Note: this is not the usual Show Biz column; this one is a snapshot of a milestone birthday and celebration.—W.H.
You can’t ignore an 80th birthday. Truly.
So instead of a customary to-do with family, and despite the wavering cloud of COVID-19, my wife Vi and I invited two couples — pals Jack and Cha Thompson and Rick Ornellas and Vicki Borges – to mark the milestone new decade of my existence.
Roy’s Hawaii Kai was the destination – our favorite “hometown” fine dining joint, after all – and it was a blast.
It was to be a no-gift occasion with the Haradas footing the bill, but my friends are generous but don’t listen: so they separately presented gift cards ($80 plus a movie gift card, from the Thompsons, and $81 from Rick and Vicki, with the extra $ likely a token for good luck), but don’t chuckle. They know me: Zippy’s also is my neighborhood go-to place for take-out, with the Kahala site for dine-in since the Hawaii Kai restaurant is not yet open to welcome area visitors, apparently because of lease rate issues.
The Chow Hounds, front: Vicki, Rick and Cha; rear, Jack, Vi and Wayne
The gathering of three couples was also significant, marking the formal assembling of the Chow Hounds club, with Vicki and Ricky as newbies. We officially welcomed the new members of this cluster of foodies who enjoy regular outings of great food, wine, and, yes, margaritas.
The Chow Hounds lapel pin
Misoyaki butterfish entree.
I made “Chow Hounds” lapel pins for everyone to wear, to acknowledge that this club will engage in more restaurant visits with a measure of practical frequency. So cheers!
For the record, three of us ordered Roy’s fabled misoyaki butterfish. My fave.
Birthday dessert
To award-winning chef Roy Yamaguchi, arigato for the pupus and dessert, and a hearty hurrah for the traffic of diners, inside the restaurant, in the party room, and in the downstairs bar area, and outside in a rousing, clustery certification that Roy’s is back with a wave of regulars.
Gomen, for occupying Table 1 for three hours; so much fun and fellowship. Be advised: we’ll return for another festive and ono evening…
With the hope that the lingering pandemic protocols will ease or dissipate by this fall, some of Hawaii’s theatrical organizations are tweaking policies, anticipating the best and perhaps kind of a return to normalcy. This, despite current reactions from a state health official who deems the CORONA-19 virus outbreak “a crisis.”
Manoa Valley Theatre seating chart
At Manoa Valley Theatre, season subscribers and single-ticket purchases will have reserved seats for the first time during the 2021-2022 theatrical season, beginning in the fall. Playgoers must wear face masks and must show evidence of vaccination. Seating will be “normal,” meaning pre-pandemic, without spacing between seats. “Be More Chill,” a Hawaii premiere, kicks off the new season Sept. 2.
Diamond Head Theatre seating chart
At Diamond Head Theatre, all seats will be open for purchase – no empty seats and alternating spaces in each row – with “normal” full-houses anticipated. Face masks and proof of vaccinations will be required. DHT’s season launches Sept. 24, with “Oliver.”
Both aforementioned theater groups hope that with vaxxed patrons donning face masks throughout a performance, they’ll be OK under current protocols minus the social distancing open seats. Sure hope so; image the train wreck, if sold seats have to be socially distanced.
Elsewhere, there are variations of how the fall theater season will play out. For instance:
Honolulu Theatre for Youth’s season, which kicked off Aug. 9, will be a mix of live performances for school audiences and the public, but will involve flexibility with virtual performances for some productions.
Kumu Kahua Theatre also will mix live with virtual staging. “#Haoleboyfriend” debuts Sept. 14 as a virtual production, along with the second show, “The Kasha of Kaimuki” Oct. 28, but the third event, “The Conversion of Ka‘ahumanu,” will be live, beginning Jan. 20.
The Actors Group opens Aug. 27 with an all-live season at the Brad Powell Theatre at Dole Cannery.
