Before the arrival of mega-plex movie theaters, there used to be your community go-to-place for film-watching. One screen only.
Palama Theatre
And it worked: screens in Kaimuki, Liliha, Kapahulu, Kailua, Kewalo, Kuhio (in Waikiki), Waikiki, Palama, Aala, etc. Titles rotated – though the Kuhio and Waikiki were deemed first-run spaces, becoming road show sites with extended showings of hit titles.
Kewalo Theatre
Other theaters had names like Royal, King, Queen, Princess, Liberty, Cinerama, Roosevelt, Golden Wall instead of place-oriented names.
Multi-plexes – sites with anywhere from six to 10 screens – are the norm now, offering choices of films and even luxe seats. And higher prices, for everything, from admission to snack bar items.
In days long gone, did your family enjoy fried aku bones (the bones of the aku, with some flesh still on), to have an oh-so-ono dinner or lunch?
For an earlier generation, fried aku bones was — and still is a– delicacy. That’s if you can find ‘em.
When salted and peppered with or without a dash of chili flakes, and fried in your cast iron skillet, aku bones are a treat. Broke da mouth ono! Add shoyu, and it’s perfection; Finger -licking good, with apologies to Colonel Sanders.
It was such a treat to have these cast-away bones for a meal. Markets, particularly with a local butcher, used to sell ‘em alongside the fresh aku. It even used to be considered a throw-away thing, but many hungry souls adored this treat, and if you were lucky enough to find these bones to buy, you were lucky, lucky, lucky.
If your family has fishermen who catch aku, you know there’s a treasure amid the catch.
It’s probably a thing of the past, but just wondering: do you know any market that still sells ‘em?
Seems like Hawaii’s keiki o ka ‘aina Jason Momoa is all over the movie map.
The Honolulu native, who is part Hawaiian, will write, star in and executive-produce a straight-to-series, “Chief of War,” for Apple TV+.
The eight-episode project will deal with the colonization of Hawaii, from an indigenous viewpoint, with production likely to begin in the late summer or fall this year.
A general plot outline has not been mentioned, nor cast details revealed yet, but according to Variety, “Chief of War” is a creation of Momoa, and will be produced by Endeavor Content and Chernin Entertainment. Doug Jung will be showrunner, with negotiations under way for Justin Chon (“Blue Bayou”) to direct the first two episodes.
Jason Momoa
The producing team also includes Thomas Pa‘a Sibbett, Francis Lawrence, Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, and Erik Holmberg.
With its island-roots orientation, hope Momoa can encourage his film-making partners to hire more locals, and some with secondary roles, to truly make this a “made-in-Hawaii” success.
Further, Momoa’s schedule includes:
Momoa’s Apple TV series, “See,” in which he portrays Baba Voss. The unique show, still streaming episodes, is set in the distant future where a deadly virus has decimated and impacted humans, who are blind or with low vision. Voss has twins born centuries later – with eyesight.
A spec project entitled “Shots! Shots! Shots!,” a Universal Pictures acquisition which will star Momoa. It’s described as a family-centric adventure-comedy flick, with Momoa one of the exec producers, along with his partner, Jeff Fierson. Details are lacking, but among the Hollywood names attached to the project are Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich. Matt Mider and Kevin Burrows wrote the spec script.
Momoa, in disguise.
Momoa now is in Italy, filming “Fast & Furious 10,” the Vin Diesel franchise (also known as “Fast X,” in which he’s playing a villain. In an online post, Momoa says, “Gonna be fun; I get to play the bad guy, which I haven’t gotten to do for awhile. A very flamboyant bad boy. A little panache.” To minimize getting recognized, Momoa has fashioned his own disguise – sun glasses shielding his eyes and face, plus a scarf around his head, a la the pic he posted himself.
His sequel to “Aquaman” is in the can, and that project, dubbed “Aquaman and the Lost Frontier,” will be on screens in March 2023. FYI, the sequel features Amber Heard, Johnny Depp’s ex now engaged in court battles with the actor; she’s blaming media coverage that her role of Mera, intended as a three-flick project, is being downplayed because of the she-said, he-said court fight.
Smooth as silk
That Silk Sonic name is absolutely perfect for Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, whose vocal strokes of rhythm and blues and funk and soul have never been better.
Bruno Mars, appearing in his Silk Sonic video.
And the silky and smooth harmonies, demonstrated by Mars and .Paak, have once again boosted the emblematic, retro and reflective aura of the smooth soul grooves of the ‘60s and ‘70s. “Love’s Train” is choo-choo charming, a cover of Con Funk Shun’s 1989 recording that Silk Sonic now owns, thanks to the group’s performance of the tune on the recent Billboard Awards show.
