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Manoa Valley Theatre has announced the cast for its second production of the 2024-25 season, “Once On This Island,” opening Nov. 14.

Single ticket sales have begun, and those holding season seats may want to check where their seats are located, since the production will be staged in-the-round, so the usual arrangement of seats have been reimagined.

Rehearsals also are under way.

The show features a book by Lynn Ahrens, who also is the lyricist, and Stephen Flaherty is the composer.

The story, magical and mystical, is set on a Caribbean island, where a little girl is rescued from a disastrous storm by four gods, Asaka, Mother of the Earth; Agwé, the god of water; Erzulie, the goddess of Love, and Papa Ge, the Demon of Death.

The tone is mythical, the execution bountiful with breathtaking themes of opposites, like joy and sorrow and pain and hope, amid exotic and exciting tempos fueling infectious dancing.

The cast features Lelea‘e “Buffy” Kahalepuna-Wong as Asaka, Jarren Amian as Agwé, Jorin Young as  Erzulie, Kimo Kaona as Papa Ge, La Masae Faamausili-Siliato as Mama Euralie,  Keanu Roe as Tonton Julian, Alexis Bugarin as Ti Moune, Darian Aquino as Daniel Beauxhomme, Nicole Villejo as Andria Deveraux, and Jared Duldulao as Armand Beauxhomme.

Ensemble members are Pono Cummings, Landon Ballesteros, Marnita Nychelle Billups,  Caitlin Bright, Drew Bright, Journey Glasgow, Alexandria Holloway and Presley A. Wheeler.

Ahnya Chang is director and choreographer and Jenny Shiroma is musical director.

The production will be staged at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays,  and 3 p.m. Sundays (plus a 3 p.m. matinee on Saturday Nov. 23), through Dec. 8. Tickets are $25 through $48, available at the box office at (808) 988-6131,  at www.manoavalleytheatre.com and at https://ci.ovationtix.com/35307/production/1195089 …

Broadway grosses, for week ending Oct. 13

Only two shows, “Wicked” and “The Lion King,” are in the lofty $2 million club, meaning their box office grosses top $2 million,

The Top 10:

1—”Wicked,“ $2.486 million

2—”The Lion King,” $2.198 milllion

3—” Hamilton,” $1.965 million

4—” Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” $1.642 million

5—” The Outsiders,” $1.502 million

6—” MJ The Musical,” $1.472 million

7—” Hell’s Kitchen,” $1.427 million

8—” Aladdin, “ $1.353 million

9—”Sunset Boulevard,” $1.291 million

10– “The Great Gatsby,” $1.271 million

The complete list, courtesy the Broadway League:

And that’s Show Biz…

It was great in its prime, but nothing is forever these days.

So, it’s no surprise that Hank Adaniya’s Hank’s Haute Dogs in the Kewalo area is closing Oct. 17, after a remarkable 17-year run.

I recall lunching there occasionally, while still working at the Honolulu Advertiser a short walk away. Upscale hot dogs — hence a monicker like haute dogs — have always been the draw, though burgers were added to the menu.

Adaniya is formally retiring, but like many retirees these days, he’s likely to reappear in an abbreviated version of his upscale hot dogs…

$2 hot dogs at Consolidated on Tuesdays

Speaking of hot dogs: If you’re a Mahalo Day patron on Tuesdays at Consolidated Theatres, you can buy a standard hot dog (not the overlong dogs at a premium price) for $2.

In case you didn’t know, discounted prices prevail on Tuesdays: $11 admission for all (keiki, adults, seniors) with a small popcorn going for $2 a bag (a petite size, but ample for one, but way cheaper than the regular $8 for a small on other days). You could buy four $2 bags of popcorn on Tuesdays and get a big bang for your bucks. No discounts for drinks, however.

Waffle shop at Koko Marina temporarily closed

La Liégeoise, the waffle shop at the Koko Marina Shopping Center, has temporarily closed.

Strangely, Its website says that the restaurant will reopen in July 2025.

Most patrons don’t remember its name, nor able to pronounce the name.

So closing shop for nearly a year is unusual for any restaurant.

The waffle, made to order while you wait, was OK but It an expensive product, with extra charges for toppings.

 While the store boasted its organic ingredients for the dough that was made in Belgium, you couldn’t really tell in taste.

The shop clearly didn’t do marketing surveys before opening, with a premium product with high prices in a zone lacking in customer traffic. Let’s see if it really opens shop next summer.

My Panya fave still is fabulous

A few nights back, I made it over to Panya, the Asian restaurant at Ward Center, and  had my still-fave, the Shanghai stirred-fried udon entrée,  and yes, ate half and brought the other half for lunch the next day.

Treated myself to a takeout bread pudding, which was satisfying for my sweet tooth, but not as delish as the crème brulee eaten in the restaurant during an earlier visit.

…

Hugh Jackman is returning to New York stage weekend performances at Radio City Music Hall, beginning Jan. 24, 2025.

Of course he’s a superstar, of stage and screen, and this gig will not be your ordinary Broadway run.

Wish I could go but there’s time to plan a trip. And Jackman is box office gold, so it’s likely he could have a total sell-out before his first gig.

Sharing the info, in case you want to make a New York visit to see this mega-star on the maxi-stage which is Radio City. The venue has 5,960 seats plus a 150-seat pit, if utilized.

Themed “From New York, With Love,” the shows will be retrospective, curated from Jackman’s catalogue of Broadway and films, including his first New York hit, “The Boy From Oz,” which earned him a Tony Award, and including “The Music Man,” his last stage musical, plus “The Greatest Showman” and “Les Miserables,” his big screen biggie.

