Category: Show Biz

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A CAZIMERO BENEFIT, A LIFE EXHIBIT

Robert Cazimero’s 76th birthday on March 20 will become part of a celebratory birthday week-long event … and a fundraiser for his Halau Na Kamalei O Lililehua.

His special performances will be from March 19 to 23 at Chef Chai’s on Kapiolani Boulevard, with the usual mix of Hawaiian music, hula and fine dining.

Robert Cazimero: An extended halau benefit at Chai’s, a life exhibit at WCC..

Also in the works: an art exhibit at Gallery ‘Iolani, in the modest gallery next to Paliku Theatre at Windward Community College, which will salute and verify the kumu hula and entertainer’s life achievements and impact in local music and culture. As a recording artist, kumu hula, and nightlife entertainer in venues large and small, he has created – with his brother Roland, in The Brothers Cazimero –a personal and specific brand in island mele and hula. I’m told that there will be a piano on site, which possibly means if Cazimero’s present, he just might burst into a serenade. Watch for the gallery’s Caz viewing dates.

But back to the Chai’s event: Normally, Cazimero would stage a Full Moon Concert once a month, but for his birthday, once is not enough. Hence, the weeklong party. And yes, the champagne will be flowing.

Dinner service is at 5:30 p.m. Chef Chai Chaowasaree’s signature dishes are always featured, comprising an array of appetizers, sumptuous entrees, and savory desserts.

The show begins at 6:30 p.m. and tends to expand beyond the hour-long performance. Usually, Cazimero enlists Sky Perkins Gora and Bully Keola Makaiau to render specific hula. Typically, Cazimero marks his birthday throughout the month of March; since his calendar is chockful of b-day gatherings.

Because the Chai evenings will benefit Cazimero’s halau of singers-dancers, you can expect various gents appearing and joining kumu on the different nights.  The fund-raiser will support, among other things, Na Kamalei’s participation in this year’s Merrie Monarch Festival from April 20 to 26  in Hilo.

Tickets: $159 a person, available at chefchai@outlook.com or (808) 585-0011…

And that’s Show Biz…

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SCORSESE MOB FILM TO SHOOT HERE

A not-yet-titled  Martin Scorsese crime drama, expected to be a $200 million project set in Hawaii, has been involved in a bidding war, with Netflix poised to land the movie.

According to Deadline, high bidders apparently have included Amazon, Apple, Warner Bros. and another unnamed studio, but why not? Besides director Scorsese, the film’s cast boasts Leonardo DiCaprio, Emily Blunt and Hawaii’s Dwayne Johnson.  The story –set in Hawaii of the 1960s and ‘70s — is about a mob boss (Johnson) who battles rival competitors for control of the shady underworld of Hawaii crime.

As Deadline described it, “The thumbnail description: Imagine Robert De Niro’s Jimmy the gent from ‘Goodfellas,’ but as a ruthless Hawaiian crime boss, based on a real figure, who battled encroaching rivals for control of organized crime in Hawaii.”

Martin Scorsese, director, with his mob film actors Leonardo DiCaprio, Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt.

Scorsese has enlisted Nick Bilton, a Vanity Fair journalist  and documentary filmmaker, to write the screenplay. If based on truth, the crime boss has not yet been identified but it’s possible that the character may be fictionized.

The film is targeting a shooting date in 2026 – and if it’s a set-in-Hawaii film, it makes sense it would be shot here, wholly or partially  – but timing will be a critical issue. DiCaprio  is committed to do  Damien Chazelle’s  “Evel Knievel on Tour,” a Paramount biopic on the stuntman, this summer, as well as another Scorsese project, “Devil in the White City” for 20th Century Studios.

The mobster to be portrayed by Johnson was formidable and powerful, who formulated the islands’ most notorious criminal empire, which launched warfare with mainland syndications, while fighting to preserve and fortify his ancestral cultural turf.

Alliances abound among the movers-and-shakers in the looming project. Scorsese and DiCaprio worked recently in their Best Picture nominee, “Killers of the Flower Moon” and earlier pics included “The Aviator,” “The Gangs of New York,” and the “Wolf of Wall Street.” Johnson and Blunt worked opposite each other in “Jungle Cruise” and will team up again in the forthcoming “Smashing Machine.”

The production team will include Scorsese, Johnson, Blunt, DiCaprio, Bilton, Dany Garcia, Lisa Frechette and Rick Yorn…

Season outlook

Lee Cataluna

Manoa Valley Theatre has done the unthinkable; it’s announced — to season ticket subscribers for now — half the production titles in its 2025-26 season.

Three shows are being announced now, to season ticket holders, with the final three TBA when the full slate is unveiled, The teasers: one is a local-style comedy by Lee Cataluna, popular in earlier stagings at Kumu Kahua, but the first time at MVT. A major musical will make its Hawaii debut at Manoa, and the third entry is a satire that played on Broadway last year.

Over at Diamond Head Theatre, there’s no leak or pre-announcements of its 2025-26 slate. There will be an invitational unveiling, March 2, with snippets of the future shared in a brief announcement program….

And that’s Show Biz…

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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.

Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars make “California Dreamin'” click.

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).

Janel Parrish

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…

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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.

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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…

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CALLAS SAGA MASTERFUL, CLASSY


Diamond Head Theatre’s “Master Class” — a Terrence McNally comedy-drama about real-life diva Maria Callas instructing operatic singers on the how’s and why’s of delivering an aria — is both masterful and classy.

