Month: September 2022

Posted on

FOR CIONE, A FALL ALTERS OUTLOOK

Jack Cione, veteran show biz entrepreneur, earlier nightclub operator  and lately known as the director of the “Follies” musical revues, has cancelled a planned  cruise to Tahiti, with good reason.

A week ago, he blacked out in the lobby of the Arcadia, where he resides, falling and breaking two ribs and bruising his face.

“I was rushing to go back to my room, to get my glasses to go to lunch, and I blacked out,” Cione said. “Lucky I didn’t have my glasses.”

 Aides helped him up, and he was rushed to the ER for a checkup. Currently, he’s taped around his chest, tending to the sore ribs, and under a doctor watch.

Jack Cione

At 95, he’s still active,  but slowing down, and this fall has altered his outlook and plans.

He canceled tickets to Manoa Valley Theatre’s “Cabaret” and Diamond Head Theatre’s “Anything Goes.” Too bad; these are his kind of shows, with lots of dancing.

He used to rely on a cane, to hobble down the lobby to catch rides to dinners or lunch. “Now, I use a walker,” he said.

He had ordered, and already is enjoying, a new chair that does more than recline. “It lifts you up,” said Cione.

But since his mishap, he’s ordered — and is anxiously  awaiting delivery in the weeks ahead — a scooter to ease  his mobility situation.

For three years, the pandemic wiped out his plans for a Broadway visit.

“I guess I won’t make my last trip to see shows,” he said, reassessing his situation.

But with a pause, he opined: “But the scooter folds up and fits in a bag for carrying aboard the plane.”

So perhaps a New York trip still might be possible. …

Bruno Mars, bartender?

So Bruno Mars had three concerts in Boston recently, but folks there were abuzz about his unexpected bartending ahead of his last performance.

Bruno Mars

Yep, Mars dropped by the Envoy Hotel’s Lookout Rooftop bar, to pour dozens of drinks for eager, lucky fans. See, he’s co-owner of the SelvaRey Rum, a luxury rum, so this was a commercial tie-in, of sorts. Seems, too, that SelvaRey rum had a role in the music video of Mars’s “Leave the Door Open” video, as part of his Silk Sonic partnership with Anderson .Paak. …

By the way, Mars continues to ban cell phones at his shows, partly to maintain an orderly performance and also to prevent and curb those YouTube clips of his performances. Yeah, a disappointing nuisance for loyal fans, who truly want a keepsake of the Hawaii-born trouper’s lively presence. …

‘Jersey Boys’ finally opening

After  nearly a three-year delay, “Jersey Boys” will open a two-week run at 7:30 p.m. today (Sept. 13) p.m. at Blaisdell Concert. The production continues through Sept. 25.

The popular Broadway musical is a jukebox filled with signature hits of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, whose biography frames this production. It’s the second of four Broadway in Hawaii attractions.

Lead players, subject to change, are Jon Hacker as Valli, Eric Chambliss as Bob Gaudio, Devon Goffman as Tommy DeVito and Matt Faucher as Nick Massi.

Surely, you know their hits: “Sherry,” “Walk Like a Man,”  “My Eyes Adored You,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Oh What A Night,” “Walk Like A Man,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” and “Working My Way Back To You.”

The playdates:

Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 7:30pm

Thursday, Sept.15 at 7:30pm

Friday, Sept. 16 at 8pm

Saturday, Sept. 17 at 2 & 8pm

Sunday, Sept. 18 at 1 & 6:30pm

Tuesday, Sept. 20 at 7:30pm

Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 7:30pm

Thursday, Sept. 22 at 7:30pm

Friday, Sept. 23 at 8pm

Saturday, Sept. 24 at 2 & 8pm

Sunday, Sept. 25 at 1 & 6:30pm

Tickets: www.ticketmaster.com  or the Blaisdell box office; those with previously purchased tickets should visit  ticketmaster.com to confirm the rescheduled show date;  original tickets will be accepted at the  new performance. …

And that’s Show Biz. …

Posted on

DO WE NEED MORE ‘PINOCCHIO’ FILMS?

Does the world need another “Pinocchio” revival?

Methinks not. Let’s face it: Disney’s classic animated feature, treasured by old and young alike, suffices. It’s the beloved version everyone adores and knows. Older generations, for sure, and the current younger folks.

Yet there’s a new 2022 version, a peculiar mashup with live actors and animated figures, with Tom Hanks, of all people, as Geppetto, the elderly clockmaker of tick-tocking clocks. He is sad and lonely in his cottage after the loss of his son.

So he pursues a project – a wooden son?

The revival begins with good intentions and motives, and even includes  — why not? – the cartoon film’s anthem, “When You Wish Upon a Star,” the signature of the Disney franchise and theme parks. But why not? Familiarity sells.

“Pinocchio,” directed by Robert Zemeckis, betrays the concept and intentions of the tale of a clockmaker creating, and giving life (without the strings), to a wooden a puppet doll. This Pinocchio goes to school, where he is bullied and maligned, and even goes to a theme park (not a Disney complex), where he becomes emotionally bruised. Reason: he has no conscience and is poised to be someone who seeks to be famous, a journey that thrusts him into a Pleasure Island of threatening horrors.

