Month: April 2022

Mufi Hannemann and Cha Thompson, two pioneering community leaders, will be honored as the Sales and Marketing Executives’ Salespersons of the Year at a dinner April 28 at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel’s Hawaii Ballroom.

The pandemic is the reason for the dual salutes — Hannemann for 2019 and Thompson for 2021 – and the delay. Both have been impressive movers and shakers, notably in the state’s hospitality industry, demonstrating common and overlapping creds boosting tourism; the award celebrates community leaders who have enhanced the image of Hawaii plus the quality of life in Hawaii.

Hannemann, of Samoan-German-English ancestry, is a former two-term Honolulu Mayor (2004/2008); he also served two terms on the Honolulu City Council. He currently is CEO of the Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Assn.

Hannemann is the first scholar of Samoan ancestry to attend Harvard, where he graduated with honors in 1976 after attending Iolani School. He has served five U.S. presidents, two Hawaii governors, and his service accomplishments have embraced government, business, education, sports, culture and the arts plus the community at large. He is the proud founder of the Pacific Century Fellows, modeled after the White House Fellows program in which he was a participant.

Thompson and her Farrington High School sweetheart Jack Thompson, co-founded Tihati Productions more than 50 years ago; they were dancers in separate early shows but ultimately created the state’s – and subsequently the world’s – largest entertainment entity with shows on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island employing more than 1,000 dancers, singers and musicians, tapping cultural resources from all of Polynesia, including Hawaii, Tahiti, Samoa, Maori New Zealand, Fiji and more. While now retired after 50 years, the Thompsons transferred leadership to son Afatia Thompson and daughter Misty Tufono. The self-anointed Queen of Kalihi, Cha has served on numerous community boards including Palama Settlement, Aloha United Way, the Hawaii Tourism Authority, the Honolulu Police Commission and the South Seas Christian Ministries.

Her hulas and choreography have helped shape the Tihati brand that has prevailed statewide, visited the Obama White House, and prevailed in a mammoth and monstrous luau spectacle staged at King Kong Island in Thailand back in the day.

A cocktail reception at 5 p.m. will be followed by a dinner, program and Polynesian show at 6:30 p.m., with Tihati troupers – naturally – entertaining; Robert Cazimero and Karen Keawehawaii are guest artists.

Tickets: single, $150; corporate tables of 10, $2,500 to $15,000.

Information: (808) 478-0172 or https://smehonolulu.org …

And that’s Show Biz. …

It’s nice, and warm, to be home again, says Lorette Ables Sayre, who spent two months prepping for and performing in “Fiddler on the Roof in Concert,” in chilly climes in Michigan with the Ann Arbor Symphony, followed by a run in Pennsylvania, with the Philadelphia Orchestra.

“Froze my okole off!,” she said of portraying Golde, the spouse of Tevye, in the beloved musical with its splendid and soaring score. “I had a great time but it was hard, rewarding work, and a thrill of a show to do.”

The productions featured Broadway (some Tony nominees, like Ables Sayre herself)  talent along with collegiate voices eager to join the cast of pros as part of the learning process.

One of the unexpected joys for Ables Sayre was the discovery of islanders in the cast. “Local kids will find you,” she said. “Asians/Filipinos who wanted to talk all things local – language, food, beaches, food, music, handouts, food.”

In a gesture of aloha and camaraderie, Ables Sayre made a huge pot of chicken adobo and rice shared during a rehearsal.

“I made mini-bentos to hand out to those kids and some of my castmates,” Ables Sayre said. “My kitchen was small in my hotel room but I was able to make a couple of batches of adobo, and they were thrilled.”

Of course, the aroma of home-made adobo danced in the hallways for days.

When you encounter someone from home, it’s always a delight to share tales and memories. For the performer, it was also a joy to learn there were classmates from Radford (her alma mater) who now live on the Mainland, who braved snowstorms after snowstorms (single digit highs some days) that plagued rehearsals and performers, so the warmth of the ex-Islanders was a gratifying surprise.

“Fiddler” turned out to be an emotional experience, too, because it deals with families forced out of their homes, and the theme resonated with the ongoing plight in Kyve and other Ukrainian cities, in the lingering war with Russia. “We all had to hold back tears when it came to those scenes because we were living out on stage what was happening in Ukraine in real time.”

“Fiddler” was the first musical she has done since the beginning of the pandemic, so everything considered, Ables Sayre said it was “an absolute thrill.”