Kennedy Theatre will unveil its first show, “He Leo Aloha,” in the Hawaiian language, in early October, but closes its season with a second part later in the year
Smooth as silk
The Silk Sonic collaboration has a new wrinkle: investments outside of music.
Anderson .Paak, who partners with Bruno Mars as the newest hot vocal duo, has ventured into the world of restaurants.
Californian .Paak has invested into Taisho, a Japanese restaurant, in Sherman Oaks, Calif.
He posted an online photo of himself, with this caption: “The boy done invested his #silksonic money in the best sushi in town! The foodies are calling it ‘BUSSIN!!’ Come see for yourself!
While former Honolulan Mars does not have a stake – not yet, anyway – in a restaurant, he has his own sideline biz: he is one of the owners of Selva Rey Rum.
No arrival date of Silk Sonic’s first album, which already has become sizzling chart-topping singles: “Leave the Door Open” and “Skate.”
Birthday mahalo
Have had an overwhelming round of birthday wishes the past few days, and most notably, some folks can’t perceive my turning 80. Because I’m a Facebooker and also post stuff on my own website, I don’t commonly get to see words of aloha on other sites, so I thank my buddy Loretta Ables Sayre, who shares Instagram and Twitter items about me, like this one from her “South Pacific” co-star on Broadway, Matthew Morrison.
Saw him in the show with Loretta at Lincoln Center, and caught his Hawaii Theatre show before the pandemic shut down everything. And had an opportunity to share my Wild Cards creations with the remarkable Broadway singer-actor. So sharing his communication a few days back. ..
I turned 80 today. You read that right. The Eighty is Weighty Club.
So what if the body aches are constant; that it requires effort to get off the sofa; that the hair, if still there, has whitened. All part of aging.
So what? You have fond memories. Try these on for sighs…an alphabetical compilation of people, places and things, from A to Z, to tingle the memory bell:
Arakawa’s, a Waipahu landmark
A – Arakawa’s. The picturesque department store in the sugar cane town of Waipahu. Its shopping bag, replicating the blue palaka print, was a treasure.
B—Brothers Cazimero. One of the founding members of the renaissance of Hawaiian music. Robert still carries on the tradition of preserving and performing the music; bro Roland has gone on to a heavenly career and presence.
C—Char Hung Sut. Known for its char siu bao and chow fun. Shut down for good. Auwe.
D — Drive-in theaters. Yeah, dating-time destination. Even with those awful audio gizmos you had to hang on the car window.
E—Escalators. Sears Roebuck, on Beretania St., had the first moving stairs.
F—Foodland. When there was only one, well before the advent of Foodland Farms.
G—Gabby Pahihui. The first God of slack key guitar. Think “Hi‘ilawe.”
Israel Kamakawiwo’ole
H—“Hawaii Aloha.” The anthem of choice to close an event, with hands-upon-hands and voices in union. A unifier.
I—Israel Kamakawiwio‘ole, when he was a member of The Makaha Sons of Niihau. Before “Over the Rainbow.”
J—Jack in the box. When it was mostly a toy, with “Jack” jumping out of a music box you cranked.
K—Kress stores. The foremost five-and-dime outlet. Debatable: Was Woolworth’s the dime store fave?
L—Lurline. The flagship that brought visitors from the mainland to Hawaii, when sailing preceded air flights for the wealthy.
M—Movies. With Cinemascope and Surround Sound. And remember 3-D? And movie palaces, like the original Waikiki, Kuhio, and Princess Theatres?
N—“No ka oi.” The useful Hawaiian term to designate “the best.” Worked the; still works today.
O—Olomana. The duo named after a mountain, with pioneering musicians Jerry Santos and Robert Beaumont; the latter died far too early.
P — Phones, with cords and rotary dials; later, in booths, providing Superman a space to change costumes. The booth vanished with the invention of cellular phones.
Q—Queen’s Hospital. When it was a modest facility in pretty much the area where its stellar medical campus is located.
