Category: Show Biz

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HULA SHOW: HISTORY REPEATING

Something old is new again.

Several generations ago, the Kodak Hula Show was a must-see, must-do freebie attraction for tourists at the amphitheater adjoining the Waikiki Shell. The sponsor for 65 years  (from 1937 to 2002) was Kodak, the film- and camera-making company, which logically presented a mid-day hula attraction for visitors to catch a “Kodak” moment.

Remember, back then, when everyone eager to shoot photos needed a camera, plus film, making Kodak a logical player in this endeavor. When Kodak shut down, so did the hula show.

But nowadays, few tote a camera when taking pictures; an iPhone has become the camera of choice. And a new edition of the milestone hula show is expected to attract a new generation of fans, beginning Feb. 15, at the same amphitheater of the renamed Tom Moffatt Waikiki Shell, staged by the non-profit Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement., in partnership with the City and County of Honolulu.

Hooray, history is repeating itself, and for the better. The show will be staged from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Sundays through Thursdays, with veteran announcer Kimo Kahoano as host. He was the emcee of the original show in its later years.

Producers are CNHA and Roy Tokujo of Hawai‘i Entertainment Productions; Kipe Ebana will co-direct with Nā Kumu Hula  and Merrie Monarch winners Tracie and Keawe Lopes.

The show will embrace traditional and new mele that honor Waikīkī, featuring hula dancers from six award-winning hālau from across the state. And the historic cut-out letters will be returning, too, an update of the photo-moments of yesteryear.

Surely, there will be some fresh faces and newbies amid the cast. Perhaps a couple of recognizable tutu and kupuna types would embellish the roster and find appeal for the visitors. One name that ought to be considered, who brings a lot of personality, vocal dynamics and even humor to the plate, is Karen Keawehawai‘i. Just an opinion, from this corner. …

A touch of Hawaiiana at the Grammys

Island performers Kawika Kahiapo and Bobby Moderow are participating in a Grammys weekend showcase that began yesterday (Feb. 1) and continues today (Feb. 2) and tomorrow (Feb. 3) at Duke’s restaurants in  Southern California.

Kawika Kahiapo and Bobby Moderow

The events are a benefit for the Grammy Museum and TS Restaurants’ Legacy of Aloha. TS Restaurants operates Duke’s in Waikiki and the participating L.A. sites.

Yesterday’s event was at Duke’s Malibu, where Kainani Kahaunaele was guest performer.

Today’s show, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Duke’s Huntington Beach, and tomorrow’s, from 4 to 6 p.m., will be at Duke’s La Jolla.

Entrepreneur Alan Yamamoto organized the gigs…

‘Hamilton’ regains No. 1 slot

“Hamiton,”Lin-Manuel Miranda’s mega-hit, has bounced back to reclaim the No. 1 slot of Broadway grosses. It was a pioneering production that reigned as the enduring and first $1 million dollar attraction, and for a spell, was also a regular $2 million dollar blockbuster.

The Top 10:

1 –”Hamilton,” $1,725 million

2 –“The Lion King,” $1,1701 million

3—“Wicked,” $,163 million

4—”Merrily We Roll Along,” $1,598 million

5—”MJ The Musical,” $1,349 million

6—“Gutenberg! The Musical!,” $1,462 million

 7—“Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” $1,120 million

8—“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” $1,145 million

 9— “Aladdin,” $1,120 million

10—”& Juliet,” $1,058 million

The complete list of grosses, courtesy the Broadway Guild:

And that’s Show Biz…

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SHARI LYNN: ACTING SKILLS, STORYTELLING THRILLS

Vocalist Shari Lynn, whose artistry embraces a wide spectrum of musical styles, shared a mixed bag of gems last night (Jan. 27) at the Paradise Lounge of the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Backed by keyboarder Jim Howard, Shari embraced pop hits (The Beatles’ “In My Life” and Mary Hopkins’ “Those Were the Days”), bluesy ballads (Robert Flack’s “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”), a parody (Steven Sondheim’s “The Boy From,” with Hispanic hilarity) infusing her acting skills and storytelling thrill in the process.

 Natch, there were selections from the Great American Songbook and Broadway ditties. Alas, this was her closing night, as the Hilton is terminating its jazz-flavored format  in favor of relaunching Hawaiian music in the venue. An ending means a new beginning; Shari anticipates returning March 2 to Medici’s at Manoa Marketplace, with Howard and bassist John Kolivas.  Wherever she goes, her flock follow.

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JAZZ FORMAT ENDING AT HILTON

Singer Shari Lynn and her pianist companion Jim Howard launched a Saturday jazz format last year at the Hilton Hawaiian Village’s Paradise Lounge located in the hotel’s Rainbow Tower.

