Category: Show Biz

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IT’S ‘WET SIDE STORY’ AT DHT

“West Side Story,” which was to open Friday night (March 13) at Diamond Head Theatre, will not happen even it is an audience sell-out. Because of the lingering stormy weather, the governor has shut down all educational facilities.

Though DHT is not under  the governor’s jurisdiction, the Kapiolani Community College is and its parking lot across the theater will be shuttered, said DHT executive director Trevor Tamashiro. The theater patrons need KCC’s parking spaces, which will not be available.

Trevor Tamashiro

“We just got the notice earlier at 1 p.m., and we have crews trying to inform folks that the show on the 13 is not happening,” said Tamashiro.

Further, Saturday’s (March 14) show – also sold out — also likely will not happen, due to the weather.

A Sunday (March 15) matinee could be open, but it’s subject to the rain.

Curiously, these early March shows, were supposed to be pre-opening “extension” dates.

“The opening night still will be on March 20,” said Tamashiro.

“West Side Story,” often considered one of the world’s most powerful, poignant and enduing love story, has survived a storied past. Surely, it will weather the wet days and nights we’ve been having  earlier this week.

Based on William Shakespeare’s fabled “Romeo and Juliet,”  the DHT show is scheduled extended through April 9, which includes add-on playdates. But with the closures this week, make-up performances are expected to fulfill a five-week run.

The tale tracks the star-crossed young lovers, who are caught in the crossfires of two feuding “sides,” with nowhere to go but a tragic finale.

In the retelling on stage, “West Side Story” is set in the Upper West Side of New York of the 1950s, where street gang racial violence pit the white teens of New York against the Puerto Rican Sharks–

Like Romeo and Juliet, Tony and Maria are caught in the web and theme of trouble-seeking West Side youths provoking gang violence. The couple, from both side of the tracks,  innocently become victims in warfare not of their making.

The music is by Leonard Bernstein, with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, whose melodies pump up the love and hatred and the original choreography and direction by Jerome Robbins propelled the show into a bona fide triumph of devastation, loss and unabashed tragedy. The book is by Arthur Laurents.

The original Broadway production had the eminent award-winning director Hal Prince as one of the producers overseeing the show.

Locally, Andrew Sakaguchi is directing and choreographing the DHT vehicle, with Jason Nomura as musical director.

The cast is comprised of Damian Chambers (Tony), Relle Revis (Maria), Jonah Guerrero (Action, Tony Alternate), Emi Sampson (Anita), Mike Braud (Riff), Dwayne Sakaguchi (Bernardo), Karsyn Wentzell (Big Deal), Alex Miller (Snow Boy), James Lauer (Diesel), Tai Malalis (A-Rab), Owen Gaillard (Baby John), Colton Cameros (Guitar), Chandler Converse (Anybodys), Salote Vahai (Graziella), Brittany Lewis (Velma), Anneliese Wirsching (Minnie), Justin Garde (Chino), Sammy Houghtailing (Anxious), Tino Nozaki (Indio), Saea Hikila (Pepe), Paul Garcia (Luis), Trent Yamagata (Toro), Kirra Baughn (Teresita), Caris Leong (Francisca), Pualalea Slover (Consuela), Rain Young (Estella), KC Ann Olivas (Rosalia), Ken Roberts (Shrank), Brandon Yim (Glad Hand), Ioani Camacho (Krupke), Joe Martyak (Doc), Kalani Hicks (Shrank Cover), and Jasmine Weldon (Swing).

The technical crew is headed by Deanne Kenndy (set designer), Stephen Clear (lighting designer), Emily Lane (costume designer), Michael Minor and La Fa’amausili-Siliato (sound designers), Kyle Conner (props designer), and Aiko Schick (hair and make-up designer).

If you have tickets for performances that have been canceled, call the box office at (808) 733-0274. Regular hours of operation are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and on weekends during production days…

And that’s Show Biz…

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ONCE MORE FOR KEVIN’S ‘ONE’

OK, the cat’s out of the bag. So to speak.

Singer Kevin I. released today – Valentine’s Day, his birthday – a new studio version of his early, early yesteryear hit, “One in Love.”

The timing is essential here. Kevin earlier updated his beloved catalogue of music which had been on the shelf for four decades, and his “My Continuum” EP was released last February. It found a receptive audience that adored his romantic sound.

I wondered out loud to him: “Too bad you couldn’t release it on Valentine’s Day, to celebrate your birthday.”

Kevin I.