From costumes with bell bottoms and choreography reminiscent of all those soul dudes of the past, the delivery of “Love Train” was as good as it comes. “Love’s Train” currently tops Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay Chart, and is destined to emerge as another No.1 hit for Mars and .Paak. Silk Sonic is a nominee in the BET Awards 2022 show airing June 26 on BET-TV. …
Casey comes to bat in ‘Chicago Fire’ finale
Jesse Spencer
For the finale of NBC’s “Chicago Fire” on Wednesday, Jesse Spencer – firefighter Matt Casey on the show – will return to attend the wedding of Taylor Kinney (Severide) and Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo).
Thus, the windup one of TV’s favorite series will be somewhat sentimental; in the context of the show, Casey exited the show last October to relocate to Oregon to help the Darden’s (a firefighter buddy who was previously killed in action) sons complete high school in three years.
But he’s also making good on his promise to support his Firehouse 51 buddies when they get hitched – and a permanent homecoming is not in the cards since the three-year commitment is not yet over. …
Note: this column has been updated; Jay Larrin’s show times were incorrect in earlier postings.
Jay Larrin, tapped as a Lifetime Achievement Award inductee by the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts earlier this year, will make a rare concert appearance at Na Kupuna Nights May 28 at the Hawaii Convention Center in Waikiki.
Larrin, a singer, pianist, composer and poet, will be the featured entertainer, in an event produced by the Hawaiian Music Perpetuation Society, celebrating Na Kupuna of Mele Hawaii. He also is a seasoned Na Hoku Hanohano Award winner, known for a body of work that includes “The Snows of Maunakea,” “The Ko’olaus Are Sleeping,” “Molokai Lullaby” and “Little Lei Lady.”
Jay Larrin
The event also will feature Halehaku Seabury and Bryan Tolentino, singers and ukulele artists, who also are previous Na Hoku Hanohano Award winners.
There are daytime and nighttime components for the event, celebrating island music, food and arts and crafts.
The schedule:
3 to 8 p.m. – E Ku’ai Kakou, “We Shop,” with Hawaiian inspired vendors.
4:30 to 5:15 p.m. – Kani Ka Pila, with Kuuipo Kumukahi, at the rooftop breeze way.
5:30 p.m. – Doors open for dinner, with a 6 p.m. opening protocol.
For the third time in as many years, “The Sunshine Boys,” featuring Joe Moore and Pat Sajak, has been postponed again until June 2023, due to the enduring pandemic crisis that will elevate some protocols, like face masking and crowd controls, in the weeks ahead.
The show has been on the summer slate at the Hawaii Theatre throughout the prevailing health concerns; it was to run from June 16 through June 26 this year. Clearly, the development of another rescheduling is a whirl of misfortune, yet again.
“With COVID cases rising for eight consecutive weeks and the Health Department predicting the numbers will continue to rise for an undermined amount of time before they go down, we felt the only responsible and sensible thing to do in the interest of public safety was to postpone,” said Moore, veteran KHON-2 news anchor, who has regularly staged theatrical productions co-starring his one-time Army buddy, Sajak, the longtime host of “Wheel of Fortune.”
Joe Moore, Pat Sajak
“Big disappoint for all of us,” said Moore about pushing back the Neil Simon comedy for another year. “Three strikes and we’re out,” he shared in an email, and Moore was to announce the postponement in the 6 p.m. newcast on Channel 2 today (May 19).
“We’ll try to get out from under the cloud of COVID or whatever new virus might emerge,” he said. The uncertainty of restrictions of attendance numbers of large groups also was factor in the postponement.
Moore also revealed that the Hawaii Theatre had $50,000 worth of tickets sold a month before the “Sunshine” launching, when the decision was made earlier this morning to wait another year. “It wasn’t ticket sales I was worried about, it was the safety of theater-goers with so much COVID in the community,” said Moore.
Thus, it was the right call to postpone now, to enable ticket holders to plan ahead and also avoid possible COVID infections when huge numbers are in the same space amid the uncertainty of the virus.
Those with tickets for the scheduled June playdates may hold onto their tickets for next year’s performance, or accept a Hawaii Theatre gift card to enjoy another show.
“It’s been a tough time for the non-profit theater and folks’ support now is more important than ever,” said Moore.
The rescheduling for 2023 means another year of long-distance phone rehearsals and Zoom sessions for Moore and Sajak, which has become a routine for the two buddies in the past, and another delay is, indeed, frustrating.