But all that jazz will come to an end this weekend, but appropriately, Shari (pictured below) and Jim will bring down the proverbial curtain this Saturday night (Jan. 27), since the hotel is changing to a Hawaiian format in the space in February.

In a town with many jazz stylists – vocalists and instrumentalists – but not enough jazz venues, it’s a shame. Hilton’s plan to resume Hawaiian music in the Paradise Lounge beginning February is not a bad tradeoff, since Waikiki hotels should offer island music, too. But the hotel doesn’t adequately promote the acts in this hide-away locale, so it’s rough going here.

The Paradise, clearly, is not so paradise-y, in that it is unabashedly a pass-through-corridor for visitors going to or coming from dinner. I’ve been there earlier when some walkers actually cross right in front of the performers. Further, the space has only a few seats where viewers can see the entertainers; two large pillars, which obviously help hold up the tower of hotel rooms, suggest that singers and listeners were not the intended tenants in the zone.

Word-of-mouth advertising – you know, the coconut wireless – has kept the club operational, with rotating jazz stylists like Ginai, Rachel Gonzales, Bruce Hamada, and  Tommy James on Saturday nights. Even vacationing warblers like Mary Gutzi has added credence and joy to the menu.

Jan Brenner has been the agent juggling the acts for gigs in the club for the past year. She’s looking for a possible jazz nook elsewhere. Meantime, Shari will set anchor at Medici’s at the Manoa  Marketplace, likely on March 2, with hopes of a once-a-month residency. Bassist John Kolivas will join Shari and Jim at Medici’s…

Pre-Grammy events at Kani Ka Pila Grille

Mahina Mele, a musical series from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (Jan. 25, 26 and 27) at Kani Ka Pila Grille at the Outrigger Reef Hotel, will be a preview of the forthcoming Grammy Week event in Los Angeles.

Ho’okena’s Horace Dudoit III, Glen H.K. Smith and Chris Kamaka, left, and Jeff Peterson, right.

The slate:

  • Thursday, Kawika Kahiapo and Kainani Kahaunaele.
  • Friday, Kahiau Lam Ho with Kala’e and Kalena Parish.
  • Saturday, previous Grammy nominees Ho‘okena with Jeff Peterson.

Pruden celebration of life is set

That earlier-announced celebration of life event for the late actress, Jo Pruden (pictured right) will be held at 2 p.m. Feb. 18 at Manoa Valley Theatre. The beloved actress, often known as “The First Lady of Hawaii Theater,” died Jan. 10 at her Mililani home following a long illness. She was 84.

Her husband, Jip Pruden, is creating a commemorative T-shirt featuring a Corky Trinidad cartoon of Jo, with proceeds to be shared by MVT and TAG (The Actors Group), where Jo did most of her late-in-life acting and Readers Theatre performances…

Samson service will be private

According to folks in the know, the family of the late Kit Samson (pictured), the versatile and likeable leader of the Sound Advice group, indicate that the service will be small and private, restricted to family. It was unknown, if the service has already been held, or coming up shortly.

Samson , who was 89, led his show and dance combo for nearly a quarter of a century at the original Kahala Hilton, and helped put the posh resort on the map, the first outside of the traditional Waikiki tourism zone. His keyboard dynamics and low-profile personality, coupled with Danny Kaleikini starring at the next-door Hala Terrace, made for a dynamic combo.

His first gig was at the Waikiki Biltmore, run by his family, which was eventually developed into the Hyatt Regency Waikiki by Chris Hemmeter on  prime Waikiki real estate. Samson moved to the Kahala resort , which was to become the hub for vacationing notables and continues to attract celebrities now.

Because Samson and his Sound Advice were anchored in the Maile Lounge, which had to be accessed to get to the fabled Maile Restaurant, the music quickly became a passport and passageway to the restaurant. With his vast repertoire and  ability to recognize a “name” walking through the corridors, Samson commonly played a theme song associated with the star.

The Sound Advice originally featured  Anna Lea, who was  followed by Connie Kissinger, though numerous female vocalists had the privilege to chirp in  his spotlight.

Samson became fast friends with another poet of the piano, Roger Williams, of “Autumn Leaves” success, who visited Samson at his Kahala home and autographed Kit’s piano, and Burt Bacharach, the composer of numerous hit songs, who obliged to man the keyboards one night…

‘Lion’ again is king of the Broadway jungle

“The Lion King” is back where it used to be, ruling over the Broadway jungle. Missing from the Top Ten: “Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street.” Eking in a slot: “& Juliet.”

Here’s the Top Ten grosses, for the week ending Jan. 21:

1 – “The Lion King,” $1,813 million.

