For this last day of 2024, I’m listing The Waynies Award winners, which salute folks and events that mattered this past year, here and elsewhere.
Many positives, a few negative nudges in this special Show Biz countdown…
1—Cirque du Soleil’s launching of “‘Auana,” its Hawaii-aimed spectacle of nightlife entertainment, surely will be a major attraction at the showroom at the Outrigger Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel. Welcome to the future: It looks and feels like Waikiki’s show spectrum is being rewritten, making the traditional luau show for visitors somewhat obsolete.
2—The Kilohana Hula Show, replicating the long-gone Kodak Hula Show at the same locale at the Tom Moffatt Waikiki Shell, came and went in a blink. Lesson learned: a title sponsor is vital in longevity, if it’s a freebie. (A scaled-down version is at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki).
3—Network TV shows from CBS disappeared (bye, “NCIS: Hawaii” and “Hawaii Five-O” and “Magnum P.I.”) but kudos to Fox, which launched “Rescue: HI-Surf,” even with a few locals in the ensemble. First responders (lifesavers) to the rescue, retiring the procedural crime drama format.
4—Ezekiel Kekuna played Young Simba in Broadway’s “The Lion King,” from late last year till August. Can you feel the love tonight? He did.
5—The best Broadway musical I saw this year was “Merrily We Roll Along,” a Stephen Sondheim original that was a flop in 1934. It became a sell-out sensation, this and last year, even earning a few Tonys, thanks to having Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) in the ranks.
6—I travel to New York usually once a year, via Hawaiian or United because of their earlier direct non-stop routes. But both have had occasional one-stop hops (L.A. via Hawaiian, Houston via United) that extend travel time for those who value no stopovers. Think I may try Delta’s HNL/JFK run in the future. And there’s vigorous buzz that Hawaiian ain’t what it used to be since its merger with Alaska.
7—Merci, Celine Dion. Her contribution to this year’s Summer Olympics –”Hymne À L’Amour,” sung in darkness from the balcony of the Eiffel Tower – resonated to spectators world-wide, earning glowing applause. Hereon out, her future residency, wherever it is, will include the enchanting tune.
8—And now you can’t ignore the pommel horse dude, Stephen Nedoroscik, who earned a bronze medal in the Summer Olympics, but beamed as if it was gold. Got him onto ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars,” where he was a finalist.
9—Unless you saw Manoa Valley Theatre’s “Tenderly,” a musical biography of Rosemary Clooney, you won’t know Jennifer Cleve Sojet, portraying Rosie. She sang every one of the 13 tunes in the production. The entire score!
10—“Aloha Oe” isn’t performed often anymore, but after former Honolulan Ruthie Ann Miles sang it, like no other, on a Memorial Day PBS telecast. Queen Liliuokalani composed it while she was still a princess in the Kingdom of Hawaii. And Miles, a Tony winner, delivered it like a queen.
11—Carpenter Media Group bought the Honolulu Star-Advertiser from Black Press in March, and its publisher Dennis Francis pledged an improved publication with enhanced coverage including new content at the time. Change is slow to come, however, and tapping Journalism 101 wonderment: Who? What? Where? Why? When? The morning paper also cut staff (supposedly 15, including some retirees, some not) without disclosure to the public this fall and the newsroom is virtually kaput, since most reporters work from home. Bad news ways.
12—Comedian Frank DeLima, who staged a Christmas finale at Blue Note Hawaii Dec. 15 at the Outrigger Waikiki Hotel, has retired after a 50-year career doing stand-up. But he’ll do infrequent gigs with his buds Augie T and Andy Bumatai.
13—The best play locally — I’m a Bright Kid Foundation’s musical “Newsies” at Paliku Theatre — was remarkably luminous with a mostly a youthful cast singing and dancing, with an abundance of gleeful energy. The scene stealer was the two-piece, multi-purpose, maxi-moving set designed by DeAnne Kennedy. Our set designer community should deliver this calibre of scenery.
14—Did this year’s election spook you? Donald Trump surprised everyone, didn’t he? Number 47’s sequel will be Trump becoming the oldest of the POTUS, with a cabinet to watch. And that’s no lie.
15—“My Hawaii,” a hit song by The Rascals, historically has been a fave for those who grew up in the 1960s and ‘70s. An updated version, with The Rascals’ Felix Cavaliere and Dolly Parton taking turns soloing and dueting, boasts star power and lots of aloha, in a reboot in mid-October to benefit the Lahaina fire vicitms.
16—Taylor Swift undoubtedly is the world’s No. 1 entertainer, thanks to her Eras Tour that has circled the globe and staged in mammoth stadium venues, which was made into a film special aired on theater screens and utilized as a promo for her tour, which finally ended Dec. 8. She played to 10 million fans and grossed more than $2 billion! A book on the tour is out, too, and surely, a DVD will be released some day, meaning more pocket change for her. And she’s also had a global romance with Travis Kelsey, the tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, and gained appearances from videocam shots in NFL skyboxes.
17—Robert Cazimero perhaps is Hawaii’s busiest trouper – deservedly. He’s a favored kumu hula here and in Japan, where he goes frequently; a monthly attraction at Chef Chai’s; a featured performer among some legendary acts depicted in videos on Hawaiian Airlines.
18– Jack Cione, legendary entrepreneur, died Oct. 2 at 96. From strip show mogul to “Follies” show director-producer at Arcadia, he proved he could make anyone dance with costumed Arcadians lip-lynching to musical classics.
19—Hawaii, or rightfully her Lawai hometown of Kauai, has another local in Kaliko Kauahi, who co-stars as Val on NBC’s comedy hit, “St. Denis Medical.” She surely helps the medicine go down.
20— “Moana” has been a gold mine for Disney, beginning with an early animated TV series, then a big-screen feature, then a movie sequel …all with the voices of Auli‘i Cravalho as Moana and Dwayne Johnson as Maui. A live-action feature is in the works, and a currently running live-actor musical developed expressly for a Disney cruise ship. Question: Is Moana destined to evolve as a Broadway musical, to complete the cycle of life a la “The Lion King”?
21— Jade Stice, a beloved stage actor, died in a hiking accident on June 6, leaving a gaping hole in the lives of her surviving family, in the theatrical spectrum of her stage roles, and in the operations of I’m a Bright Kid Foundation, where she touched the lives of future actors (kids) in a summer program. The heavens must have SRO musicals with her eminence.
22— Emme Tominbang, long-time TV personality who died Feb. 19 at 73, will be remembered for her “Emme Island Moments.” With her archival interviews of hundreds of celebrities over the decades, wonder who has access to these gems.
23—Two historical NFL football games we’ll never forget: The Denver Broncos missed a field goal against the Kansas City Chiefs, handing QB Patrick Mahomes a surprising win, maintaining a 9-0 undefeated sked at the time, and the Washington Commanders’ Jayden Daniels’ Hail Mary pass that landed in the hands of Noah Brown against the Chicago Bears. Pigskin drama doesn’t get better than these unforgettable gems.
24—Speaking of football: who’ll be MVP after this season and who’ll be Super Bowl champs? Last thing first: if luck continues for the Chiefs, Mahomes could make it as a three-peat Super Bowl champ. MVP? We like Josh Allen, QB of the Buffalo Bills, who’s cool, consistent, and confident and fits the MVP bill…and he’s engaged to actress Hailee Steinfeld…
And that’s The Waynies for 2024…
