Marc delaCruz, the actor from the Big Island in Hawaii, is one of the cast members of Broadway’s hit show “Hamilton,” who recorded new lyrics to a tune in the musical still playing at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York.

“The Election of 1800”  — retitled “The Election of 2024” – was recorded recently and released today (Sept. 17) to coincide with National Voter Registration Day.

The new lyrics encourage voter registration and the importance of being politically engaged.

“We’re proud to partner with @WhenWeAllVote and @VoteRiders to make sure everyone’s voice is heard at the polls,” the musical’s X account wrote in a post sharing a snippet of the song, “Register to vote now!”

“How does the bastion of the west democratically search out how to stay united as we churn out vitriol, and bots, and memes and try to work out how we can rebuild the trust and boost the turn out?” are part of the lyrics to the new tune.

In conjunction with the release of the revised tune,  the brand is also dropping the Hamilton Vote Collection (souvenir merch including of T-shirts, hats, stickers, buttons and bags), now available at the Broadway Merchandise Shop and at theaters where Hamilton is performing, according to BroadwayWorld.  A portion of the proceeds will be equally divided among the organizations When We All Vote, VoteRiders and Vote Forward…

And that’s Show Biz…

There are three certainties at Robert Cazmero’s once-a-month Full Moon Concert at Chef Chai’s on Kapiolani Boulevard:

• You can’t predict what the singer-pianist will  share, since the serenades are informal, impromptu and inviting, as I’ve mentioned here before. Whatever Cazimero programs, it will be casual fun and gratifying; he has no formal playlist so anticipation is the rule.
• Spontaneity is the prevailing element; he’ll start one tune and could halt and render another, because his repertoire is like his mind: in real time, it’s his choice to keep or change the momentum. A human jukebox, he uncorks what he feels, a challenge for his pair of hula dancers Sky Perkins Gora and Bully Keola Makaiau. Worry not, they’re accustomed to his pace.
• Chai Chaowasaree’s food will always be ample and delish, from an array of appetizers, your choice of entree, and dessert. I always select the Mongolian-style lamb chops and eat half with enough to box for lunch (or dinner) the next day. Oh, and if you get full quickly like me, ask to box your dessert, too; the coconut cake will be a pleasure the day after.

So last night’s (Sept. 15) Full Moon event had elements and moments to remember. It began with “Sing Me a Song of the Islands,” the start of a lei of melodies like “One Paddle, Two Paddle,” “Hanalei Moon,” “The Cock-Eyed Mayor of Kaunakakai,” even if the lei is comprised of plumeria, pikake and ginger, unlikely but fragrant. By the time Cazimero calls for hula maiden Perkins Gora, he’s into “The Little Grass Shack in Kealakekua Hawaii,”  which segues into “Wahine Ilikea,”  linking a good-fun touristy tune with a love song about romantic courtship.

By the time Bully is summoned, he – and we watchers – anticipates the unexpected, and we’re all laughing. Sorry, I don’t know the title of the frisky Hawaiian ditty, but he had a gleeful, energetic hula workout.

More hula  was provided by Perkins Gora on the soothingly nostalgic “Waikiki,” and Bully had the frisky, fun-filled “Holo Holo Kaa” novelty.

There was yet another hula stylist – in the audience. Aunty April rendered “Ei Nei” from her seat, and Cazimero said that hula can be done anytime and anywhere so why not a sit-down hula?  This kupuna was at a previous Full Moon concert, sitting next to me, and she has grace and integrity.

If you’re a Full Moon regular or a newbie, Cazimero will be behind Chai’s grand piano three more times this year: Oct. 6, Nov. 3 and Dec. 11. Call (808) 585-0011 or visit www.opentable.com …

And that’s Show Biz…

Here’s a peek at the Halloween pins I’ve made for the 2024 trick-or-treat season.

The pins are in the mail, to the usual receipients.

It’s been fun, creating these pins.

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…

It surprises me how silent former islander Kevin McCollum is about his prowess and proficiency on Broadway.

Like, he currently is producer of three musicals simultaneously running on the Great White Way. That’s quite an achievement.

But you won’t find his name on the bright theater marquees. You need to peruse  the Playbills, to discover McCollum’s name – above the show title, in tiny print – as well as in his bio along with the cast and artistic team.

His three current shows:

• “The Notebook,” at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater, is his largest show based on the rom-com Nicholas Sparks’ book and consequent film, about Allie and Noah, a couple from different worlds, whose portrait of a lifetime of love is depicted in flashbacks tapping three sets of couples.  The show earned Tonys for acting but failed to win a trophy.
•  “Six” has been in production for several years at the Lena Horne Theatre; it’s a sprightly revue with a cast of six, in a modern retelling of the lives of King Henry VIII’s six wives, delivered as a sarcastic, pop-concert competition of who suffered the most. It finally closes at the end of September.
•  “Oh Mary,” at the Lyceum Theatre, is a dark comedy about Mary Todd Lincoln’s life and dreams in the days preceding Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. The play explores her personal conflicts, including alcoholism, and moved uptown to the Lyceum Theatre from the off-Broadway Lucille Lortel Theatre. It closes in November.

McCollum earns a Tony Award only if one of his shows becomes a Best Musical winner, which makes him somewhat invisible most of the time. As a producer, he’s instrumental in seeking funding for his shows. McCollum has won big, garnering three Tonys for “Rent”  (1966), “Avenue Q” (2004)  and “In the Heights” (2008).

Only the likes of the late prolific director Hal Prince (“The Phantom of the Opera,” “Merrily We Roll Along’) and the non-stop genius Andrew Lloyd Webber (“Phantom,” “Cats”) have had credits for simultaneous shows during a typical season…  

‘Broadway in Hawaii’ to unveil season

“Broadway in Hawaii” will announce its season of island-bound shows next Wednesday (Sept. 18) at Blaisdell Concert Hall.

The season will include three touring productions, titles to be unveiled at a media event,  with shows to be staged in April, June and December.

Details will be announced, and the roster surely will be all musicals…

Broadway grosses, for week ending Sept. 8

While there’s no change among the top three shows, a newbie has joined the million-dollar club: “Oh, Baby,” at the No. 9 slot.

Otherwise, the Top 10 is comprised of repeaters:

The Top 10:

1—”Wicked, “ $1,755 million

2—“The Lion King,” $1,690 million

3—” Hamilton” $1,645 million

4—“Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club,” $1,509 million

5—”Hell’s Kitchen,” $1,393 million

6—”MJ the Musical,” $1,375 million

7—”The Outsiders,” $`,307 million

8—”Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” $1,270 million

9—”Oh, Mary!” $1,105 million

10—”Aladdin,” $1,059 million

 

The full list, courtesy The Broadway League:

And that’s Show Biz…