2—“Hamilton,” $1,762 million.

3–“Wicked,” $1,695 million.

4—”Merrily We Roll Along,” $1,688 million.

5 –“MJ The Musical,” $1,436 million.

6—”Gutenberg! The Musical!,” $1,163 million.

7—”Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” $1,076 million.

8 – “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” $1,074 million.

9—” Aladdin,” $1,051 million.

10—”& Juliet,” $974 million.

The full list of shows and grosses, courtesy The Broadway League:

And that’s Show Biz …

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MVT CAST FOR ‘DEAR EVAN HANSEN’

Darian Keanu Ruiz Aquino will portray the title character in “Dear Evan Hansen,” which opens March 7 in its Hawaii premiere at Manoa Valley Theatre.

The Broadway musical, with tunes and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (with book by Steven Levenson), will be directed by Rob Duval. It will run through March 24, and a holdover is likely.

Ben Platt originated the Evan Hansen role in 2016 and topped the cast for four years thus becoming a bona fide Broadway luminary, earning him a Tony Award for Best Actor and enabling him to move into films, television, the recording industry and since has starred in other plays on the Great White Way.

“Dear Evan Hansen” was nominated for nine Tony Awards and won six trophies, for Best Musical, Best Book, Best Score, Best Orchestration, Best Actor and Best Featured Actress (Rachel Bay Jones).

The show explores such life issues as bullying (Evan has social anxieties and depression), and suicide (Connor Murphy, a high school classmate of Evan who feels like a social outcast lacking friends, who takes his own life). Social media also triggers cynicism and fake emails, creating tension challenging trust.

Platt also starred in the film version in a 2021 film version, but the venture was sidelined due to a backlash of criticism that Platt, by then, was too old to play a high school student.

Aquino (pictured) may be remembered for his role in “Be More Chill,” another youth-oriented show at MVT. “Evan Hansen” castmates  include Vanessa Manuel-Mazzullo (Heidi Hansen), Ayzhia Tadeo (Zoe Murphy), Presley Wheeler (Connor Murphy), Shane Nishimura (Jared Kleinman) David Weaver (Larry Murphy), Susan Hawes (Cynthia Murphy), and Jenelle Wong (Alana Black). The ensemble includes Pono Lundell, Alana Clayson, David Hurley and Jasmine Haley Anderson).

Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and at 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Tickets: $26 to $48, on sale at www.manoavalleytheatre.co or (808) 988-6131. …

‘Sweeney Todd’ No. 1, for week ending Jan. 14

There’s a new king on Broadway – and he’s a demon and a murderer. For the first time, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” has joined the $2 million club, toppling the reign of “The Lion King.”
The Top 10 grosses, for the week ending Jan. 14:
1—”Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” $2.111 million.
2– “The Lion King,” $1,918 million.
3 – “Hamilton,” $1,901 million.
4 – “Merrily We Roll Along,” $1,834 million.
5— “Wicked,” $1,757 million.
6 –” MJ The Musical,” $1,401 million.
7—”Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” $1,387 million.
8 – “Back To The Future: The Musical,” $1.218 milion.
9 – “Gutenberg! The Musical!,” $1,208 million.
10—“Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” $1,171 million.
The full list, courtesy the Broadway League:

And that’s Show Biz…

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‘FIRST LADY OF STAGE’ JO PRUDEN DIES

Jo Pruden, often regarded as “The First Lady of Hawaii Theater” for her astonishing and admirable stage performances here, died Jan. 10 at her Mililani home following a long illness. She was 84.

She suffered a stroke in 2021 but was well enough to perform – alongside her husband Jip Pruden —  in “Love Letters” in December 2023, at the Brad Powell Theatre at The Actors Group in Iwilei.

It was to be her final appearance in a string of more than 100 shows in a brilliant career spanning 55 years of stagecraft magic.

Jo and husband Jip arrived in Hawaii in October, 1967 and by February, 1968, she was playing the lead in “Send Me No Flowers” at the Little Theatre at Schofield Barracks, a humble beginning of greatness to come.

“I have only praise for Jo’s consummate talent as an actor as many would agree,” said Vanita Rae Smith, a prominent director-producer here and a theatrical colleague of Jo for more than five decades. “She was always in tune with the heart and soul of each character.

“Together, we’ve done over a hundred events, stage productions. Readers Theatre and 30 Schofield Barracks 4th of July Spectacular.

“We performed in Germany, Belgium, Sacramento, CA and Charlotte, NC. We worked together each day for 13 years at Richardson Theatre (at Fort Shafter) where she managed my Army Community Theatre box office. I celebrate my best friends and ohana, Jo and Jip Pruden for 55 wonderful years.”