R—Roadshows, movie films with anticipated long runs, with premium, reserved seating, intermissions. Think: “Cleopatra,” “Lawrence of Arabia,” “Bridge Over the River Kwai. Add: powerhouse movies that ran for months, with long lines before mall theaters and stadium seating: “Sound of Music,” “Jaws,” “Star Wars” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”
The “shaka” sign — right on!
S—Shaka. The thumb and pinkie finger that say many things for many moments. The simple definition: “Right on.” Thanks, Lippy Espinda, who popularized the signal.
T—Typewriters. The tool that enabled you to insert paper and spool of ribbon, and learn the rhythm of the keyboard, to “write” your term papers.
U—University of Hawaii. It enabled many of us to get college degrees without trekking to the mainland; its agricultural roots have grown to embrace a medical school and a very healthy travel-industry school.
V—Videotape. The early way to film, tape shows on TV, before the arrival of DVRs and iPhones.
W—Waikiki. Love it or loathe it, there wouldn’t be an industry that welcomes visitors without Waikiki. Think Moana Hotel, the first lodging for tourists on now the fabled Kalakaua Avenue.
X—Xerox machines. Consequently, messy mimeograph devices and carbon paper became outdated.
Y—Yasai man. The peddler-on-wheels who visited communities to sell produce, meat, milk and other needs for daily lives.
Z—Zippy’s. When there was only one, on King Street. Now, there two dozen, with Las Vegas becoming home for Zip-Min, Zip-Pac and fried chicken, too.
Two former locals have new projects – one in film, the other on streaming TV:
Auli‘i Cravalho (“Moana”) and Rowan Blanchard (“Snowpiercer”) will co-star in an untitled Hulu film directed by Sammi Cohen.
The script, by Kirsten King and Casey Rackham, deals with an aspiring artist forced to join her high school track team, enabling the opportunity to proceed with chasing a girl she’s had a longtime crush on. However, she discovers romance with an unexpected teammate, discovering what true love is.
Auli’i Cravalho
Blanchard plays Paige, the artist with a mission to find romance, and Cravalho – a Kamehameha Schools alum — is AJ, an elusive track star living in the shadow of a twin sister…
Ann Harada is part of a mega-star, “Schmigadoon!,” with new episodes premiering every Friday on Apple TV.
Ann Harada
The musical comedy, a parody of and homage to the Golden Are of musicals of the 1940s to the 1950s, is a collaboration of Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio, with tunes composed by Paul. Barry Sonnenfeld is director, Christopher Gattelli is choreographer.
The show centers on a magical town where there’s no shortage of romance, judgment, and secrets. Harada, a Punahou grad, portrays Florence Menlove, whose husband is the Mayor (Alan Cumming), and there’s musical songs, dance and comedy aplenty. The cast features such names as Cecily Strong, Aaron Tveit, Kristin Chenoweth, Keegan Michael Key, Fred Armisen, Jane Krakowski, Martin Short and Dove Cameron ….
Bruno has 3 MTV nominations
Bruno Mars
Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, as the duo Silk Sonic, earned three nominations in the 2021 MTV VMA (Video Music Awards).
Silk Sonic’s smooth “Leave the Door Open” is nominated for Song of the Year, Best R&B, Best Editing. Could wind up with the Song of the Year laurels, since it’s a hot entry and possibly the summer’s best tune.
Justin Bieber tops the nominations with seven nominations, followed by Megan Thee Stallion with six. MTV hands out the trophies Sept. 12 in a live ABC telecast from Brooklyn’s Barclay Center. …
A clarification
Carole Kai Onouye’s Great Aloha Run will be the final one ending at Aloha Stadium in 2022.
