Month: March 2023

Tip: Don’t let the “junior” label in “Lion King Jr.” fool you, or keep you away from attending one of the final performances this weekend at Mamiya Theatre.

The production, besieged with casting challenges last week, is a surprisingly splendid springboard of achievement for the 23 youths in the company that showcases professionalism, commitment, and pride. For the producers, Mo‘olelo Studios (in partnership with the Saint Louis Center for the Arts), this staging of Disney’s “Lion King Jr.” reflects a keen commitment to enlighten, elevate and educate youngsters employing theater arts to shape a  brand of storytelling through a circle of life in singing, dancing, and acting.

What a thrill!

Director Kyle Kakuno and choreographer Christine Yasunaga are the adults who have polished this show with talent from high school down to middle school. Kakuno, who has directed numerous musicals at Mamiya, has lured students from Saint Louis, Sacred Hearts Academy, campuses in proximity to the theater, but many come from other private and public schools this year, including Kamehameha, Farrington, Punahou, Le Jardine Academy,  Catholic Academy and Mililani.

Yasunaga, who was originally the lone Asian ensemble trouper in the Broadway company of “Lion King,” surely has contributed to the tone and temperament of this show, bringing insider knowledge rubbing off from working with Tony Award-winning director Julie Taymor and choreographer Garth Fagan.

If you recall the distraction last week, several key roles had to be recast. The shuffle meant the replacements had only three days of rehearsals before last Saturday’s delayed premiere.

Yet, you’d never know, if the problem didn’t go public in this column.

So first, kudos to these valuable and valiant souls, who stepped into the production:

• Nathaniel Ryan-Kern, as Mufasa, with commanding and kingly presence plus a rich, resounding voice.
• Nainoa Kebo, as Simba, with youthful charm and boyish vulnerability.
• Cocomi Mehring, as Nala, with comforting motherly concern.
• Lyric Illiana Bernard,  as Rafiki, with perhaps the best booming voice projecting authority and advice
• Zander Woolsey, as Pumbaa, the most comedic and carefree figure with constant “Hakuna Matata” philosophy.

You sense this will be an exhilarating thriller from the get-go, when the parade of puppet figures – elephant, rhinoceros, lionesses and more – parade from back of the house and trekking in both the left and right aisles, reaching the stage where Rafiki is rendering “Circle of Life” amid  loud howls and  appreciative cheers from the audience.

Isaiah Castillo is Scar, Pomaikai Kauka is Young Simba, in “Lion King. Jr.” at Mamiya Theatre.

You know the plot: Mufasa, a visionary, prepares Young Simba (Pomaikai Kauka) to one day become his successor as King to rule over the savanna, but Scar (Isaiah Castillo) the king’s brother and uncle to the cub, has other ideas, and the young successor disappears for a spell to sort out his options after the nasty uncle kills Mufasa, blaming Simba, who escapes to the dark side beyond the  Pride lands, despite the efforts of Zazu (Reagan Beissel) skillfully manipulating  the hornbill bird puppet) to warn him of imminent dangers.

Simba’s  journey encounters the team of Pumbaa and Timon (Christopher Casupang) and is threatened by three hyenas – Shenzi (Maya Yoshida),  Banzai (Lloyd Smith) and Ed (Aaron Dela Cruz) — eager to eat him.  

The production is blessed to utilize the remarkably professional puppets that elevate the show well beyond the “junior” label. These exquisite creations – from the elephant and to the pair of zebras, from the lionesses to the stellar Pumbaa figure – were created by Alison Joy Bishop  of Kamehameha Schools, which gave access and use of these remarkable puppets for this show, a grand gesture that reflects the cooperation and kindness of community sharing of valuable assets and skills.

There’s an element or two of special additions to “Lion King Jr.,” including a brief hula skirt worn by Timon, obviously to earmark this as a homegrown effort, and a couple of instances of “starlight” on the ceilings of the theater (look up, you’ll see ‘em) I have not experienced on Broadway or the earlier national touring company at Blaisdell Concert Hall.

In all ranks of the show, from costumes (designed by Chris Valles, with Cathy Kakuno as costumer) to scenic design (Nigyl Nissan, creator of Pride Rock), from lighting (Leo Uitto) to music (Miguel Cadoy III),  from sound (Steven Nelson) to makeup and wigs (Jess Aki), excellence prevails.