Tom Hanks, as Geppetto, who creates a wooden puppet boy, in the newest “Pinocchio.”

The bottom line: Pinocchio wants to be real and in fairy tales, that’s a logical wish. Your nose shouldn’t get long if you have this wish; it’s an acceptable goal, after all. As for Hanks, bewigged and bewildered, he visually fills the bill. But the story is the problem.

The script, by director Zemeckis and co-writer Chris Weitz, is quite a mess with a mission gone astray. It should be family-friendly, but it is often frightening; it should be terrific, but it is terrifying in spots. Not a version or vision for the very young,

Cynthia Erivo

Jiminy Cricket is aboard,  in animation, and voiced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt,  and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, voiced Pinocchio. Cynthia Erivo, appearing as the Blue Fairy, renders the famous “Wish” ditty in live action, so this is a fantasy within a fantasy, and her version is stunning—she has the wand that will make the wooden boy/toy “real.” Her presence is a good intro/promo when she co-stars in the planned film version of  “Wicked.”

But be warned: Whether you like or dislike revivals, be informed that Guillermo del Toro’s stop-motion version of “Pinocchio,” will debut Oct. 15 at the BFI London Film Festival, then destined to have a theatrical premiere in November, followed by a Netflix kickoff Dec. 9. Online previews suggest a dark, perhaps grotesque, rendering is ahead. 

Too many, too often? …

And that’s Show Biz. …

Posted on

THE TIMES THEY ARE-CHANGING, RE: DELIVERY

Just asking…

If you’re a newspaper subscriber, don’t you find it irritating when the paper isn’t at your doorstep, as expected?

And when you call to report the misstep (or complain), the ritual on the automated phone message is off-putting.

NY Times provides email notice re: missing paper.

My Sunday Star-Advertiser was delivered without a hitch this morn. But my bulky Sunday New York Times, which I subscribe to, was AWOL.

Because the Star-Advertiser oversees the home delivery for my Sunday New York Times, you need to dial circulation to report the problem.

But the set-up only refers to the daily local paper.

So imagine my delight when I received – for the first time in a couple of decades subscribing to the Sunday Times – a helpful email the explained a transportation issue; the edition simply was not in HNL today, so delivery will be tomorrow. (The email is shared here).

Of course, it would be too much to expect from the local guys to provide that kind of premium service, automatically

Posted on

DHT’S ‘ANYTHING’ HAS EVERYTHING

If ever there was an evergreen musical with just about everything, it just might be Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes,” now playing through Sept. 25 at Diamond Head Theatre.

Consider:

  • Tap dancing , Act 1: You could leave at intermission, when the title tune gets a spirited boost,  as energetic tappers click their shoes and sing and dance their hearts out, as if this was the finale. You’d get your money’s worth and feel fulfilled.
  • Tap-dancing, Act 2: The closing tapper, which brings down the curtain, also is rich with voices and shoes tapping, and yep, might trigger your animated trek to your car. Disclosure: there’s another awesome show-stopper  (won’t reveal it) when you’ll momentarily feel like you’re seeing “42nd Street” and “A Chorus Line.”
  • Career-best performances, from the romantic leads: Jody Bill, as nightclub singer Reno Sweeney, has the pipes and verve and vocalize with skill, and is a knock-out dancer, as well. Andrew Sakaguchi, as stowaway Billy Crocker, is a triple-threat, singer, actor and dancer with batteries that don’t need recharging. He certainly, and deservedly, carries the flag as an API trouper  and a poster boy for blind casting that works.
  • The rich and everlasting score by Porter still connects:  his words and music  are part of the DNA of the Great American Songbook.

All aboard, for DHT’s “Anything Goes,” sailing through Sept. 25. Cast images not available.
  • Splendid direction and choreography:  John Rampage, who is the unseen skipper of the SS American, the setting for this shipboard, steers through one of his favorite musicals of all time, in what will be the final production in the “old,” soon to be retired Ruger Theatre, which also has been a playhouse earlier known as the Honolulu Community Theatre, and now Diamond Head Theatre; with additional kudos to Caryn Yee, whose tap choreography is a joy to experience (for performers and spectators), with solo, couple, and ensemble units joyfully tapping, tap-tap-tap.
  • Glorious, colorful and costumes: Karen G. Wolfe has outdone herself with a mountain of wardrobe styles and hues, brightening the needs of scenes involving a diverse lot, from sailors to captains, from angels to devils, from clerics to whomever. Her creations could proudly fill a boutique.
  • Appealing depth in the secondary roles: Mathew Pedersen, as Moonface Martin; Akiko Schick, as Evangeline Harcourt, mother of Christine Kluvo’s Hope Harcourt; Ahnya Chang, as Erma.
  • Stage and lighting design: Dawn Oshima’s shipboard set, complete with occasional suites, are inventive yet essential, to address the multi-moods of  the time-tested rom-com treasure.

Further, there’s support and efficiency in the other realms of staging a huge musical; like hair and make up by Aiko Schick, and orchestral melodics helmed by Jenny Shiroma, who also is keyboardist, with four colleagues who sound like a band double its size.

