Pat Sajak’s first role since hosting Wheel of Fortune will be starring in a Hawaii Theatre production of Prescription: Murder opposite longtime friend Joe MooreMoore and Sajak shared that the production will “likely be our final time on stage together”Sajak’s final Wheel of Fortune episode aired on June 7, and Ryan Seacrest took over hosting duties in September 2024
Pat Sajak is stepping into his first role since Wheel of Fortune.
The former host of the long-running TV game show, 78, is counting down the days until he returns to the Hawaii Theatre stage to star in a production of Prescription: Murder this summer opposite his longtime friend, KHON-TV Hawaii newscaster Joe Moore.
The show runs for a limited time from July 31 through Aug. 10 and will star Sajak as a psychiatrist named Dr. Roy Flemming, who has “carried out an ingenious plan to murder his wife, and established a perfect alibi,” according to the show’s announcement on the the Hawaii Theatre website.
Moore will star alongside him as Lt. Columbo, a disheveled and seemingly bumbling detective who’s investigating the crime. The show will be directed by Rob Duval and also star Bryce Moore, Therese Olival, Amy K. Sullivan and Aiko Chinen.
Sajak and Moore — who have appeared in numerous plays together over the years, first starring together in The Odd Couple in 2001 — also shared in the announcement that this would “likely be our final time on stage together.”
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From L: Joe Moore, Gregory Dunn, Pat Sajak and Bryce Moore.
Last year, Gregory D. Dunn, President and CEO of Hawaii Theatre Center, told PEOPLE in an exclusive statement that they were “very fortunate” to have both Sajak and Moore, who “are longtime friends from their service in the army in Vietnam” volunteering their time to the program, which would “raise money” for the theater.
“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,” Dunn said.
He also shared some insight into the rehearsal process that began last year following Sajak’s retirement from Wheel of Fortune, noting that he and Moore rehearsed over Zoom while residing in different states.
Remarking on Sajak’s acting abilities, Dunn had nothing but praise for the former gameshow host: “It’s really exciting as someone (who) has grown up with Wheel of Fortune. I used to sit and watch the show with my grandmother when we were children.”
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Joe Moore and Pat Poem.
courtesy Joe Moore
“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,” Dunn explained. “He is really a talented actor that brings an immense amount of craft to the stage.”
“Our audiences every year are delighted when they’re able to enjoy his performances on stage,” he added, concluding, “We couldn’t be happier to welcome Pat back, and it really is something that we look forward to every couple of years.”
Sajak’s final Wheel of Fortune episode aired on June 7, 2024. While his longtime co-host Vanna White shared that she will continue working on the show, Ryan Seacrest took over hosting duties from Sajak and made his debut in September 2024.
Tickets for Prescription: Murder can be purchased online at hawaiitheatre.com.
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