The run/walk will continue, in years ahead, with the Ching Stadium at the University of Hawaii as the finish destination, until the Aloha Stadium is ready to welcome back tenants following renovations. When you live in Hawaii, completion dates here are generally tardy. Think rail. …
Hawaii’s Jacob Batalon, who made his filmic debut on the big screen via the reboot of “Spider-Man,” is making a move to the little screen in Syfy’s “Reginald the Vampire.”
Batalon, a graduate of Damien Memorial School, will portray Reginald Baskin, in a 10-episode dramady based on Johnny B. Truant’s “Fat Vampire” novels,” in which Reginald becomes an unlikely hero in a world of beautiful, fit, and vain vampires
Jacob Batalon
He’s faced with challenges galore: a woman he loves but can’t be with, a boss with a bully, and a vampire chieftain who wants him dead.
So natch, he has his own super powers to sustain.
With his co-starring sidekick role with Tom Holland in the ongoing new episodes of “Spider-Man” flicks, Batalon has become a beloved second banana, with his antics and comedic demeanor.
In the Marvel universe, he will appear in the third “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” later this year which follows the earlier “Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) and “Spider-Man: Far From Home” (2019) and also enjoyed spill-over success in “Avengers: Infinity War” (2018) and “Avengers: Endgame” (2019).
And yes, he’s of Filipino heritage, and proud of it. And his pals may not recognize him since he lost 102 pounds before filming “No Way Home.” …
Jason Tam
Locals in off-Broadway play
A couple of Island actors, who are graduates of Punahou School, will be part of the cast of Douglas Carter Beanes‘ “Fairycakes,” set to have its world premiere with previews beginning Oct. 4 at the Greenwich House Theatre in New York. The work is a sendup of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
They are Broadway vets Ann Harada and Jason Tam, graduates of Punahou School. She has starred in “Waitress,” “Cinderella,” “Avenue Q,” “Les Miserables,” and “9 to 5.” His credits include “Les Miserables,” “If/When,” “Be More Chill” and “A Chorus Line.”
In “Fairycakes,” Harada portrays Musterseeds, Tam plays Prince/Cupid.
Beane will direct the show, which borrows characters from other realms, so anticipate Geppeto, Pinocchio, Cinderella, Cobweb, and more, along with Oberon, Titania and Puck. …
Second season blooms for ‘Lotus’
“The White Lotus,” wholly taped last year at the Four Seasons resort during the pandemic on Maui, has rebooked for a return visit, even as the last of six episodes has yet to be screened this coming Sunday.
Producer-director Mike White and his star-studded cast — Murray Bartlett, Connie Britton, Jennifer Coolidge, Alexandra Daddario, Jake Lacy, Natasha Rothwell, Steve Zahn — benefitted by taking over the entire resort to film safely in its own bubble amid the COVID-19 lockdown.
The second season, presumably on HBO and HBO Max, will be ensconced at another imaginery White Lotus property, since the formula worked well when the cast and techies sequestered at the Maui resort. The actual site was not named, nor Hawaii mentioned, but the Pacific destination boasted luau, Hawaiian music, and exotic drinks aplenty.
Obviously, filming within a “domestic” locale — our beloved Hawaii — offers fewer challenges than moving onto a foreign hotel, say, in the Caribbeans or Mexico.
Perhaps the next destination will host suspicious hotel workers, who don’t like visitors, and a congregation of rich and wealthy heading for a resort with more angst and issues to iron out.
The show’s ratings have swelled over each week’s airing, so a renewal was a no-brainer. Lucky for us in the islands that the journey, happily, ends here. Don’t know if in reality, families with internal issues come here to moan and groan, or a lonely and single daughter is so distraught, she cannot proceed with scattering her mother’s ashes in the sea. Fiction with friction?
It might have been beneficial for the show to fuel the revenues of the gurus who count and cheer the dollars spent here, in an industry that has been booming — think overtourism — but a measure of cultural and ethical relevance also should be a yardstick. The hotel crew, as depicted, has been as negative and willful demons in this saga of confused lost souls. Bon voyage and aloha. …