 Ensemble excellence prevails – the  cast of 30 is huge – so their unity and output reflect dedication and generosity, from the show leads to the gallery ensemble folks, who perform with a feeling of genuine team pride. It’s also a thrill to remember young actors making progress and living the joy of theater. I point out the likes off Shane Nishimura, who is part of the ensemble principally as a singing-dancing sailor, but I remember him as a youngster portraying Gavroche in a “Les Miserables” in the past.

Performance schedule: 7:30 p.m.  Thursdays through Saturdays, at 3 p.m. Saturdays and at 4 p.m. Sundays (no Saturday matinee Sept. 10), through Sept. 25.

Tickets: $25-$35, available at www.diamondheadtheatre.com or (808) 733-0274.

And that’s Show Biz. …

Posted on

COME TO THE ‘CABARET,’ OL CHUM

It’s not easy to forget Liza Minnelli as Sally Bowles and Joel Grey as the Emcee, in the iconic movie version of “Cabaret,” which remains the benchmark for many folks familiar with the musical. And director-choreograph Bob Fosse’s fingerprints are everywhere.

“Cabaret” also has been a revival classic on Broadway, famously securing a perch on the must-see list, especially when Michelle Williams and Alan Cumming topped the cast.

Even the Manoa Valley Theatre’s reboot, with Marisa Noelle as Sally and Gage Thomas as the Emcee, will attract a crowd of rooters. When the material’s solid — and make no mistake, “Cabaret” still has wattage — it’s always gratifying to shout out, “Come to the ‘Cabaret,’ ol’ chum,” to quote a line in the show’s title number.

The basics remain –- music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, the set-in-Germany plot based on the play by John Van Druten, from the book by Joe Masteroff and inspired by stories by Christopher Isherwood. The story is about optimism and survival, amid the politics of Germany’s evolving growth of Nazism, circa 1930s.

MTV’s sleek rendering is ensconced in the tiny theater that has been reimagined as the Kit Kat Klub, “where everything is beautiful.” The spartan but impressive set, by Willie Sabel, is essentially a functioning scalloped curtain framed by bulbs like in a backstage mirror, but magnified in size, with six smaller frames of lights. Seating with tables and chairs (sofas, for premium seats) is augmented by service by waitstaff to deliver drinks and nibbles before the show, and during intermission. The nine-member orch, large for MVT and conducted by Maika‘i Nash, is situated on a platform above the last three or four rows of seats, so yes, it’s quite a clubby experience.

The show  boasts tunes of romance and yearning, and sexual advances as well as sexual ambiguity are constant.

From the get-go, when the Emcee welcomes the audience into his world, you leave your troubles outside. Thomas has a seductive voice, a sweet gay presence, befitting the club of dreams and hopes, where singer-dancer Sally warbles with passion and seeks a relationship with an American writer Cliff Bradshaw (Nick Amador, charming, sincere)  detained in Germany to teach English. The couple’s “Perfectly Marvelous” is an early highlight in the string of familiar tunes from the Kander-Ebb jukebox.

Along the way, Fraulein Schneider (Susan Hawes, loving and honest), who rents a room to Cliff, discovers  Herr Schultz (Mo Madke, distinguished and gentlemanly loyal, who’ll be remembered as the fruit man, including pineapple). They share two sweet duets, “If Couldn’t Please Me More” and “Married,” devoid of the raunchy energy inside the Kit Kat.

The cast also includes Ernst Ludwig (Rob Duval, Cliff’s supportive friend) and Fraulein Kost (Sally Swanson, with a luminous voice), who duet on “Tomorrow  Belongs to Me.”

The swagger and the seductive tone of the nightclub is demonstrated in the frisky and sensual advances of the Kit Kat female dancers, Frenchie (Alexandria Zinov), Lulu (Emily North), Rosie (Asha DuMonthier), and Texas (Chloe Tower), and gents Bobby (Marcus Stranger), Victor (Eriq James), and Max (Sean Kaya).  Choreographer Dwayne Sakaguchi managed to orchestrate movement efficiently, despite different body types and skills, on that tiny stage space.

“Cabaret” cast: front, Marisa Noelle as Sally; behind her, Gage Thomas as Emcee; surrounded by Kit Kat girls.

Director Alex Munro pulls all the right strings to make the club feel genuine. And Janine Myers’ lighting design and Lock Lynch’s sound design bring out the twinkle of the production. Costumes by Mailee Speetjens project the vital sexual aura of the Kit Kat-ers, but Sally is often donned with a white shirt,  understating and clouding her world of glitter. Lisa Ponce de Leon’s hair and makeup appear suitable for the era.
Not sure if all the Germanic accent is on target, and some cast members do better than others.

So willkommen; order drinks; tip well.

“Cabaret” playdates:  now through Sept. 25, with performances at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays,  with 3 p.m. matinees Saturdays and Sundays.

Tickets: $42 for adults,  $37 for seniors and military, and $24 for youths 25 and younger, available at www.manoavalleytheatre.com or at (808) 988-6131.

And that’s Show Biz. …