Upon her return home, she had cataract surgery on both eyes, and is adjusting to a new normal: the ability to read her emails on a computer and read magazines and the paper without glasses, even reading spectacles, a feat impossible for the past two decades.  …

Waikiki reawakening from pandemic

You know Waikiki is reawakening from the “drought” of the pandemic, when Hawaiian music returns to resorts, showcasing performances suitable for both locals and visitors.

For instance, the Ocean Kaowili  Trio, with Ocean, Bryan Tolentino, and Danny Naipo, will perform with dancer Kanoe Miller, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday (April 15)  at the Halekulani’s beachfront Hau Tree Terrace…

Amy Hanaiaii‘i takes the Halekulani’s ballroom stage on Mother’s Day, May 8, in the resort’s first-ever Mother’s Day special, with a special menu. Doors open at 10 a.m, with the show at 11 a.m.; amenities of a complimentary mimosa and a long-stemmed rose, await for moms and grandmoms attending. Tickets: $116 for adults, and $58 for keiki 5 through 12. Reservations: 808-518-2019. …

Frank DeLima’s comedic show will be staged at 1 p.m Mother’s Day, May 8, with doors opening at 11 a.m. for a noontime menu for moms, at Blue Note Hawaii at the Outrigger Waikiki resort. Tickets: $35 and $45, at www.bluenotehawaii.com or call  808-777-4980.

Sean Na‘auao & Friends will stage a one-nighter at 6:30 p.m. April 27 at the Plumeria Beach House of the Kahala Resort. Cover charge, $55; dinner service from 5:30 p.m.  Reservations via Open Table, 808-739-8811. …

Cruise seeks Oahu performers

Vocalists and dancers, capable of performing in a Broadway-type musical production, are sought for a future  Norwegian Cruise show at sea.

Creative Studios by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, the in-house casting and producing wing of the cruise line, will hold auditions in a casting call set for April 28 in Kaneohe.

The site will be unveiled when you sign up for the tryouts, along with vocal styles, height, weight and other physical requirements.

Roles are available for males and females, of all ethnicities and skills in variety of dance and song styles are required, typified by  material from such shows as “Jersey Boys,” “Footloose,” “Rock of Ages” and “Kinky Boots.” The resulting show may be staged at sea aboard Norwegian, Regent Seven Seas and/or Oceania Cruises.

Dancer sign-in begins at 9 a.m., with auditions from 9:30 a.m. Singer sign-in is at 1 p.m., with tryouts from 1:15 p.m.

Details: http://nclhcreativestudios.com/auditionpages/auditions2022/oahu_april2022.html

And that’s Show Biz. …

Surprisingly, the Hawaii-filmed “Magnum P.I.” reboot, starring Jay Hernandez as Thomas Magnum, is winding up its fourth season this year and  still is awaiting word of a pick-up for a fifth.

But CBS has not yet given the green light, so “Magnum” is “on the bubble,” as U.S Today calls its uncertain status, in a story entitled “Vote Now to Rescue Your Favorites.” (Visit www.usatoday.com/entertainment to vote).

It is one of three series at the Eye network not yet approved for back-to-work status in the fall. CBS has approved all its other procedural successes like “Blue Bloods,” which follows “Magnum” on the Friday night slate, and the usual faves, from the three “NCIS” series to the three “FBI” shows, plus the “CSI,” “S.W.A.T” and “The Equalizer” titles.

But series star Hernandez, who made his behind-the-camera directorial debut in Friday’s (April 8) episode, is not worried; he’s optimistic that a fifth season will happen, according to TVLine.

Reason? “Magnum” is healthy in ratings, has global appeal, and is offering better storylines than in the past.

Hernandez said a couple of elements suggest a continuation of a “Magnum.”

In this year’s finale, yet to air, Hernandez’s character and Higgins (Perita Weeks)  will collaborate, not necessarily in the romantic sense or even a cliffhanger, that will set up a logical next episode, meaning the kick-off the 2022-23 season. And perhaps his clinching quote: “I’ve already been asked to direct another one next season.”

For his sake and for fans of the show, hope it turns out to be true. …

 A Legend in the house

John Legend, the suave singer, composer, actor, pianist and “The Voice” judge and vocal coach, dined with model wife Chrissy Teigen, at Aoki Teppanyaki at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, this past Tuesday. Not sure what they had for dinner, but the couple’s visit made for a photo op, with server Jackie and Chef Rey. …

The couple also went boating off Waikiki, enabling Chrissy to strut her bikini body in a eye-catching two-piece pink swimsuit; he donned a black shirt and shorts with floral motif. Their kids, Luna, 5, and Miles, 3, also vacationed here. …

Awards shows

For country music – The Country Music Awards, based on audience voting, will originate from Nashville, and televised from 2 p.m. Monday (April 11) on CBS.