Interestingly, his recordings intersect with his life. No other singer I know jump-starts a career 40 years after turning off the mike; however, Kevin’s journey has had a marvelous turnaround. His vintage melodies caught the ears and hearts of Spotify fans, who discovered this retired vocalist who still had limited love songs in stock. Kevin always focused on romantic tunes, since he’s got the voice to deliver ‘em, and that’s what connects with his audience.

His newest update is “One in Love,” is a melody he performed at the Tokyo Music Festival years ago, earning the Grand Prize laurels. So something old is new again.

He’s chatted about this tune, I’ve written about it, so his fan base is no stranger to his work.

“This song has always been deeply special to me. It validated me professionally, solidified my reputation as a vocalist, and honestly changed the course of my life. Fast forward to today, and Lance Jyo stepped way outside his comfort zone by producing a song he didn’t compose.”

Kevin’s big on yesteryear tunes; his collection of ‘80s songs triggered a new life and fueled a base of loyalists who want more.

“One in Love” is the ideal Valentine’s Day tune, so its release today globally is timely marketing. It has a past, but certainly will enjoy a new future, too.

I commend Kevin’s decision to finally open up his well-oiled pipes – his voice, silly – and go into the studio to update “One in Love,” which has uncharted magic and potential to connect with those who’ve been streaming his music. To his current fan base, this is a new, fresh  commodity.

Kevin knows his way around a love song; he enhances lyrics, adding his own warmth and vibes. In this particular case, he’s caressing and embracing an old friend from the past. He’s wanted to give “One in Life” new life, so yep, he can finally check this one  off his bucket list.

He’s had a grand career in the business community, and is not likely to return to live singing. (I could be wrong! But he’s not likely to go live)…

And that’s Show Biz…

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‘HI’IAKA’ LOOMS BIG; TRYOUTS SET

The legendary tale of Hi‘iaka, historically part of the Hawaiian oral tradition and notably passed on from generation to generation through song and dance, has been honed and developed as an eventual spectacle on Broadway. It’s been on the burner since 2019, and final auditions are ahead to cast the production.

The spectacle is due to debut on Broadway this October, with details still forthcoming.

 The Hawaiian story has all the epic elements of high drama, based on the goddess Hi‘iaka – full name, Hi‘iakaikapoliopele – whose quest is to find her sister Pele’s dream lover, restore him to life, and deliver him safely to Pele, the volcano goddess at her crater home on the Big Island. With Pele among the characters, there should be some explosive eruptions of sorts.

Of course, it is not a simple journey filled with ordeals and dangers, but one very much alive with a  very human retelling of love and lust, with challenges of jealousy and justice,  with deities and chiefs, commoners and demons, and  a potential fall out of the two sisters.

Michael Jackowitz

Essentially, the story is about two goddesses, who happen to be sisters, and thus boasts grandeur as well as grace. It is storytelling with cultural impact, with collaborative input by the legendary stage and film visionary Stephen Schwartz (“Wicked,” “Godspell,” “Pippin,” “Children of Eden,” “The Prince of Egypt”), Broadway guidance by stage producer Michael Jackowitz {“How To Succeed in Business Without ReallyTrying,” “tick, tick, Booml”) and stalwart Hawaiians Roslyn Catracchio (music and lyrics) and Patrick Makuakane (choregraphy, music and lyrics). Keali’i Reichel (multi Na Hoku Hanahano Award winner, recording artist and kumu hula) was an advisor in preliminary development of the show, along with Schwartz).

The production, earlier utilzing the title “Hi’iaka,” now boasts a formal new name, “The Epic Tale of Hi‘iaka: A New Hawaiian Musical.” The operative word is “Hawaiian.” The story will be told – with a roster of vivid and atmospheric Hawaiian songs, dances, and chants – and performed by a cast of Hawaiian artists on both sides of the limelight.

Roslyn Catracchia

Once cast. “Hi’iaka” will loom as a mammoth cultural spectacle with pulsating and harmonizing vocals rendered in traditional Hawaiian, with choreography and costuming unlike anything ever seen and heard on the Great White Way.

