Author: Wayne Harada

“Lend Me a Soprano,” in its final week at Manoa Valley Theatre,

is high comedy at its best. The show is like an active volcano, full of volatility, spewing mistaken identities, flowing with emotional tension, and constant choreographic jostling in an exquisite suite.

In Act Two, there’s finally an eruption of movement – vigorous and frantic chases and escapes amid non-stop door-slamming.

The show’s creator, Ken Ludwig, is known for “Lend Me a Tenor,” so “Soprano” is the female version of crisis within the Cleveland Grand Opera Company.

The MVT director, Rob Duval, orchestrates the lively, symbolic lava flow with crisp, quick, explosive and gushing movement, resulting in riotous laughter and  thunderous applause.  And Duval also selected a versatile and splendid cast of eight.

In this version, a diva, Elena Firenzi (Barrie Kealoha, as grand as they come and bold as a bull), is tardy for a benefit performance of Georges Bizet’s “Carmen.”

The general manager of the opera company, Mrs. Wylie (Shannon Winpenny, forthright and formidable and eternally funny), is in a tizzy with the no-show of her star soprano. What to do? The show must go on.

Her assistant, Jo (Jasmine Haley Anderson, mousey but bold and  aspirational) comes up with a solution: she is willing to step in and impersonate Elena, and what the heck, she’s conveniently a budding soprano anyway.

Thus, Mrs. Wiley and Jo are in cahoots, to keep the secret theirs, until Elena and her husband Pasquale (Eriq James, who spends most of his time perusing LIFE magazine) finally arrive. The diva has a squabble with the hubby, who runs off with his suitcase and leaves a note to his wife, who ODs on pills and lands dead silent on the bed.

While Jo preps to become the guest warbler, she’s a bit spooked that Elena is silent and still and sleeping, then checks and assumes she’s expired.

So, opportunity looms, and Jo dons Elena’s costume; certainly, she blooms when she’s ready for the spotlight;  Mrs. Wiley is alarmed but desparately needs to pull off this operatic con job.

In the interim, Leo (Adam Kalma, tall, lean, handsome and also a fame-hungry baritone) arrives, along with Jerry (Michael Linnett, Mrs. Wiley’s son), to close in on the faux soprano. Julia (Holly Holowach, a cheerful opera buff) appears in glittering silver and black outfit with a silver headpiece resembling the Chrysler Building, as a character wise cracks.  And even the room service bellhop (Madison Cuartas, an eager beaver, who’s celebrity-struck) has her run of ins and outs.

And something to ponder: is this the only play where all the gents drop trousers, in hopes of a sexual encounter?

This is truly a unified ensemble, supported by a tech team that delivers. Set designer R. Andrew Doan has created an exquisite set with five doors that star in the Act Two run-and-slam-athon (seven, if you count the central double door  and the twin doors of a closet). There are doors for a kitchen, the bedroom, the bathroom and a second in/out bedroom door. Kudos should go, too, to scenic artist Willie Sabel and props designer Jax Pitts, for embellishing windows, a traditional settee and a medium-sized circular one, plus a fireplace,  with  floral and wall lamps and a comfy-looking bed with an ample coverlet.

Costume designer Amber Lehua Baker’s gowns (especially Mrs. Wylie’s) and two other gowns (one for the faux Elena, one for the real one), and the tuxes for gents? Fashionable stuff.

Hair and makeup designer Lisa Ponce de Leon’s hair styles for Mrs. Wylie, Elena and Julia are awesome; looks good enough for a formal night out.

Lighting design by Chris Gouveia and sound design by  Sarah Velasco validate the subtle sense of mood and style of the show.

Loved, too, the animated replay of scene highlights – crazy chases involving one and all — before the final curtain. Yes, a well-deserved standing ovation!

