Category: Show Biz

One down, one more to go.

Destin Daniel Cretton, the Maui director who helmed the Disney/Marvel box office hit, “Shang-Chi: Legend of the Ten Rings,” has another Chinese film as his next assignment.

He has signed on to direct “American Born Chinese,” based on a graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang, which will be a Disney+ vehicle.

“American Born Chinese” explores the challenges of Jin Wang, a teenager conflicted with his immigrant home life and his efforts to fit in with social life at school. The storyline will entangle the lad in battles with legendary Chinese mythological gods.

Cretton will direct and also serve as an executive producer, with Kelvin Yu and Charles Yu adapting the graphic novel for the screen. Kelvin Yu also will be showrunner.

“Reading Kelvin’s riveting adaptation of Gene’s incredible novel had me laughing and crying and jumping out of my chair on every page,” Cretton said in a statement to the Hollywood Reporter. “I feel deeply connected to the characters in this story and the brilliant team bringing it to life. This show is going to be unlike anything we’ve experienced on TV, and I can’t wait for the world to see what we’re cooking up.”

Clearly, Cretton’s follow-up to “Shang-Chi” should boost his profile as a global film-maker and further extend and expand his fame as a Maui-boy-makes-good figure in Hollywood.

The project, from Disney Branded Television, is the first series for Ayo Davis, the division’s new president.

In an announcement of the project, Davis said: “We are delighted to continue our relationship with Melvin Mar and Jake Kasdan and thrilled that Destin Daniel Cretton is set to direct. The team are visionaries in bringing character-driven adventures to life, and we cannot wait for our audience to experience his fantastically memorable and imaginative adaption of the graphic novel. This is a universal story that moves between worlds and explores the impact of culture, identity and acceptance through the lens of adolescence.”…

Oh, and good news for Disney+ viewers who have yet to view “Shang-Chi.” The flick will be available on Disney+, along with a lot of other anticipated content, on Nov. 12. It’s part of the start of a celebration of the streamer’s second anniversary. …

A peculiar Hoku Awards

The 44^th annnual Na Hoku Hanohano Awards will be aired at  7 p.m. today (Oct. 7) on KFVE, with additional virtual coverage on Facebook Live.

But there’s a peculiar element for the winners-to-be. The Hoku Awards show, celebrating achievement in  island music, was taped “live” earlier at the Hawaii Theatre, with nominees, musical acts and the usual “and the award goes to” rhetoric.

But the nominees each had to prepare and tape an acceptance speech, which by now has been inserted into the flow of the show, creating a strange situation. Is it easy or difficult to feign emotions? I suppose this was the most convenient way to handle a challenging mission; this is not network TV, which could stage a show and have an army of handlers contact winners by phone or a Zoom set-up, to get live, at-home reactions. No?

The show will repeat at 7 p.m. Saturday (Oct. 9)  on KGMB and at 7 p.m. Oct. 30 on KHNL.

To the winners, an early congratulation cheer; to the losers, well, you got to practice for a future win. …

And that’s Show Biz. …

The pandemic has sidelined many entertainers, for obvious reasons – many clubs statewide have not been retaining performers largely because patrons have not been plentiful.

But for Brittni Paiva, the 33-year-old Big Island ukulele whiz, the past two years –embracing the coronavirus lockdowns — have had a profound impact in her life..

In a Facebook post, Paiva revealed her triumph amid challenges.

“In a little over two years, I went from alcoholic and drug addict, to now sober and moving to Los Angeles to actually live my dream. I’m pretty damn proud of how far I’ve come.”

In her prime and while living in Hilo, Paiva became one of the Big Island’s favorite troupers, collecting awards from the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts, the Hawaii Music Awards, and the Big Island Music Awards.

Her last album was “Tell U What.”

Paiva has not disclosed what her “dream” in L.A. entails, or whether she will resume her career as a multi-talented ukulele artist. While she was a piano-trained musician, picking up the four-stringed uke was a life changer. As she has said, it was “love at first touch.”

Whatever her path, we wish her well in the next chapter of her life. …

Monday night TV

Monday night’s TV viewership had the usual 1-2-3  leaders, though numbers were slightly less than previous weeks.

So:

• CBS’s “NCIS,” attracted the most viewers, 7.6 million, with a 0.6  in the 18 to 49 year-old demographics.

• NBC’s “The Voice,” drew an audience of 7.2 million, with a 0.9 rating in the age-accented demos.

• CBS’ “NCIS: Hawai‘i,” with 5.4 million viewers, logged a 0.4 demo rating.

Storylines may sway and tilt the scale, and a rotating door of actors may exit and enter, but the mothership ”NCIS” — with Mark Harmon as Leroy Jethro Gibbs — concluded last night with a surprising show-closer: a glimpse of a tombstone with his name and birthdate, with a blank place for a death date.