Jackson also starred in a West End presentation of “Oklahoma!”   which has been released on DVD, and  also did  “Carousel” off-Broadway.

So, yes, there should be ample familiar fare to croon.

Jackson’s playdates will be on Fridays and Saturdays during select months in 2025:

…Jan. 24 and 25.

…April 18 and 19.

…May 23 and 24.

…June 20 and 21.

…July 18 and 19.

…Aug. 15 and 16.

Radio City is larger than all of the traditional theatrical palaces that  surround Times Square.  Obviously, staging one pair of Friday and Saturday shows spaced out from January to August gives Jackson ample
“off” dates. Only a powerhouse like him could have managed to get a deal like this.

The hall’s orchestra seats are abundant; the venue also boasts a huge three-tiered mezzanine.

I have not taken in any theatrical productions at Radio City, though one spring, I took in an Easter show, and I caught a Christmas special, complete with live animals in a tableau of the manger scene in Bethlehem. The hall’s staging potrential is remarkable; a full orchestra up front can move to the back, then disappear in the pit. In the holiday show, a submerged ice rink appeared with, natch, skaters.

Tickets will be on sale later,  but prospective buyers must register via preferred show dates, at  From New York, With Love, the show’s official website. Starting Oct. 15, use your mobile phone, and you will receive a link where you can purchase seats…

‘Sunset Boulevard’ joins million-dollar club

There’s a newcomer in this week’s Broadway grosses: “Sunset Boulevard,” at No. 10. Otherwise, the leaders led, meaning “Wicked,” “The Lion King” and “Hamilton” topped the charts.

The Top 10:

 1—”Wicked,”  $2.046 million

 2—”The Lion King,” $1.902 million

3—”Hamilton,” $1.675 million

 4—”The Outsiders,” $1.405 million

5—”Hell’s Kitchen,” $1.389 million

 6—”Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” $1.381 million

 7—”MJ The Musical,” $1.227, million

 8—”Oh, Mary!,” $1.176 million

 9—”Aladdin,” $1.077 million

10—”Sunset Boulevard” $1.075 million

The complete list, courtesy the Broadway League:

And that’s Show Biz…

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Daniel Dae Kim, the actor and producer known for two Island-filmed TV series – ABC’s “Lost” and CBS’ “Hawaii Five-0” – will executive produce  “Makawalu,”  an indie feature film initiated by the Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF).

The project will be wholly created and co-directed by eight Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) filmmakers. 

Kim, who is currently starring on Broadway in David Henry Hwang’s “Yellow Face” farce at the Todd Haimes Theatre through Nov. 24, will be involved in what stacks up to be the largest budgeted indie project filmed here, according to Deadline, which broke the news. A figure has not been announced.

Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the Asian American Foundation (TAAF), and Pacific Islanders in Communication (PIC), “Makawalu” is attracting 90 per cent of funding resources outside of Hawaii, with a team of eight filmmakers attached to the project: Justyn Ah Chong, Taylour Chang, Ty Sanga, Ciara Lacy, Āina Paikai, Erin Lau, Scott W. Kekama Amona and Katherine Wong . They comprise a network of skilled Kanaka Maoli (indigenous people of Hawaii or Hawaiians or native Hawaiians) talent.

“’Makawalu’ represents an important step in recognizing Native Hawaiian filmmakers and the power of their stories. As someone who’s worked with this talented group firsthand, it’s been an honor to be able to amplify their voices and help this project come to life,” said Kim in a statement.

Currently in pre-production, the feature starts shooting in spring 2025 for an early 2026 release.

First presented in 2021, the “Makawalu” project involved an extensive selection process after which the eight filmmakers participated in a five-day filmmaker lab and retreat in Honolulu with high-profile industry mentors. 

Kim has been all over the map in several genres since exiting the pair of isle-filmed shows. He portrayed the King of Siam in “The King and I” in London and on Broadway. As a producer, he launched “The Good Doctor” on ABC. Kim has been a Hawaii resident for nearly two decades, traveling often for his Mainland roles, and he’s one of the most talented actors-turned-producers in the industry.

Clearly, he’s been huddling with industry figures as Sean Baker (“Anora”). Sarah Wayne Callies (“The Walking Dead”) and Dana Ledoux Miller (co-writer and co-director of Disney’s forthcoming ”Moana 2.”)

Other producers  include Sundance alum Sarah S. Kim (“August At Akiko’s”), and HIFF artistic director Anderson Le. John Cheng of 3AD Media will also executive produce. 

“Makawalu”  tells the story of a typical July 4th luau on the island of Oahu through eight different perspectives. The word Makawalu, in modern Olelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) terminology, references “different perspectives of a situation.” 

“The filmmakers crafted a layered screenplay that will unpack many ongoing issues that modern Native Hawaiians face,” said HIFF’s Le. “From the exotification of Native Hawaiian culture in Hollywood media, to the repercussions of American colonization through capitalism and militarization of Hawai‘i, ‘Makawalu’ explores what it means to be ‘Hawaiian’, being priced out of ‘paradise’, all on U.S. Independence Day.”

Beckie Stocchetti, HIFF executive director and “Makawalu” executive producer, said: “The intention of the ‘Makawalu’ project is to provide an opportunity and access for these groundbreaking filmmakers to have full ownership over the telling of their story from their perspective. In order to make that happen we also needed to fundamentally change the traditional financing structure of independent film.”

Casting details have not yet been finalized.

Since the production is funded and ready to shoot in early 2025, HIFF is simultaneously launching the HIFF Studios, to support independent film productions in Hawaii, with a suite of support of financing, legal, and artist development programs to increase career opportunities and develop an industry pipeline for Hawaiian and Pacific Islander creatives…

And that’s Show Biz…