A footnote: Wish MVT would restore the customary playbill, with mini-bios and pics of the performers and the backstage creative team; the current two-fold sheet, with one half-sheet insert with promo and ads, is insufficient. It may be a budgeting issue, but actors and audience alike savor and favor a traditional page-turning playbill. After all, it’s respectful homage to the players and the patrons to receive a traditional playbill, too. Costs still remain, but the pandemic is over. Please? For the 2025-26 season, perhaps? … 

And that’s Show Biz…

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‘Lend Me a Soprano’

What: A madcap comedy by Ken Ludwig, about a soprano diva who is late for a gig, triggering mayhem and madness with lots of door-slamming

Where: Manoa Valley Theatre

When: Final performances at 7:30 p.m. Friday (Sept. 27) and  Saturday (Sept. 28) and 3 p.m. Sunday (Sept. 29).

Tickets: $48 for adults, $38 for those 25 and younger, $43 for military and senior citizens, at (808-988-6131) or www.manoavalleytheatre.com

In gambling terms, “Honeymoon in Vegas” – Diamond Head Theatre’s opening musical in its 2024-25 season – is a crap shoot.

The comedy stars Aleks Pevek (a great voice, has presence and comedic timing), as reluctant groom Jack Singer, who promises his dying mom Bea Singer, played by Amy K. Sullivan (manipulative and menacing, but marvelous) that he’ll never get married. But he falls for Betsy Nolan, portrayed by Jody Bill (sweet pipes, eager to get that ring to say her “I do’s”) and that’s the plot in a nutshell.

Director-choreographer Andrew Sakaguchi leaps into the challenge of creating substance and a winning jackpot despite the silliness of the slight book by Andrew Bergman and unfamiliar but pleasant music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown. It’s like battling the slots in Las Vegas: it’s tough to beat the odds.

But everyone aboard seems to be having a party and eagerly awaiting a payoff, perhaps because the production has a couple of island moments. So why should anyone quibble.

Further, Aiko Schick (adorable, expressive, exuberant) as  Mahi, with da kine local lingo, steals the show in her “Friki-Friki” frolic of a duet with Pevek in Act Two. So, place your chips on her, and you’ve got a winner.

Though the term is never utilized, there’s a bit of the aloha spirit in a pair of numbers, “Hawaii/Waiting for You” and “Everyday Is Happy in Hawaii.”  And Kauai is one of the locales but the scenics — a drab, brown-hue painted mountain, not green — fail to identify “The Garden Isle.”

As Vegas gambler Tommy Corman, Kalani Hicks (charming, crafty) convinces Betsy to forget Jack and marry him because of his gaming debt – but it’s a sure bet that she’ll wind up with her beau.

A fun segment involves a small corps of Elvis impersonators, which Jack joins, compete with bell-bottom glittery costumes. But this is no ordinary Elvis look-and-sound-alikes. They fly. High.

DHT always succeeds in costumes (Emily Lane), hair-and-makeup (Aiko Schick), lighting (Dawn Oshima) and sound (Jericho Sombrio) but continues to fall short on scenic design (Randy Tandal). Back wall projections are not vivid and drops like the Vegas casino are mundane, not magical; roll-on scenery still are noisy. One specific scenic works well, however: Bea returns from the grave, amid a nocturnal, eye-filling archway, to give Jack the OK to wed his true love.

Musically, Mattea Mazzella  and Jenny Shiroma are co-conductors  of the nine-member orchestra and keep the tempo rolling. Alas, the opening overture is overlong, comprised of titles few know…

And that’s Show Biz…

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‘Honeymoon in Vegas’

What: A musical comedy by Andrew Bergman (book) and Jason Robert Brown (music and lyrics), based on a film by Castle Rock Entertainment

Where: Diamond Head Theatre

When:  7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 3 p.m. Saturdays, 4 p.m. Sundays, through Oct. 6; extension dates, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 11, 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Oct. 12

Tickets: $41 to $68, at www.diamondheadtheatre.com and (808) 733-0274

As an actor, the best thing Daniel Dae Kim did was to quit “Hawaii Five-0” in 2017, freeing him from the reins of prejudice and discrimination.