Everything you might expect – the staged stampede scene, first on video, then live with costumed dancers, the scene with the grass – are here.  And quite essential, for spectators and actors alike, there is a keepsake playbill with data and bios to navigate you through the show.

And yes, Mo‘olelo lives up to its mission name, of  sharing and passing down stories, myths or legends. There’s a lot of pride on and off stage. …

“Lion King Jr.”

A Disney musical with music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice, and a book by Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi.

When:  7:30 p.m. March 31, 2 p.m. April 1, and 6 p.m. April 2, preceded by a 4:30 p.m. gala, with cocktails and pupu.

Where: Mamiya Theatre, at Saint Louis School/Chaminade University campus

Tickets: $15, at www.moolelostudios.simpletix.com

And that’s Show Biz. …

“La Cage Aux Folles,” now at Diamond Head Theatre, is a giddy and gorgeous musical bubbling with heart and hilarity, about a gay couple named Georges and Albin who share a home, a nightclub and heartbreak that test their longstanding relationship.

Georges (Guy Merola, grandly showcasing his tenor voice, with substantial operatic presence) operates “La Cage Aux Folles,” a hotspot in St. Tropez, France, where he is the supposed guy in a supposed hetero-homo lifestyle. His partner, Albin (Andrew Sakaguchi, in a career-best expedition as a gorgeous drag queen chanteuse, with abundant swish and sizzle), is the trans whose baritone soars to the high notes, on three-inch pumps and ultra glamorous wigs coupled with body-clinging gowns.

The narrative supposes this is a happy household, where Albin doubles as a “mom” to Jean Michel (Charles Ho, a cutie like the boy next door, who is the 20-something straight son of Georges) from a previous relationship named Sylvia, mentioned but not seen.

The wrinkle: Jean-Michel visits the couple’s apartment, which adjoins the sexy nightclub, to announce he’s about to marry g.f. Anne (Nanea Allen, also a cutie-beauty). Thus, the calm becomes chaotic, complicated  and challenging, when the tempo and temperature rise.

Based on a play by Jean Poiret, with a book by Harvey Fierstein and music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, “La Cage” plays unabashedly gay, and preys on cliched and exaggerated manners, gestures and chatter.

But an undercurrent of traditional virtues and values — the respect for lifestyle choices that may not be the norm, the notions of acceptance and empathy, the bond of family harmony  –  echoes a rom-com involving two traditional lovers. Everyone, everywhere and everything become threatened by distortions, fibs and pretense, when, in fact, the show celebrates and humanizes the gayness of the leads.

Director John Rampage, a wizard of spectacle, has assembled a stellar cast to play out the different strains of the rainbow with sentimental turns without resorting to caricature. Sakaguchi doubles as choreographer, with swirls of clubby dancing, surrounding himself with the Cagelles decked out in  eye-filling frou-frou. For the audience, it’s a guessing game to figure out which are women with plumes and sequins, which are men masquerading as exotic dancers on heels.

Merola, who is making a comeback after more than a dozen years away from the stage spotlight, has the best of times when his tenor works its magical spell. His handling of the “Song on the Sand” ballad, with those la-da-da-das, is captivating, and is generously heard twice (in Act 1 as a solo number, in Act 2 as a duet) with Sakaguchi’s powerful, pliable voice in both gentlemanly and womanly modes.

The tension and trauma unfold when the conservative parents of Anne, Edouard Dindon (Joe Martyak, perfect as a big shot bigot) and his wife, Marie Dindon (Kim Anderson, hilarious and open-minded) pay a visit to meet the parents of Jean Michel. The tangled play-out is over-the-top outrageous, but never falls to mockery.

A dinner with Georges and Albin, at Chez Jacqueline Restaurant, formally introduces Jacqueline (Shari Lynn, in a cameo, repeating the role of the restaurant owner), enabling the dependable Shari to  uncork her Jacqueline juice on “The Best of Times,” with Albin and Marie chiming in.

Composer Herman’s score is rich and savory, with two precise, enduring hits — the aforementioned “The Best of Times” and the be-who-you-are anthem, “I Am What I Am”–delivered with precision and pride in an empowering, ecstatic Sakaguchi interpretation that closes Act 1.

At the Saturday night (March 25) performance I attended, La Tanya Faamausili-Siliato’s sound was quirky and uncertain, crackling a few times with feedback. Ouch!

