YOU GOTTA HAVE HEART!
‘MANOA MARQUEE’ SLATED APRIL 12
“Manoa Marquee,” the Manoa Valley Theatre’s annual fundraising gala, will be held April 12 at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel’s Monarch Room.
A cocktail reception will begin at 5:30 p.m., with dinner and entertainment beginning at 7 p.m.
The event will salute Highgate, the hotel brand, and its Kelly Sanders, who is president of the company’s Hawaii Group, for their support and impact on the arts and their dedication to building stronger communities in Hawaii.
John Valentine, veteran club singer-guitarist who has emerged as mainstage attraction, will be headline the evening’s entertainment.
The Royal Hawaiian Band will provide pre-show music on the hotel’s beachfront Ocean Lawn, with its unparalleled panoramic views of Waikiki and Diamond Head.
Tickets are $10,000, for a table of eight in orchestra, $5,000 for loge seating, and $3,500 for gallery location. Single seats are $450.
Reservations: https://ci.ovationtix.com/35307/production/1225337?performanceId=11573233
Valentine also headlines a MVT Valentine’s Day show tomorrow (Feb. 14). “Be Mine” will feature the versatile trouper, accompanied by the Valentine String Quartet, with featured vocalist Jessica Sands Hoffman. Jessica’s famous father is the “teenage idol” of the past, Tommy Sands.
Tickets are $35 to $51, with a pre-show meet-and-greet with Valentine at $76.
Reservations: https://ci.ovationtix.com/35307/pr/1224020/pe/11569809
Information for both MVT events: (808) 988-6131…
Four-nighter at Blue Note for Tatofi
Josh Tatofi opens a four-night, eight-show engagement this evening (Feb. 13) at Blue Note Hawaii at the Outrigger Reef Hotel.
Showtimes are at 6:30 and 9 p.m. today through Sunday (Feb. 16), with doors opening at 5 and 8:30 p.m. for beverage and food service.
Prime Valentine’s shows are sold out. Tickets for other performances are $65 and $55, available at www.bluenotehawaii.com of (808) 777-4890…
Broadway grosses, for the week ending Feb. 9
“Wicked,” a champion on Broadway and in movie theaters, continues to sit atop the weekly grosses list … as “Gypsy” inches up in the compilation.
The Top 10:
1—”Wicked,” $2.324 million.
2—”The Lion King,” $1.602 million.
3—”Gypsy,” $1.564 million.
4—”Hamilton,” $1.532 million.
5—”Sunset Blvd.,” $1.306 million.
6—”Death Becomes Her,” $1.261 million.
7—”The Outsiders,” $1.234 million.
8—”MJ The Musical,” $1.176 million.
9—”All In: Comedy About Love,” $1.163 million.
10—”Hell’s Kitchen,” $1.077 million.
The complete list, courtesy the Broadway League:
And that’s Show Biz…
SUPERSTAR DUETS THAT CLICK
Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga are superstars alone. So, when they sing together, they’re dynamite.
The occasion was Sunday’s Grammy Awards, held in Los Angeles. Lots of fresh talent, mostly acts that rely on spectacle of troops.
So I was glad that Mars and Gaga earned — and owned — one categorial win during the event. The Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, for their soulful, sensational “Die With a Smile” that hit the charts and playlists last August, and continues to be a sizzler.
Gaga and Mars co-wrote the tune, with further collaboration with Ernst “D’Mile” Emile II and Andrew Watt, with additional input by James Fauntleroy.
So, who got the trophy? Only one was brought to the stage as the award was named, and Gaga clutched it. But worry not, Mars eventually got his own gramophone, too.
And the other Grammy victors were remarkable and refreshing, a few were occasionally wearying. They sing and prance, wail and wiggle with corps and corps of dancers and backup voices, so it’s always a joy when Mars wins a trophy; commonly, it’s him and the Hooligans who can knock the ball out of the park, as they did when they headlined a Super Bowl halftime show.
As superstar soloists, Gaga and Mars are savvy pros; with their own duet magic, performing “California Dreamin’,” the Mamas and the Papas hit from yesteryear. It was a fitting tribute to the victims and first responders of the astonishing Los Angeles wildfires, just two of ’em, focusing on the mission to salute the Californians who, sigh, need to recoil and rebuild their dreams. Methinks the Mars-Gaga dual charmer should be released as a single, and proceeds could further benefit those who lost their home, their memories, their livelihood in the blaze.
And while Mars continues to record duets with other women troupers, like Rose in “APT.,” his personal romantic edge has been diminished. You might have noticed he was dateless, sitting at a table with Gaga and her fiancé, Michael Polansky. Rumor is that Mars and his longtime girlfriend, Jessica Caban, have parted ways. She posted something on social media, which was quickly yanked, and Mars is smartly mum…
Janel Parrish at Blue Note
Janel Parrish, whose career in show biz began in Hawaii and Broadway, is a singer, actress, philanthropist, with triumphs in TV and films, too. She’s making her Blue Note Hawaii debut tomorrow (Feb. 5) and Thursday (Feb. 5).
