Category: Reviews

Ohana Arts, an organization of theater and musical mentors and their students, made the plunge into the Waikiki mainstream last night (July 12), at Blue Note Hawaii at the Outrigger Waikiki resort.

Clearly, there’s a lot of budding talent among the ranks, with about 25 taking the stage to strut their stuff, joined by a cluster of adults. A premium  list of  in-house entertainer-mentors, like Rocky Brown and Kristian Lei (who have enviable credits in legit Broadway musicals), sharing their talent to Mainland and global audiences and now grooming and inspiring homegrown troupers still earning their stripes.

I was curious, about how this group would assemble a cabaret show – a mixed bag of tunes, an uneven level of confidence among the youths – in a venue not generally known for showcasing  local talent seeking their first brush of legitimacy.

Simply, the evening was a work in progress. It was a challenge to fully appreciate a show that doesn’t have a format or a map, like a conventional Broadway musical. Ohana Arts, welcomes challenges and is in the midst of its busiest month  ever. FYI, besides the Blue Note show, it is staging its version of Broadway popular musicials, “Newsies” July 21 at 2 and 7:30 p.m., July 23 at 7:30 p.m., and July 24 at 3 p.m. at the Earle Ernst Lab Theatre at the University of Hawaii, alternately producing “Matilda” on July 22  at 7:30 p.m., July 23 at 3 p.m., and Sunday July 24 at 11 a.m. and 7:30 p. m., at Kennedy Theatre at UH. “Newsies” is nearly sold out. But that’s another story.

As deployed by Ohana Arts, the Blue Note one-nighter reeled off more like a high school talent show, than a cohesive club spectacle,  with one singer followed by another and another and another. The routine swiftly became, well, routine.

However, the core of the evening – the valid talent – was outstanding. Apologies, but I didn’t have road map  (meaning cast list) for this one, so I can’t properly name names of most of the troupers as the charming, enthusiastic emcee, dutifully rattling off a list… from her iPhone.
So it was problematic, for an ignorant spectator, to identify who’s who. The parade had its ups and downs, and the show would have had more impact if it shaped and produced the participants and selections with thematic tweaks. But ambition and pride shined, and since most of the crowd were Ohana Arts families and followers, there were enough cheers and sparks to aid and provide confidence and goodwill to the youngsters.

An evening like this begs for a rousing opening number involving multiple vocalists in a spirited hurrah,  to make us all sit on the edge of our seats  in anticipation. Imagine a youth capable of becoming The Emcee, as in “Cabaret,” and dish up a socko “Wilkommen” opening song. Would have been a howling howdy-do.

In this outing, Jeannine Wong’s (sorry if this isn’t the correct name) “Don’t Rain on My Parade” was a logical  opening song choice, but it was a one-woman parade (not her fault) that needed embellishment perhaps with a few dancers and singers just to perk it up and get noticed.

Mentor and professional singer Kristian Lei’s duet with a dude named Tanner (sorry, missed the surname)“The Prayer” had both Broadway pizzazz and operatic voices. Similarly, Rocky Brown’s (another pro) trio version of “A Million Dreams” from “The Greatest Showman” with Sienna and Janell (spelling?) had precisely the kind of charisma that sizzled, when talent helped sell the tune.

Ryan Sousa, a father of an Ohana pupil, excelled in a close-to-the-finale momentum with a sweet, emotional “Bring Him Home” from “Les Misérables.”

Tanner returned to embrace “Music of the Night,” from “Phantom of the Opera,” to extend  and spin the Broadway wheel, followed by a “Wicked” duet of the iconic “I Have Been Changed” song  by an adult duo whose names I don’t want to screw up, so won’t attempt trying, with a grand finale of “You Will Be Found,” from musical “Dear Evan Hansen,” the signature bandaged arm not required (though it would have been a kick if someone had a faux broken left arm) that finally demonstrated the depth and unifying resources in Ohana Arts.The integrated harmonies, and the vastness of the assembly, were impressive.

The presence of emerging local talent hasn’t gone unnoticed by Blue Note, which is making it possible for non-profits like Ohana Arts to make a pitch for a slot, without the normal rental fees, and Blue Note also enabling public support of monetary kokua on its website. Great win-win for all – for organizations eager to mount a cabaret show. …

And that’s Show Biz. …

Jay Larrin, absent from the concert scene for nearly three years, broke the drought with a rare appearance Saturday night (May 28) at the Hawaii Convention Center.