Phil Hidalgo’s music direction — silky smooth and smart, even employing an actor to “play” an accordion onstage — deserves a curtain call, but it’s impossible because the stage pit design disallows the bow. Quel dommage.

Madison Gholston’s first costume design assignment included a boutique-like array of garb, from showgirl glitz to snappy traditional men’s suits, from houseboy uniforms to the stunning formal glam garb donned by Albin, notably in Act 2. Bravo!

And makeup and wig designer Aiko Schick merits kudos for her flamboyant finery, in concert with the varied and imaginative hair design by Shaw Rodriguez. Magnifique!

Steven Clear’s light design provided keen sheen, but Dawn Oshima’s set design was a wonderment, with limited utilization of the facility’s fly space, mostly lowering curtains and bejeweled ribbon drops and a couple of painted scenic. There’s still constant reliance of split-sets scenery of the Georges-Albin digs and a French promenade,  wheeled out in sections on wagons instead of aerial drops (too heavy?) from the fly space. Porquoi?

“La Cage Aux Folles” reflects and embraces the joyous era of the musical with songs that audiences can sing or hum as they exit the theater. It also boasts a grand opening overture that includes the key hit songs, a formula of the prolific Rodgers and Hammerstein duo of yesteryear, still a requisite in revivals.

Andrew Lloyd Webber and the “Les Miserables” team of Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil  are among the creative forces who have followed the R&H format, with appealing overtures and scores that produce breakout hit songs.  …

“La Cage Aux Folles”

A musical based on a play by Jean Poiret, with songs and lyricsby  Jerry Herman and book by Harvey Fierstein

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 3 p.m. Saturdays, and 4 p.m. Sundays, through April 9, plus extended shows at 7:30 p.m. April 15 and 4 p.m. April 16

Where: Diamond Head Theatre

Tickets: $27 to $52, at (808) 733-0274 or www.diamondheadtheatre.com …

Broadway grosses, week ending March 26

Looks like “Phantom of the Opera” will go out with a bang; it still tops the weekly Broadway gross race, breaking records in the weeks before its closing.

The top seven leaders:

1 – “Phantom of the Opera,” $3.057 million.

2 – “The Lion King,” $2.130 million.

3 – “Hamilton,” $1.915 million.

4 – “Wicked,” $1.878 million.

5 – “MJ, the Michael Jackson Musical,” $1.703 million.

6 – “Funny Girl,” $1.644 million.

7 – “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” $1.408 million.

Here’s the complete listing, courtesy The Broadway League:

And that’s Show Biz. …

Mo‘olelo Productions’ “The Lion King Jr.” will resume and wind up its run this Thursday (March 30) through Sunday (April 2) at Mamiya Theatre on the St. Louis School/Chaminade University campus.

This, after the producers faced an overwhelming challenge last week that included the cancellation of two shows, a search to recast four lead roles, and a push-back of the premiere till this past Saturday (March 25).  So, a sense of normalcy, minus the stress,  prevails this week, as “King” finally has regained its footing.

One of the indefatigable lucky charms of the show – who has links to the award-winning original Broadway cast —  is Christine Yasunaga, now a Hawaii choreographer and dance teacher who was in the original ensemble of the groundbreaking Broadway musical in 1998.

She is choreographer of “Lion King Jr.,” sharing insider insights into the recreation of the musical with a cast of island youths, after working with mentors of the long running Disney musical.

Twenty-five years ago, Yasunaga was the lone islander and sole Asian member selected to join the  all-black original cast, in director-designer-puppeteer Julie Taymor’s theatrical visionary production depicting jungle animals and puppets in Disney’s remarkable groundbreaking hit musical.

The stage show was inspired by Disney’s animated film so the transfer to the stage meant performers had to portray animals in retelling the tale of the young lion Simba’s journey of self-discovery following the death of his father Mufasa.

Yasunaga was then a Broadway journeyman, cast in the ensemble of the all-Asian musical hit, “The King and I,” which was in production at that time.

“I remember reading a Backstage paper about an open call for 400 women,” said Yasunaga, uncertain of what the process might be nor the nature of the talent call nor how the show might impact her career.

She auditioned anyway “and made it through all the cuts over several months,” she said.

“Lion King” traditionally is known for its brilliant ensemble work, where dancers and singers play many roles, changing costumes, masks and headpieces amid innovative motifs and moods that make humans appear as animals, including lions, hyenas, elephants, birds,  giraffes, gazelles, zebras, antelopes, rhinos, mandrills,  meercats, mandrills, warthogs, wildebeest and more.