He exited the hit CBS series, filmed in Hawaii, when he and co-star Grace Park, portraying Chin and Kono respectively,  asked for and didn’t get pay parity with the white actors in the procedural, Alex O’Loughlin (McGarrett)  and Scott Caan (Danny).

This past Sunday’s (Sept. 15) annual Arts & Leisure sections in the New York Times – a showcase of the annual barrage of Broadway shows, upcoming dance and classical music – shows  Kim all over the place.

The point: He’s become an international star, a big deal in all realms of entertainment. The sky’s the limit.

He’s the cover boy of the Theater preview section, that features  a huge mugshot of Kim with a headline that reads, “It’s Time to Take a Risk.”

Inside, there’s a full page interview (by Robert Ito, done in Los Angeles) dubbed “Back on the Stage but Often in the Trenches.”

The peg is his current Broadway starring role in David Henry Hwang’s “Yellow Face,” at the Todd Haimes Theatre. It opened Sept. 13  for a limited run through Nov. 14.

Kim plays DHH, a director inspired by the playwright and make no mistake: the casting enables Kim to blend acting (this is a comedic role) with his ongoing mission of activism, since he has long been an outspoken advocate for the Asian community.

Of Korean ancestry, he supports Asian actors for Asian roles, he’s against bullying and hate crimes against the Asian community.

There’s a full-page ad for “Yellow Face,” with riveting dual faces of Kim with his name above the show’s title. (Clue: big names always have their names above the title, and often, one name will do – like AUDRA over “Gypsy”).

Kim’s mug also appears amid a bevy of luminaries amid a “Stars on Stage” glimpse of Broadway names: Robert Downey Jr. (“McNeal”), Mia Farrow (“The Roommate”), Jim Parsons/Katie Holmes (“Our Town”) and on a second page, George Clooney (“Good Night and Good Luck”), Nicole Scherzinger (“Sunset Boulevard”), Jake Gyllenhaal/Denzel Washington (”Othello”).

The interview contains revelations of his lifestyle: he has an apartment in Koreatown in New York, where he’s likely staying during the run of “Yellow Face.” He maintains his home in Honolulu and spends time here when he’s not on the road, and moving elsewhere was not in the cards because “my boys were growing up in Hawaii, and they loved it.”

Remember, he starred in ABC’s “Lost”’ prior to “Five-O” and even his wife was happy to remain in the islands instead of relocating to New York or Los Angeles.

Clearly, with casting in “Yellow Face,”  Kim continues to be a saleable talent who can handle anything. He’s done a heck of a lot of other shows, big and small, serious and fun, streaming on your TV screen. Variety’s his middle name; what have his other three “Five-O” done to reflect a pulse in show biz?

I saw him portray the King of Siam in Lincoln Center’s “The King and I,” which marked his Broadway musical debut, and he had presence and a great voice, enjoying the regal role in 2016, and he was kind to pose for a backstage pic.  He earlier played the King in 2009 at the Royal Albert Hall in London’s West End.

He’s become an international star, with more ahead. He spent six months in South Korea, filming “Butterfly,” adapted from a graphic novel, portraying a former  Korean American spy hiding in Korea amid assassins. Since Korea has become a resource for thrillers, this one will be streamed via Amazon Prime Video.

For Kim, there’s always a new challenge. Nothing is impossible…

And that’s Show Biz..

Let’s say this up front:

“Broadway in Hawaii,” the trio of musicals from the Great White Way, will generally be a mature-audience proposition next year.

Here’s the roster:

• “Tina: the Tina Turner Musical,” April 22 to 27.
• “Six,” June 17 to 29.
• “Chicago,” Dec. 2 to 7.

Here’s the outlook:

The shows will be staged at the still-under-renovations Blaisdell Concert Hall.

