‘HI-SURF’ COMES TO THE ‘RESCUE’

With the demise and cancellation of CBS’ “Hawaii Five-0” and “Magnum P.I.,” Fox’s “Rescue: HI Surf” is the lone filmed-in Hawaii TV show.

It’s not a townie production; it’s filmed in our rural neighborhood of the North Shore, and hopefully it will make a splash.

The pounding surf and waves of the North Shore make this a first-responder series – two episodes already have aired — and the treacherous, even death-defying work is documentary-like, especially when someone is in need to be saved by the lifeguards.

The show will regularly be aired at 9 p.m. Mondays on Fox, streaming the next day on Hulu.

A hearty mahalo to casting directors and show runners, who’ve come to rescue to end the drought of island-filmed TV;  you’re doing  it properly with a few real-life Hawaiians in lifeguard roles.  And  they have real-life smarts about water safety.

If you recall, neither  of the reboots — “Five-O” nor “Magnum” — cast a bona fide local in secondary lead roles. The traditional prevailing notion has been Hawaii performers lack experience so outsiders land parts. Jack Lord ‘s original “Five-O” gave island talent the opportunity to  learn what it takes, and they were successful. Remember Al Harrington? Zulu? Kam Fong Chun?

Fortunately, show creator Matt Kester is a Hawaii native who also happens to be a devoted, longtime surfer, and so far, he’s a valuable, perfect fit, for “Rescue: HI-Surf.” So, give him a high-five.

“From the time I was a kid, lifeguards were a ubiquitous presence,” he told TVLine. Thus, this new adventure benefits with his hindsight.

 The notable  director John Wells (you know him from “ER” and “The West Wing”) did the first two episodes. This is “Baywatch” on steroids, where the sea is real, the performers must have surfing skills, and Mother Nature has a hand in how high the waves will be. Ya can’t script those mountainous waves to your shooting sked .

The episodes might be manufactured, but much of the success of the show will depend on the flexibility of this daredevil crew. Immediately noticeable: there are no “marquee” name stars in the ranks; stardom will come when these physically fit, muscled and chiseled bods do their rescuing.

Certainly, like any TV show filmed here, Hawaii always emerges as a star, too.

Capt. Sonny Jennings (Robbie Magasiva, a Kiwi) heads the crew  of lifesavers who must patrol those either surfing or novice swimming in the tricky, foamy stretch of beach that could be, and does, become perilous.

High tide translates into high danger, even for surfing pros; a surfboard can hit a surfer in the head, a swimmer could be tossed and twirled into unseen shoreline rocks.

Others in the cast are Arielle Kebbel as Emily “Em” Wright, Adam Demos as Will Ready, Kekoa Kakumanu as Laka Hanohano, Alex Aiona as Kainalu, and Zoe Cipres as Hina.

If the first wave of episodes is an example of what’s to come, “Rescue: HI-Surf’ should have a long run…

Bits and pieces

Show Bits: Manoa Valley Theatre’s next production, “Once on This Island,” will be staged in the round, according to Jeff Portnoy, MVT board president. The show opens Nov 16, and there’ll be no proscenium, with spectators surrounding the actors…

And it’s not every day that you see the executive director of Diamond Head Theatre, Trevor Tamashiro, manning the lift that enables handicapped folks to hitch a ride from the parking lot behind the theater in the mini elevator. Tamashiro also is frequently spotted in the concession booth, helping patrons buy drinks and snacks…

Vanita Rae Smith, former director at the Army Community Theatre and frequent maestro of the Readers Theatre now relocated at TAG (The Actors Group) can’t say enough about the I’m a Bright Kid Foundation’s “Newsies” hit at Paliku Theatre. She raved about the show but flagged the marvelous and mobile stage set, t surely one of the marvels of the production. “I wish every local director and set designer could have seen it,”  said Smith of the choreography of the set as well as the agility of the mostly youthful cast…

Broadway grosses, for the week ending Sept. 22

“McNeal,” starring Robert Downey Jr., has joined the $1 million club on Broadway.  Otherwise, “The Lion King” has reclaimed the No. 1 spot.

The Top 10:

1—“The Lion King,” $1,713 million

2—” Wicked,” $1,636 million

3—” Hamilton,”$1,525 million

4—” The Outsiders,” $1,320 million

5—” Hell’s Kitchen,” $1,291 million

6—” McNeal,” $1,207 million

7—” Oh, Mary!,” $1,161 million

8—” MJ the Musical,” $1,150 million

9—“ Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” $1,047 million

10—“Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club,” $1,033 million

The complete list, courtesy the Broadway League:

And that’s Show Biz…