 Garth Fagan, a heralded Jamaican whiz of modern dance, was choreographer of “Lion King,” and fused the spirit and vision to embody and reflect the vibrance of African wildlife as perceived by Taymor.

So, when Mo‘olelo director Kyle Kakuno tapped Yasunaga to become his show’s choreographer, she leapt to the challenge.

“It’s really been fun,” said Yasunaga. “I’ve been able to open up and tell all my stories and share anecdotes. And details only I knew from working with both Julie and Garth, passing on some ideas with our tech people. There were reasons why we did certain things.”

As an ensemble trouper, she had multiple roles, playing a gazelle, a hyena beast and made butterflies flutter in one scene. “Ensemble people work the hardest, really,” she said. “I had 13 costume changes.”

Coming from the ranks of an Equity member, Yasunaga has treated “Lion King Jr.” as a professional production. “I’ve thought of some of Garth’s ways mixed with my own,” she said. “I’m proud of the cast … and have been pushing the kids to excel, to reach goals. A lot of dancers have been trying so hard; their positive energy is exciting.”

With last week’s behind-the-scenes in-house drama, there’s been a wave of fellowship and kokua from schools that have previously staged “Lion King Jr.” “Puppet costumes have come from Kamehameha Schools, so we’ve been lucky to share resources and work together,” said Yasunaga.

And when Mo‘olelo had to recast four actors of college-age students ineligible to perform, based on Music Theatre International’s licensing guidelines, it reached out to other schools such as Kamehameha and Punahou which cooperated, enabling director Kakuno to cast and prep the replacements with only three days of rehearsal time before the first performance on Saturday.

Yasunaga journeyed back to New York, for the 25^th anniversary celebration of the show last year, reconnecting with some of her colleagues and mentors. From director Taymor, a respected and innovative award-winning puppeteer, she had learned, “Plants and animals don’t have color.” So, race never has been an issue in the cast.

In 1998, “Lion King” was nominated for 11 Tony Awards and won six, for Best Musical, Best Direction (Taymor), Best Choreography (Fagan), Best Orchestration, Best Lighting and Best Scenic Design.

Besides “Lion,” Yasunaga has been teaching a weekly jazz class at Hawaii Ballet Theatre but her next choreography assignment will be “The Bodyguard,” opening May 26 at Diamond Head Theatre.

It’s the Whitney Houston musical, which was ready to roll but was delayed at DHT at the beginning of the pandemic three years ago. . “We’ll have the same creative team, but there will be some cast members returning. But the girl playing Whitney Houston is pregnant and can’t do it.”…

“Lion King Jr.”

A Disney musical with music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice, and a book by Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi.

When:  7:30 p.m. March 30 and 31, 2 p.m. April 1, and 6 p.m. April 2, preceded by a 4:30 p.m. gala, with cocktails and pupu.

Where: Mamiya Theatre, at Saint Louis School/Chaminade University campus

Tickets: $15, at www.moolelostudios.simpletix.com

And that’s Show Biz. …

Mo’olele Productions, staging Disney’s ”Lion King Jr.” at Mamiya Theatre this week, had to cancel two performances– Thursday’s (March 23) and Friday’s  (March 24) shows — because of internal casting issues, forcing replacements in four roles that delayed the opening until a 2 p.m. matinee show this afternoon (March 25).

Music Theatre International, the academic group supporting school and  youth-oriented actors and productions, is the licensing agent of “junior plays.”  It informed Mo‘olele director Kyle Kakuno on Tuesday (March 22) that four leading roles had to be recast because the actors were college-age.

The delayed premiere today (March 25), will be followed by another 2 p.m. matinee Sunday (March 26).

 The unexpected distraction has challenged the company of actors and techies, since the show was ready to “go” with a preview performance last Wednesday (March 22). But the proper adjustments were made.

“We were able to recast, using three of the present high school cast members, plus two young men from Punahou School and Kamehameha Schools,” said director Kakuno, a theater veteran who has staged numerous musicals at Mamiya and now is associated with Mo‘olele, anchored at Saint Louis School, where he also has been a longtime drama teacher.