Applicants should designate voice range and roles sought; audition documents and head shots must be submitted by Feb. 15, with call backs to follow. Email applications to  castinghiiaka@gmail.com

The creative team boasts remarkable star-studded notables:

  • Book, Music and Lyrics: Roslyn Catracchia and Patrick Makuakane.
  • Original Story: Ho’oulumahiehie.
  • Hawaiian Consultant: Puakea Nogelmeier.
  • Stage Director: Scott Schwartz.
  • Choreographer: Patrick Makuakane.
Patrick Makuakane
  • Scenic Designer: Kevin Depinet.
  • Costume Designer: Manaola.
  • Music Supervisor: Brad Haak.
  • Orchestrations and Instrumental Track Production:  David Kauahikaua.
  • Hawaiian Music Advisor: Shawn Pimental.
  • Musical Arrangements:  David Kauahikaua and Brad Haak.
  • Producers: Michael Jackowitz for WitzEnd Productions and Kuhio Lewis for Hawaiian Council.
  • Associate Director: Melanie Lockyer.
  • Associate Choreographer: Christine Yasunaga.
  • Costume Coordinator: Maile Speetjens.
  • Preliminary Artwork: Solomon Enos.
  • Keyart by Mance Creative for Rubicon Theatre Company.
  • State of Hawaii Tourism/Creative Industries Division Consultant: Georja Skinner.
  • Marketing:  NMG Networks.
  • PR Consultant: Adrian Kamali‘i.
  • Casting Director: Aubrey Lee Staley
  • Advisors During Development: Keali’i Reichel and Stephen Schwartz.

Footnotes:

Prolific author: Ho‘oulumāhiehie, credited as original story writer, was a prolific Hawaiian (The Epic Tale of Hi‘iakaikapoliopele), which ran in the newspaper Ka Na‘i Aupuni in 1905–1906. His 500-page narrative is renowned for containing 375 chants, and vivid portrayal of the goddess Pele and the scholar and author was best known for chronicling the epic saga Ka Mo‘olelo o Hi‘iakaikapoliopeler, sister Hi‘iaka.

Stephen Schwartz

Father and Son: Stephen Schwartz (“Wiz” icreaator) is the father of Scott Schwartz. 

Principal roles:

  • Hi’iaka, the youngest of the sisters and the favorite of Pele.
  • Pele, the volcano goddess.
  • Lohiau, chief of Kauai and Pele’s lover.Hopoe, Hi ‘iaka’s best friend.
  • Wahine: Hi ‘ika’s most trusted ally and traveling companion.
  • Kane: God of procreation…

‘Chicago’ returns to Broadway’s Top 10

“Chicago,” one of the longest-running Broadway hits, surged its way to No. 7 this week – a remarkable return to the charts.

“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” continues to be Broadway’s top-grossing play, earning $2.339 million for the week ending Feb. 8.

 “Chicago” landied at No 7.

The Top 10:

1—”Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” $2.339 million

2—”Hamilton,” $1.848 million

3—”Wicked,” $1.596 million

4—”The Lion King,” $1.514 million

5—”Stranger Things: The First Shadow,” $1.400 million

6—”Chess,” $1.379 million

7—”Chicago,” $1.316 million

8—”Just in Time,” $1.314 million

9—”Oedipus,” $1.212 million

10—“Ragtime,” $1.090 million

The complete list, courtesy the Broadway Guild:

And that’s Show Biz…

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‘OUTHOUSE’ BOOK-SIGNING TODAY

Frances Kakugawa, the prolific poet and author known for her literary mouse Wordsworth, concludes her brief island visit today (Feb. 1).

Kakugawa is originally from Kapoho on the Big Island, who was a long-time Honolulan while toiling for the Department Education here before retiring bin Sacramento. She will autograph her latest tome, “The Outhouse Poet,” at 2 p.m. today at Barnes & Nobles at Ala Moana Center.

Frances Kakugawa

“Outhouse” (Watermark Publishing) is her 19th book – but not her last, since her 20thpublication is in the works. Surely, her current volume is a keeper, with its cover shot of an outhouse, and likely the most ingenious book jacket of any season.

Those of a certain vintage, who were raised in the islands amid a rustic landscape minus running water and a flushing toilet, will remember with mixed thoughts the closet-like wooden structure commonly erected somewhere on the property of a country home.  Yes, the outhouse was out there, outside of the home, perhaps with a wee window or none at all, with a key feature: a hole in the ground and likely a copy of the Sears Roebuck catalogue which served the purpose of what now would be Charmin toilet paper.

“The Outhouse Poet” has a subtitle, “Reflections of a Writer,” indicative of the think-tank moments back in the day, when Kakugawa would perhaps nurture a poem, or a thought, that would someday be fodder for a book. There are poems, her specialty, along a chapter on banned books.

Kakugawa will sign copies of her book, and perhaps reflect on Those Days in isolation. While here, she spoke at an Altheimer’s  event at the Elks Club and signed copies of her book at Hilo’s Basically Books where her former first graders from Laupahoehoe School on the Big Island showed up to support their former teacher.