As a child, she portrayed Little Cosette, in “Les Miserables,” the timeless Broadway musical. She won an audition here to land the role and producers cast her and whisked her to the Great White Way.
As an adult, she was a finalist on both “Dancing with the Stars” and “Masked Singer,” and Janel’s music has been featured in four motion pictures.
She portrayed Mona in TV’s “Pretty Little Liars,” and featured roles in “Bratz”, “Fired Up”, “Celeste & Jess Forever.” Other credits include “Magnum P.I..”“The Bernie Mac Show,” “The O.C.,” “Heroes” and “Hawaii Five-0.”
On stage, she was in national tours of “Les Miz” and “To Kill a Mockingbird”
At Blue Note, she’s putting on her singing hat and showing off her vocal chops.
Show times are at 6:30 and 9 p.m. both days. Doors open at 5 p.m. for the early show and 8 p.m. for the second show, for food and beverage service.
Tickets are $40 to $55, on sale at www.bluenotehawaii.com and (808) 777-4890…
Early Valentine’s show
The Hulaville Rhythm Aces will present an early Valentine’s dinner show, at 6 p.m. Saturday (Feb. 8) at Medici’s at Manoa Marketplace. Showtime will be at 7:30 p.m.
The group includes:
Kelsea Armstrong, vocals.
Joshua Kaye, keyboards
Rocky Holmes, woodwinds
Sonny Silva ,guitars
The dinner precedes and continues through the performance, priced at three levels:
Adults, $72.13.
Students, $51.29 with ID.
Children, $40.84.
Seating is limited, so reservations are suggested at https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/musicatmedicis/5142 …
And that’s Show Biz…
BRIGHT KIDS SECURES ‘GYPSY’ MUSICAL
“Gypsy,’ one of Broadway’s storied musicals, will be the I’m a Bright Kid Foundation’s summer attraction at Paliku Theatre at Windward Community College.
The show, currently in a hit Broadway revival starring Audra McDonald, is a monumental theatrical creation, with book by Arthur Laurents, music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. It is considered the mother of all musicals about mothers. It is a fable loosely based on the memoirs of striptease performer Gypsy Rose Lee, about her mother Rose, who aspires to help her daughters become stars. Clearly, the term “stage mother,” refers to Rose’s unbridled quest to bring the fame and stardom that eluded her to her daughters.
“Gypsy” boasts such legendary hits including “Everything’s Coming Up Roses,” “You Gotta Get a Gimmick,” “Let Me Entertain You,” “Some People” and “Together,” as it glorifies the struggles of seeking the American dream.
Ahnya Chang, who choreographed IABK’s hit musical “Newsies” last year, will direct and choreograph this stage classic. Clarke Bright will be musical director and others on the creative team will be announced later.
The musical will run Aug. 8 to 24, with performances on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Ticket sales will begin June 1, with further details to be announced.
Online auditions begin May 1, with tryouts set for Aug. 9 and 10 at Paliku Theatre.
* * * *
In other news, IABK will again present its cornerstone Summer Musical Theatre Arts Education Program this summer, from June 16 to July 20 at Paliku Theatre. The program provides a supportive environment for students in grades 3 to 12 to gain confidence in performing arts techniques, learn vital teamwork and communication skills.
Registration is under way online at https://imabrightkid.org/summer-program/
The culmination of the program will be a show, “Junie B. Jones Jr.: The Musical,” set for 7 p.m. July 25 and 2 p.m. July 26 and 27.
And that’s Show Biz…
SIGNAGE OF THE (VALENTINE’S) TIME
I had fun creating two Valentine’s signage– expressly for a desk or check-in counter– for a half dozen of my doctors, dentist, and PT guy, to share the joy of the approaching Valentine’s Day on Feb. 14.
I dressed up acrylic photo frames, which were the foundation for the signs. The scheme was to use available holiday items – heart stickers, heart sayings – in bursts of red, pink, and white.
One version featured a sparkling red heart bearing a pink “love you” saying, surrounded by valentines of various hues with seasonal sayings like “be mine” and “Valentine’s Day.” Used a background comprising a variety of smaller hearts.
The other one boasted an oversized red valentine, onto which a funky red-and-black lip cutout is glued with “kiss me” wording. Assorted smaller valentines – displaying timely candy slogans like “hugs,” “you rock,” “#love” and “awesome”—serve as mini billboards befitting Valentine’s Day.
The signs accompanied an array of Valentine’s pins for these health heroes.