So “the show must go on” show biz mantra is alive with “Lion King Jr.” introducing these last-minute replacements to the cast:

• Nathaniel Ryan-Kern, in the role of Mufasa. He is from Punahou.
• Nainoa Kebo, as Simba. He is from Kamehameha.
• Cocomi Mehring, originally a Lioness, will be Nala.
• Lyric Illiana Bernard, who was Sarabi, steps in as Rafiki.
• Zander Woolsey, formerly a Hyena, will enact Pumbaa.

Ryan-Kern and Kebo are high school seniors who have previously been in a junior production of “Lion King Jr.,” but neither performed in the roles they have inherited at Mamiya.

Dean So‘oalo, Poasa Aga, Ku‘ulei Kekoa, and Sam Tafolo originally had been cast as Mufasa, Simba, Nala, iand Pumbaa, respectively. They stepped down but immediately began coaching and cheering on their replacements, prepping for the opening. Actor Bernard is 18 and a senior at Mililani High School and thus is eligible, switching from Saribi to Rafiki. “She is doing wonderful as Rafiki which is the most demanding role of the show,” said Kakuno.

The conflict had some blessings; it has boosted the esprit and morale of the entire cast. So Pride Mountain is in proper mode now.

“MTI determines age in years and for ‘Lion King Jr.,’ – it’s 18 or younger,” said Kakuno of the guidelines governing participation of students. “So, if you have a young college kid who’s still 18 – he is eligible. That is our understanding.”

Other key roles include Reagan Beissel as Zazu, Isaiah Castillo as Scar, Chris Casupang as Timon, Pomaikai Kauka as  Young Simba, Mikaela Freitas as Young Nala, Zander Woolsey as Banzai, Maya Yoshida as Shenzi, and Lloyd Smith as Ed.

The creative team, including choreographer Christine Yasunaga and musical director Miguel Cadoy III, also have thrown their support to tweak and reshape the show, making necessary adjustments with the cast changes.

Some cast members also have stepped in to cover the smaller roles that were vacated, with much of the ensemble doing their lion’s share of cooperation to launch the show that was ready to roll before the adjustments.

“This experience has brought the whole group closer as you can imagine,” said Kakuno. “There’s a lot more energy spent on supporting each other instead of making oneself stand out. Sometimes the unexpected happens and how you deal with it tells you a lot about yourself. This week has taught me a lot about this cast I have at Mamiya Theatre.”

Playbill was ready for print, “but thank goodness, we hadn’t printed a single copy when this all went down,” said Kakuno. “We made adjustments to the copy and ran them off on our own printer LAST NIGHT (Friday) and into the wee hours this morning.”

“No matter how it goes on Saturday afternoon, I’ve never been prouder of the way this cast has responded to adversity,” said the director.

The beloved show boasts the expected array of animal masks and costumes, plus puppets and dances that echo the Broadway original.

The musical is a beloved family favorite, with a handful of popular tunes, including the inspirational “Circle of Life” and the romantic “Can You Feel the Love Tonight.” The comedic “Hakuna Makata,” which means “no worries,” also is popular and counteracts the in-house issues with casting, now corrected.

Because it’s prom season at some schools, the producers decided to avoid its usual opening weekend gala to launch “Lion King Jr.” and do a closing night event instead, on Sunday April 2, enabling cast members to attend their school proms. …

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“Lion King Jr.”

A Disney musical with music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice, and a book by Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi.

When: 2 p.m. Saturday (March 25) and Sunday (March 26), 7:30 p.m. March 30 and 31, 2 p.m. April 1, and 6 p.m. April 2 preceded by a 4 p.m. gala, with cocktails and pupu.

Where: Where: Mamiya Theatre, at Saint Louis School/Chaminade University campus

Tickets: $15, at www.moolelostudios.simpletix.com

TAG’s ‘Burning Boy’ is a hit

The Hawaii premiere of David West Read’s. “The Dream of the Burning Boy,” now playing at the Brad Powell Theatre at The Actors Group (TAG), earned a standing ovation the other night.

It’s a drama, directed by Bro. Gary Morris, dealing with the unexpected death of a high school overachiever, which exposes a secret that could destroy his survivors and unite them, challenging them to find the power to move on.

The cast includes Daniel O’Brien, Sade Frame, Keith Ordonez, Garrett Hill, Tiger Tam, Luke Ferrin and Shannon Patalano.

Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays though April 16.

Tickets: $30 general, $25 seniors, $20 military and students, at (808) 741-4699 or tagtickets@hawaii.rr.com

And that’s Show Biz. …