On Saturday (Jan.31) we met up with her at Heavenly at the Koko Marina Center, for a sumptuous  breakfast, which just may wind up as a future destination for more meals and  reflections together…

Santos and Kimokea at The Lounge

Jerry Santos and Kamuela Kimokea will team up for a splendid show from 5 to 7:30 p.m. and from 8 to 10:30 p.m. Feb. 21 at Kapono’s on The Lounge at the Hawaii Kai Shopping Center. The first show was a quick sell-out but eats remain for the nightcap.

Kimokea and Santos: Together again at Kapono’s at The Lounge.

Reservations are $110 for two seats; VIP seats are also available.

I’ve not been in this venue since it became an active night spot. Santos teamed up with Kimokea recently for an evening at the Kahala Resort, and the show included a buffet meal but viewing accommodations were problematic. Best moment at any Santos show: “E Kuu Home O Kahaluu.” And their interplay and harmonies are first-stage.
The Plumeria Beach House is not a proper fit for live music, though it’s also a plus to sit through a Santos show anytime, even if you can’t see him. I went for the music but wound up “reviewing” the buffet — great misoyaki butterfish, too salty choi sum; wonderful salmon-poke salad, bland chicken long rice; yummy haupia dessert, and so on.

Consequently, The Lounge site — tailor-made for live acts — should be a bonanza that simply couldn’t churn up the vibes at the Kahala.

And that’s Show Biz…

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EXHIBIT HONORS CAZIMERO’S LEGACY

Entertainer Robert Uluwehionāpuaikawēkiuokalani Cazimero, for more than 50 years a beacon of Hawaiian music, hula, and an iconic ambassador of island culture, will be the focus of “Ke Kilo Lani,” an exhibition of his artistry and accomplishments in a luminous career unlike any other.

The show will open Jan. 23 from 4 to 7 p.m., and will continue till May 15, at Gallery ‘Iolani, on the campus of Windward Community College. The gallery adjoins the Paliku Theatre in Kaneohe.

Cazimero has established a remarkable legacy in hula, emerging as an award-winning kumu hula and the heartbeat and pulse of Halau Na Kamalei O Lililehua, which last year was judged the overall winner of the annual. Merrie Monarch Festival, an annual event that draws hula groups from all over Hawaii and often out-of-town competitors.

Cazimero said: “I am deeply honored to be the subject of this exhibit. It is both very humbling and awkward at the same time as I never thought about building a lasting legacy while simply living my life. I hope that gallery visitors will learn that my success came from having a little luck, favorable timing, and through the love and support of my family, hālau, and friends. Welcome to ‘Ke Kilo Lani!’”

Robert Cazimero

“Ke Kilo Lani” can be interpreted as one who observes the heavens, or a star-gazer.

The exhibition opens a contemplative window into Cazimero’s extraordinary life work, illuminating how ʻike Hawaiʻi (to understand, or see) is carefully observed, nurtured, and carried forward through time. The displays  reflect a continuum of ancestral wisdom and contemporary expression, revealing how cultural continuity is sustained through disciplined practice, mentorship, and unwavering commitment.

Through archival materials, visual storytelling, and embodied practices, visitors are invited to engage deeply with Cazimero’s body of work. Vintage photos and some artifacts from his livelihood are part of the attraction.

The exhibition emphasizes cultural transference as a living process, shaped by kuleana, mālama, and aloha for future generations.

Robert’s treasured past includes a stint with his late brother Roland in the Sunday Manoa group with Peter Moon, which led to developing their own brand and sound as The Brothers Cazimero, whose vision embraced  recordings of traditional and contemporary Hawaiian tunes, and Na Hoku Hanohano Awards and spin-off community events like May Day extravaganzas and festive Christmas concerts that involved Na Kamalei dancers who also sing, and – for many years, until her passing — the hula and comedy of  “the third brother,” Leinaala Kalama Heine.

Robert perennially pays homage to his kumu, the late Maiki Aiu Lake, for the wisdom and tradition he learned, and since her death he has developed his own imprint over the decades and he now is a role model in the annals of hula.

He’s sharing his talent in his ongoing monthy concerts at Chef Chai on Kapiolani Boulevard.

The Wāhea Foundation is collaborating with Gallery ‘Iolani, in staging the exhibition. Gallery hours are from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. daily except Sundays and holidays. Information: (808) 236-9155, www.gallery.windward.hawaii.edu

And that’s Show Biz…