ISLE COMICS STILL LAFF-ABLE

A night with Augie T, Andy Bumatai and Frank DeLima is still a laff riot.

The legendary trio filled the Hawaii Theatre last night (Sept. 14), with non-stop local lunacy. They’ve shared their individual brand of jokes through the decades, but this joint effort assembled different strokes of home-grown silliness.

However, this blend of comedic camaraderie is an endangered species.

At 75, DeLima is the oldest of the trio, and is retiring at year’s end. He has one more gig in December at Blue Note Hawaii, and plans to relocate from the isles to Las Vegas next year.

At 70, Bumatai does only infrequent  public gigs. His popular website podcast is his primary link with his fans.

At 56, Augie has a career outside of comedy; he’s an elected official, and serves on the city council, which subliminally might provide comedic material.

Augie credits his comedy career to Bumatai, who was his idol and influence. And Bumatai applauds DeLima for his entrée into the field.

Clearly, this gang of three have been the key lords of lunacy, with the passing of Mel Cabang and the pioneering Rap Reiplinger and James Grant Benton of Booga Booga fame.

So, the Hawaii Theatre reunion was somewhat like a party of reflection.

Augie’s shtick is linked to his Kamehameha Housing roots in Kalihi. Bumatai’s a Waianae product and DeLima is from Pauoa Valley, so the reminiscences were logically regional. And together, the three have logged 110 years of comedic bliss.

Take-aways: Augie shared true-life family and Farrington High experiences, and remains fast and quick in his joke delivery; Bumatai reiterated his Waianae reflections and now has totally white hair, like the snows of Mauna Kea,  and DeLima admitted gratitude for his multi-cultural neighborhood where he learned his Japanese, Chinese and Korean dialects in his routines.

DeLima also is the only comic with a great singing voice, and the lone one to include costuming (as Chinese game-show host, Fu Ling Yu, and his fabled “Filipino Christmas” in a lighted tree garb). And late in his career, he’s become a sit-down comic vs. a stand-up, because of mobility issues linked to seniorhood.

And that’s Show Biz…