The theater’s website, www.hawaiitheatre.com, should provide other specifics, though had not been updated to reflect the postponement yet when we checked midday. …
It’s been two decades since John Kolivas, the celebrated jazz bassist, established the Honolulu Jazz Quartet. It was formed a few months prior of the catastrophic events of Sept. 11, 2001, and the combo’s milestone 20th anniversary arrives in the midst of the Covid pandemic.
Not to worry. In-between two global distractions to everyday life, the HJQ has survived with its soothing, improvisational vibe and a consistent repertoire that provides a persistent and perpetual forward thrust.
So to mark its 20th birthday, HJQ takes the spotlight at 7 p.m. Sunday (May 22) at Blue Note Hawaii to continue its jazz roller coaster ride and launch a melodic anniversary CD, dubbed “Straight Ahead,” which will be available for purchase at the Blue Note gift shop in the lobby of the Outrigger Waikiki resort.
Besides Kolivas, the trusty foursome includes saxophonist Tim Tsukiyama, pianist Dan Del Negro, and drummer Noel Okimoto on the CD as well as in live gigs like the Blue Note one.
Honolulu Jazz Quartet: Noel Okimoto, John Kolivas, Dan Del Negro and Tim Tsukiyama.
The disc is a breath of fresh air and perhaps a few notable pegs of influence from the membership. The result: contemporary melodics of some pop treasures that retain the group’s jazz roots and foundation, but opening the welcome mat a bit wider to embrace the ears and hearts of a newer, younger generation of fans. After all, all members have their own brand of musicianship, with audiences familiar with their work as desirable instrumentalists for known vocalists in live gigs in the past two decades. These stellar vets are also notable bandsmen in club and concert appearances with a retinue of hall of famers, including Jimmy Borges, Betty Loo Taylor, Gabe Baltazar, Shari Lynn, and Loretta Ables Sayre.
Cover of HJQ’s “Straight Ahead” CD.
Surely, Kolivas and crew will share some of the newly recorded tunes on “Straight Ahead” in current and future concerts. The musical journey includes a lilting update of “Scarborough Fair,” the tune associated with Simon and Garfunkel, with Kolivas’ jazz influence defining a bouncy three-quarter-waltz trait that is intoxicating and soothing.
Del Negro, with roots in the south side of the Windy City Chicago, engages a coaxing Jawaiian aura on “Wes’ Side, Brah,” an homage not to “West Side Story” but to Oahu’s westside.
Okimoto pumps up a jazzified “In My Room,” giving the early Beach Boys chart hit, that blues undercoat without sacrificing the familiar melody, reidentifying a pop hit to lure in a modern audience.
Okimoto is A-OK, too, giving the countrified “Wichita Lineman” ballad, composed by Jimmy Webb and popularized by Glenn Campbell, an airy, improvisational posture. And what’s jazz, without improv?
And while the Great American Songbook legacy generally refers to vocalists who adopt and reinterpret tunes with lasting appeal, Kolivas embraces a few titles to make him eligible to the GAS club. Two George and Ira Gershwin favorites, “Fascinating Rhythm” (arranged by Del Negro) and “Bess You Is My Woman Now” (arrangedby Tsukiyama) are straight ahead winners for loyal older fans.
Kolivas’ composition, “They Grow Up Too Fast,” refers to the blurring passage of time (though specifically, to how quickly his kids have grown up while he’s been creating jazz jive), but that’s the essence of life and music. The process can age you, yet define you, whatever the speed, but in the end, it’s all about the fun. Think a swirl of funk, blues and soul amid the riveting roots of traditional jazz — resulting in a pot luck of comforting, reflective musical nourishment.
And that equates to joy and pleasure, unexpected or anticipated, on “Straight Ahead;” whatever your age and your speed limit, the road leads to fun…
Here, there, everywhere
Augie T.
Comedian Augie T (for Tulba), a City Council member who’s a graduate of Farrington High School, is staging a benefit concert at 8 p.m. May 20 (Friday) at the Farrington High School auditorium. Mike Tulba also will be featured. It’s a benefit for Student Activities at Farrington — part of Augie’s give-back-to-Farrington posture. Tickets: $10, available at the door. Details: www.augiet.net …
Robert Cazimero performs at 7 p.m. May 21 (Saturday) at Kahilu Theatre, on the Big Island. It’s a longstanding tradition for him to reconnect, following the pandemic shutdowns, with his Waimea fans. Tickets: www.kahilutheatre.org …
John Cruz, on a 25th anniversary tour, also has two playdates at Kahilu Theatre, at 3 and 7 p.m. May 28. Tickets: www.kahilutheatre.org …