He may be a bit rusty, but he’s still trustworthy to put on a show, mixing ingredients that have made him an island legend, hauling in a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts earlier this year.

Yes, he’s best known as a singer-composer for a fistful of hit tunes. “The Koolaus Are Sleeping,” and lots more. He’s also a dedicated pianist, capable of hitting those ivories with unashamed power.

He’s truly a conversationalist, turning moments into personal share-a-story sequences that reflect his glorious global vision of a world without hate, an environment linked to the ‘aina, a posture of perpetuating the soul of the islands.

And clearly, he is a poet at the keyboard, whether he’s reciting a poem that throbs in his heart, or singing out – no, shooting out – the grandeur of “The Snows of Mauna Kea,” his awesome signature that brings out the best of his melodic brand.

Nature. Kupuna. Traditions.

These are at the heart of his artistry. And at this one-nighter,  dubbed Na Kupuna Nights, he ended his years of “retirement” freedom, as he uncorked the bottled wine of his wisdom, and purred out the glory that is Hawaii, and in the end, demonstrated that he’s not lost his touch and his brand.

OK, he’s silver-haired now; FYI, he had a haircut prior to this engagement, letting the white hair flow like the snowcaps of his fave mountain. Yep, he’s got a bit of a paunch; like the rest of his aging generation, he moves slowly and cautiously. But he doesn’t disappoint. His memory and manner are sharp. And lord, he’s got a lot on his mind.

He remembers when and how he penned a prologue and an epilogue, to Eddie and Myrna Kamae’s “E Kuu Morning Dew,” and shares the beginning and ending few know about. That’s the poet at work.

He recalls how he was mentored by Pilahi Paki, the resourceful Hawaiian spirit who wrote “Aloha Is,” and worried that she didn’t respond to some minor tweaking he did with her creation, until the late Moe Keale ventured to record the mele that has evolved into a mantra about what aloha stands for.

He confesses he’s long been a fan of Kui Lee and his songwriting skills, and particularly lives by the message of “The Days of My Youth,” which prompted him to honor Lee with a poem.

He reflects on how he wrote “Molokai Lullaby,” as a tribute to Melveen Leed’s birthplace, and one of the most atmospheric “place song” embracing the virtues of the Friendly Isle.

And clearly, his adoration of the islands has fueled his songs. “I Wish You Forever Hawaii”
comes to mind. Emphatically.

Larrin used to run his shows like a piano bar, with his fans and friends listening and watching him at the piano. Over the decades, he’s been serenading in a range of locations, from Castagnola’s to Canlis, from Horatio’s to the Gangplank Lounge of the Moana Surfrider Hotel, and his compositions and camaraderie were always the primary staples.

In the distant past, he concertized in a cozy lounge as well as the main ballroom of the Hawaii Prince Hotel, where he delivered his Christmas melodies and memories, but when the pandemic hit, everything shut down everywhere. A fan at the Convention Center reminded him that he didn’t deliver “Silver Bells” for a couple of Christmases, so he did the tune and invited the audience to chime in, shaking keychains or tingling water glasses with silverware, to briefly celebrate the holidays, belatedly.

He fondly remembers a young Warren Marley, a fellow haole singer-composer-pianist from Idaho, and how they’d hang out, comparing notes, until his buddy’s too-early passing.

He’s haole, too, from Tennessee; he still has somewhat of a Southern drawl, but happily Hawaiian theories and traditions bubble in his heart and soul, and he likely knows more about the islands that have become his home for perhaps four decades.

The event also showcased the energy and enlightenment of NUE – Na ‘Ukulele ‘Ekolu, featuring Bryan Tolentino (tenor ukulele), Halehaku Seabury (baritone ukulele) and Kama Hopkins (bass ukulele).  The three (ekolu) have a splendid repertoire of classic and current Hawaiian, with the trio of different ukes setting off melodic magic.

Kuuipo Kamakahi also was part of the bill, serenading outside the dining room, sharing her Hawaiiana with casual charm. …

And that’s Show Biz. …