Two productions  — “Tina” and “Chicago” — will be in residency for one week only,  with eight performances Tuesdays through Sundays (Monday is dark).

The third show, “Six,” will play two weeks, for a total of 16 performances.

So some judgement will need to be exercised regarding children: will the young kiddies stay at home or with grandma? The 2025 fare is geared to adults; based on Broadway recommendations, the fare is unquestionably for mature audiences, but youths 10 to 14 or older may attend  with guidance.

“Throughout the years of producing Broadway shows in Honolulu, it’s clearthat Honolulu deserves to be a regular stop for touring Broadway in North America,” said Steve Boulay, COO of MagicSpace, which is the show presenter. “The success of ‘Hamilton,’ and the rest of our 2022-2023 season, put the spotlight on Hawaii once again.”

Here’s the summary of each show:

A musical with book by Katori Hall, Frank Ketelaar and Kees Prins.

What: A musical biography of the “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll,”  Tina Turner, who was a nobody from Nutbush, Tenn., who became a somebody with such global hits as “Proud Mary,”  “Private Dancer,” “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” and “River Deep, Mountain High.”

Advisory: contains scenes of domestic violence, racist language,  and gunshots; Tina endures a life of physical and emotional violence from her first husband and artistic collaborator Ike Turner and the senseless injustices of society.

Summary: More than a jukebox musical; a glimpse of a fighter who withstands societal injustices to succeed as a rock and r&b legend.

A musical inspired by the actual angry six wives of Henry VIII

What: A modern retelling of the exes of the King of England– Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Catherine Paar –who unite to perform in pop concert/competition, to express their husband’s numerous affairs and injustices towards women.  Thus, the Tudor queens transform into popsters. With book, music and lyrics by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss.

Advisory:  A whole lotta bitching opens eyes and ears; misery loves company.

Summary: The exes challenge each other but learn there’s strength in unity, in an era where men ruled; so their idiosyncratic songs and styles strengthen their places in British history. The contention is that if you raise your voice, you heighten your impact.

A musical with razzle-dazzle, now the second longest Broadway show.

What: A legendary production with iconic choreography by the late Bob Fosse, and a jazz-blues songbook by John Kander and Fred Ebb. A tale with heart and humor, about Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, two murderesses on trial for their crimes.

Advisory: Contains violence and adult language and themes, and a satirical send-up of celebrity culture, sex, crime, justice, dishonesty and prejudice. Not recommended for youths under 13.

Summary: The current Broadway revival places the orchestra on stage;  online reviews about touring “Chicago” companies aren’t specific about the musicians’ presence.  The Fosse/Kander-Ebb connection is the reason to go;  the classic score includes “All That Jazz,” “Razzle Dazzle,” “Mr. Cellophane,” “Class,”  “When You’re Good to Mama,” and “Cell Bock Tango.”

For season tickets for the trio of shows – from $200 – visit

 www.BroadwayInHawaii.com…

“Cabaret” leaps  to No. 3 in week ending Sept. 15

There’s been a switch of rankings – “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club”—jumped to No. 3 in the weekly Broadway grosses. “Wicked” still is  No.1, followed by “The Lion King” at No. 2.

The Top 10:

1—”Wicked,” $1,831 million

2—“The Lion King,” $1,791 million

3—”Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club,” $1,674 million

4—”Hamilton,” $1,628 million

5—”Hell’s Kitchen,” $1,528 million

6—”MJ the Musical,” $1,376 million

7—”Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” $1,314 million

8—”The Outsiders,” $1,283 million

9—”Aladdin,” $1,131 million

10—”The Great Gatsby,” $1,107 million

The complete list, courtesy the Broadway League:

And that’s Show Biz…

Update on the 2024 Halloween pins:

For the most part, the thrust of the mailings is over. If you’re on my list, you’ve already received a box of trick-or-treat pins.

Will be delivering bulk collection of pins within the next week.

An early Happy Halloween wish. And here’s another batch of pins in circulation…