For Broadway – the 75^th annual Tony Awards will be held from 2 p.m. June 12, originating from Radio City Music Hall in New York, and televised live on CBS. Nominees will be revealed May 3.

And that’s Show Biz. …

A pair of two major music events, sidelined and postponed because of the two-years-plus Coronavirus pandemic, are gearing up to welcome performers and fans alike.

The first is “Home in the Islands,” Henry Kapono’s mammoth assembly of Hawaii’s top music-makers, is revving up for its four-hour spectacle from 6 to 10 p.m. June 18 at the Tom Moffatt Waikiki Shell, a stone’s throw from Diamond Head. (Ticketholders for the original Sept. 25 date still may utilize their tickets). More than 20 iconic island recording and concert stars – who are credited with creating and sharing hit songs and cultural mele that constitute the soundtrack of Hawaii over the past decades –are expected to grace the stage, including:

* Henry Kapono.

* Kalapana.

*  Keola Beamer.

* Jerry Santos.

*  Amy Hānaiali‘i Gilliom.

*  Kapena.

* Ledward Kaapana.

*  The Mākaha Sons.

* Brother Noland.

* Robi Kahakalau.

Tickets: $151, VIP pool (VIP includes early entry, via special gate); $66, terrace;
$36, lawn. Each admission includes $1 that will benefit the Henry Kapono Foundation. Visit: www.ticketmaster.com or call (808) 768-5252. …

The second is the 9^th Annual Big Island Jazz and Blues Festival, unfolding from 5 to 9 p.m. June 4 oceanfront at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel on Hawaii Island. Organizer Ken Martinez Burgmaeir is corralling artists in jazz, blues, rock, Zydeco, Cajun and soul, in a diverse concert of national and international entertainers.

Among the acts scheduled :

•  Saxophonist Donald Harrison, acknowledged as the Big Chief of Congo Square in the Afro-New Orleans culture.
•  Wayne Toups, legendary Cajun-Zydeco legend.
• Skip Martin of Kool and the Gang, with his Dazz Band.
• Dale Spalding, Canned Heat master of the harmonica.
• Eric Marienthal, saxophone wizard.
• The Iguanas, famous for the blend of blues, rock, Tejano and World Music.
• John Keawe, slack key guitar master exhibiting his new SLAZZ artistry fusing ki ho’alu and traditional jazz.
• Sarah Bethany, jazz vocalist.
• Benny Uyetake, ukulele and guitarist, with the Jazz Alley TV Trio.
• Javon Jackson, jazz tenor saxophonist.

The Mauna Kea gig is the centerpiece of the festival, which also includes a couple of smaller, pre-concert gatherings in a restaurant and cafe on the Big Island.

Tickets: www.bigislandjazzandbluesfestival.com

Mars is soaring

A belated shaka to local boy Bruno Mars, who, with Silk Sonic partner Anderson . Paak, picked up to Grammy trophies last Sunday (April 3) night in the televised proceedings on CBS.

He made history being the only artist to snap up three song and record of the year laurels for Silk Sonic’s “Leave the Door Open.” Mars’ earlier triumphs were 2018’s “24 K Magic” and 2016’s Uptown Funk,” the duet with Mark Ronson.

Mars tied Paul Simon of Simon and Garfunkel, the only other three-timer thus far.

His lit cigarette stirred some controversy – brah, no need to smoke when you pick up your trophy – but otherwise looked suave and superstarry in retro  costumes, first with the bejeweled Elvis Presley-inspired jumpsuit minus a cape, and the more ‘70s-flavored outfit in line with his Hooligan garb for the concert circuit.

Silk Sonic has earned four Grammys so far, prompting the bewigged .Paak to comment on the Grammy show, “We are really trying our hardest to remain humble at this point. But in the industry, we call that a clean sweep.”  …

Once over lightly…

Postponed: That Shari Lynn/Kip Wilborn concert, set for 7 p.m. April 15 at Manoa Valley Theatre, has been postponed, reason unknown. A rescheduled date is expected soon…

Ticket launch: New Kids on the Block will return to Hawaii for two shows, at 8 p.m. Aug. 5 and 6, at the Blaisdell Arena. TLC will be the opening act. Hawaii residents get first dibs at tickets, at 7 a.m. Saturday (April 9) at the Blaisdell box office; visit: www.ticketmaster.com; public sales begin at10  a.m. Sunday April 10.  …

And that’s Show Biz. …