13 including best musical.

And Sher, "South Pacific" director, also is vying for best director of a musical. He has Island ties: "My stepfather's from Hawai'i — Douglas Chung. And yes, all my relatives on the Chung side are there," he said.

For Ables Sayre, the possibility of a Tony is an unfathomable dream. And with the gala comes the glam.

"As far as my gown goes, I will be wearing a Junko Yoshioka design in dark teal blue. My shoes are Stuart Weitzman," she said. Her couture designer has dressed the likes of Helen Hunt, Jessica Alba and Ali Landry.

"Of course my handsome husband (David Sayre, a Hawai'i publicist) will be my date," she said.

She won't be wearing a lei. "Because it's couture, the lei I will be wearing will be around my heart," she said.

Local boy McCollum, who saw Ables Sayre in "South Pacific" and shared a table with her at the Tony nominees event earlier this month, said the Tony anticipation triggers adrenaline. "It's been so busy, I can't breathe," he said.

"We come from the same place and we commiserated," said McCollum. "My mom (the late Sue McCollum) and I did HCT (Honolulu Community Theatre) and she did what now is Diamond Head Theatre, so there's definitely something in the water," he said of their theatrical roots.

McCollum said he's all about mounting productions that focus on families and communities — something he picked up while growing up here.

"Since I grew up in a community where there were many different races, there's a lot of Hawai'i in what I produce — people from different places," he said. "It's exciting to be part of that process, to pursue what I love."

While Ables Sayre has emerged as a "somebody" in the Broadway landscape (folks like Bette Midler and Diane Keaton have visited her backstage), she's also approaching the big night as a fan.

"I just found out who some of the presenters are and I can't wait to see them in person," she said. "At the Tony nominees luncheon, they presented us with an official plaque, and I still just stare at it every day, I can't believe my name is really printed on there."

She'll have family in attendance. "My folks (Matt and Sheri) were so excited about the nomination, they purchased Tony Awards tickets and air and hotel within an hour after the nomination was announced," said hubby David Sayre. Loretta's mom, Jennie, will watch the telecast from the family home in Mililani Mauka.