Though it features music, it is not a musical. Though it is occasionally hilarious, it is not a comedy per se.  What it is, is a drama reimagining and reenacting Callas, the famed and often feared opera legend, as she conducts classes for two wanna-be opera sopranos and one tenor. It’s instructive, illuminating and inspirational.

Director Bryce Chaddick stages the one-set show in front of  a luxurious curved, 11-panel spectacle of warm wood (a splendid creation by set designer Randy Tandal), with lighting designed by Dawn Oshima (right and bright).  Midway through the production, the stage becomes La Scala, thanks to a vintage projection of the tiered seating. It’s a stunning high point of staging magic produced by a team of theatrical artists.

The acting is wonderful, too. Amy K. Sullivan is superb as Callas; she delivers her lines as monologues that reel off like conversations. You can envision the diva in action: chatty, charming and challenging her students to strive, drive and arrive at her level of expectation. She roars like a lion, often demeaning but not vicious. She has plenty of thoughts, one of the memorable being her stern advice: “You don’t have a look. You look very nice, I’m sure you are. You look very clean, very comme il faut (proper in etiquette and behavior) but you don’t have a look. Get one, as quickly as possible.

Amy K. Sullivan, in pantsuit, is Maria Callas, and Anna Young is the overdressed Sharon Graham, in “Master Class.” David Young, at the grand piano, is Manny Weinstock. Photo Brandon Miyagi, courtesy DHT.

Her look is alternately proper and demanding, soldiering through the sessions seeking hope and brilliance from her students, finding just a skosh of the kind of talent she once was. Ya don’t find pearls in all the oysters you seek.

Georgine Stark is Sophie de Palma, the first soprano;  she is fearful, gritty, but inexperienced, so eager to learn.

Anna Young is Sharon Graham, the second soprano; she is ambitious, somewhat thick-skinned, and overdressed in a gown that reflects obvious innocence. Callas promptly tells her, “Don’t wear anything like that before midnight at the earliest, and certainly not to class.”

Kasey Nahlovksy is Anthony “Tony” Candolini, the tenor; he has an obvious ego, occasionally begging for Callas’ thunderous responses, but he nonetheless delivers a solid voice.

David Young is Emmanuel “Manny” Weinstock, the accompanist who has worked with Callas before, endures the sass from Callas; and the aforementioned Tandal is the stagehand, who is commanded to bring Callas water, footstool and a cushion, fetching stuff like a trained pet.

Sullivan as Callas, gestures toYoung, as Sharon. Brandon Miyagi photo.

What to look for:

  • Callas’ inherent pride of conquest with her students, but with a veneer of vulnerability. She is somewhat a monstrous leading lady, now reduced to instructional icon, but she retains her glorious past. In one instance, he remembers, fittingly, that she was at the top of her form, thanks to her vocal cords. “That’s who I am; this voice,” she bellows, and yup, her voice defined her fame.
  • Her propriety and her ways of the past: in her initial appearance in the audition hall at Juilliard, she “shushes” the spectators – the live audience in the theater, and thus the audience witnessing her theatrics – to halt applause and hoots of her past fame.
  • That jewel of a stage design – simply perfection – is the basic background for the diva and her students. A circular magnifying glass adorns one sector of the stage; two curtains drop, separating on-stage action, and are part of the savvy, clean, and effective staging.

What to listen for:

  • The arias featured in the instructional moments: Sophie’s number is “Oh! Se Una Volta Sola…Ah! Non Credea Mirarti,” from Bellini’s “La Sonnambula;”  Sharon’s selection is “Nel Di Della Vittoria…Vieni! T’Affretta!” from Verdi’s “MacBeth;” and Tony’s tune is “Recondita Armonia,” from Puccini’s “Tosca.”
  • Though Calla’s voice is dormant as the resident master, her recorded voice onstage is heard in that splendid moment where she recalls she’s delivering an aria in the projected concert hall as she mimics The Moment. The applause is warranted.

What/who to cheer:

  • Other triumphs among the technical crew – costume design by Kanani Sato (bravo, for Callas’ pants-and-top garb, accented by a lengthy scarf); sound design by Mike Minor (clear, and on point), props design by Kyle Conner (stark, simple, comprising a desk and a chair), hair and make-up design by Mia Yoshimoto (suitable for the era of the ‘70s, but looks like now).
  • The one-man “orchestra:” Young, the aforementioned pianist, who provides class-worthy accompaniment and supportive opening comments about Callas’ conduct and expectations.

Further notations:

  • I saw the original “Master Class,” staged at the Golden Theatre in 1995, and the play won 1996 Tony Awards, including Zoe Caldwell ( Best Actress in a play, for her portrayal of Maria Callas) and  Audra McDonald (Best Featured Actress, enacting  Sharon) and McNally scored the Best Play trophy.
  • The plot is said to include antics of other divas of the period (Leontyne Price, Renata Scotto, and even possibly Joan Sutherland) and also features segments mentioning Aristotle Onassis, with whom Callas actually had an affair, but he moved on to Jackie Kennedy.

Curiously, “Master Class” goes down in history as a portrait of an operatic diva, whose luminous life and times included master-classing,  who chats about singing, focuses on the art of singing, but doesn’t perform  a single live note herself in this vehicle…

And that’s Show Biz…

‘Master Class’

What: A play by Terrence McNally, about Maria Callas and the master classes she headed, staged by Diamond Head Theatre

Showtimes: At 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 4 p.m. Sundays and 3 p.m. Saturdays, through Feb. 9

Tickets: $41 through $68, at www.diamondheadtheatre.com and (808) 733-0274

Running time: 2 hours, 35 minutes, with intermission