Indeed, Jo had a wonderful life, sharing her skills in her beloved theatrical life. Her credits and accomplishments were bountiful, beautiful and broad:

  • She amassed 18  Po’okela Awards, for perfomance excellence, from the Hawaii State Theatre Council.
  • She was honored in 2007 with HSTC’s Pierre Bowman Lifetime Achievement Award, which spawned a memorable acceptance quote she borrowed a line from “Love Letters,” “If acting is your passion don’t you dare stop doing it for the rest of your life.”
  • She was a notable isle talent on filmed-in-Hawaii CBS network television, logging 10 performances on “Hawaii Five-O” and five on “Magnum P.I.,” original versions shot here.
  • She inhabited 48 Readers Theatre shows at  Army Community Theatre, and after the ACT terminated stage events,  joined numerous  readings at the Pohai Nani retirement residence in Kaneohe, then four more plays at TAG when the series relocated town side of the Koolaus.
  • She did a tour of U.S. Army installations, doing shows in Germany and Belgium.
  • She worked for TV Guide here, but retired to manage the ACT box office, where Smith was manager and producer who oversaw a range of entertainment events .With her alliance with the Army theater and a compadre of Smith, Jo also had another gig — narrating 25 ceremonies of the Army’s annual 4th of July hoopla for 25 years at Schofield.

Jip and Jo Pruden, at her 2023 birthday dinner.

Shari Lynn Acebedo, longtime friend, recalled Jo’s first trip to New York City with her in 2010, with subsequent treks in 2013, 2015 and 2017. “Brad Powell and Brother Gary were there at the same time,” Shari recalled about the first trip, “and we were able to share some great times. “She hadn’t been to NYC until I suggested that we go. Here eyes were as big as saucers as we strolled down Broadway. Unbridled happiness! We loved to shop, see shows and eat. “

Jo was born and raised in Enterprise, Alabama, and her hometown name possibly inspired her enterprising acting career. She majored in Theater Arts at the University of Montevllo.

Jo’s tenure as a queen of drama embraced a swirl of community endeavors, at theaters large and small, on stages such as Army Community Theatre, Manoa Valley Theatre and its predecessor, Hawaii Performing Arts Company;  Diamond Head Theatre, and its predecessor, Honolulu Community Theatre; Kennedy Theatre, at the University of Hawaii, Windward Theatre Guild, Hawaii Theatre, Hawaii Pacific University Theatre, The Actors Group, Starving Artists Theater Company, Oumansky Magic Ring Theatre, at the Hilton Hawaiian Village; and several more.

A short list of her formidable credits include “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf,” “Agnes of God,” “Picnic,” “Driving Miss Daisy,” “Cat on a Hot Tin Wolf,” “King Lear,” “The Trip to Bountiful,” “Doubt,” “August: Osage Country,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “The American Dream,” “Nine,” “The Cripple of Inishmaan,” “Music Man,” and “Mame.”Besides her husband of 56 years, Jo is survived by  a sister, Jayne Pleasants, of Clayton, Georgia.

There will be no funeral service, but a celebration of life event is being planned for the afternoon of Feb. 18, specifics not yet known,  at Manoa Valley Theatre….

Personalities

Iam Tongi, Hawaii’s first “American Idol” winner, is on the ballot for a People’s Choice Award.

He is vying, along with TV competition candidates, several from “RuPaul’s Drag Show,” plus candidates from “Dancing With the Stars,” “The Bachelorettes,” “The Golden Bachelor” and “That’s My Jam.”

Winners will be revealed on an NBC special, at 8 p.m. ET Feb. 18…

Vocalist Shari Lynn and keyboarder Jim Howard return to the Paradise Lounge of the Hilton Hawaiian Village, from 7 to 10 p.m. Jan. 13 and Jan. 27, part of her twice-a-month arrangement with the jazz club…

Broadway grosses, week ending jan. 7

All hail the king. Disney’s “The Lion King” roared to the top of the Broadway list, one of only two other shows on the elite $2 Million club.

The week’s Top 10 shows:

1 – “The Lion King,” $2,444 million.

2—“ Wicked,” “2,124 million.

3 – “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” $2,037 million.

4 – “ Hamilton,” $1,968 million.

5 – “Merrily We Roll Along,” $1,785 million.

6 – “ Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” 1,708 million.

7 – “ Aladdin,” $1,617 million.

8 – “MJ The Musical,”$1,569 million.”

9 – “Back To The Future: The Musical,”$1,374 million.

10 – “Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” $1,335 million.

The complete list, courtesy The Broadway League:

And that’s Show Biz. …