Was that merely a teaser, or a preview of what’s to come? Gary Cole, meanwhile, is now a regular as special agent Alden Park, a buttinski who seems to be the logical lead agent, should Gibbs terminate by choice or by script.

Further, with the “Hawai‘i” spin-off still a work-in-progress and in see-saw mode, it may be the right-show-in-the-right-time savior for the NCIS brand. Simply, it could emerge as this season’s newbie with the best chance of becoming the first of this year’s crop to be rewarded with a second-season pickup, even with its No. 3 ranking. It boasts behind-the-sceners from the cancelled “NCIS: New Orleans” eager to make this one last. …

Stay tuned. …

And that’s Show Biz. …

Henry Kapono and Friends’ mammoth concert Nov. 6 at the Tom Moffatt Waikiki  Shell – a highlight of the fall music calendar – has been postponed till June 18, 2022, organizers announced today (Sept. 28).

The uncertainty of the prevailing cloud of the coronavirus pandemic was the reason for the postponement.

“We are all due for some Good Times Together, an epic celebration,” said Kapono, an award-winning singer, composer, musician and organizer of the event.  But now is not the time, hence the pushing of the pause button.

The  announcement alluded to the ongoing threat of COVID-19, with see-sawing protocols that change from day to day, week to week.

Safety is the bottom line of the decision to reschedule the concert.

“We all need it, we all deserve it,” he said of performing. “But not until the current COVID-19 crisis and uncertainty is behind us and we can all be safe and comfortable together again. Let us always aloha together.”

Generally, outdoor events like this one at the Shell can be staged, probably at half-the-house capacity, with spectators donning facemasks and sitting socially distanced – with empty seats separating patrons, similarly like the guidelines for indoor movie theaters.

The spacing would require a reconfiguration of the seating plan if the show went on as originally scheduled. General admission lawn seating would have to be monitored, with space between gathered show-goers.

All tickets previously purchased will be honored and transferred to the new date, according to the announcement. Those who cannot attend the new June 22 date may seek refunds by contacting the Blaisdell Center box office, at https://blaisdellcenter.com/ticket-refunds/ by Dec. 31, 2021.

New concert tickets may be purchased online beginning today (Sept.28) at https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0A005AF0F1353054 or at the Blaisdell Box Office from Tuesday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. or by calling (808) 768-5252.

Formally billed as the “Home in the Islands With Henry Kapono & Friends,”
the show will assemble an all-star lineup of Hawai‘i’s most iconic and emerging musical artists together, celebrating the soundtrack of Hawai‘i. Presumably, an updated roster of participants will be announced at a later date.

The event is a partial benefit for the Henry Kapono Foundation, with $1 from every ticket and a portion of the show’s proceeds, going toward helping the many musicians, stagehands, audio engineers, lighting technicians, and backstage crews that lost their jobs over the past 18 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. …

‘NCIS: Hawai’i’ in third place again

The overnight ratings are in for Monday (Sept. 27) night TV, with numbers down from a week ago:

CBS’s “NCIS,” the mothership led by Mark Harmon in the franchise, was Monday (Sept. 27) night’s most-watched show, continuing to rule the airwaves. It drew 7.8 million viewers and a score of 0.7 in the key demographics between 18 and 49 years old.

NBC’s “The Voice” attracted 6.7 million viewers, placing second, but  led  the coveted demographics with a 0.95 rating.

CBS’ “NCIS: Hawai‘i” newbie  was third again, pulling in  5.4 million viewers and a 0.5 demo. …

Virtual ukulele workshop

Jeremy Kama Hopkins will present “Nā Tutua Heleuī,” a one-hour virtual ukulele session, at 1 p.m. Hawaii time on Oct. 2. You can learn a Hawaiian Halloween song entitled “Nā Tutua Heleuī,” with lyrics and translation sent to you once you sign up by 6 p.m. Oct. 1. Fee is $25, with registration at Venmo @Jeremy-Hopkins-4 and on PayPal at paypal.me/kamakane73. The session also will provide simple ʻukulele chords. Type “Nā Tutua Heleuī” in a note at the time of registration; a confirmation will be sent to you. …

And that’s Show Biz. …

You only live once, and perhaps now is the time of your life to make a point and make a difference.

How about Lifetime Tickets to The Actors’ Group?

TAG has made that option possible, with different prices for difference ages. No matter if you’re a TAG newbie or a TAG patron for decades. Remember the Yellow Brick Studio era?

Here are the options:

• $1,000 per person if you’re 65 years and older.
• $1,500 per person if you’re between 40 to 64 years old.
• $2,000 per person if you’re under 40 years old.

Think about the convenience of not having to purchase a ticket for the rest of your life. Whatever your price/age entry level, you’ll be part of the TAG family for life.

Since TAG’s playhouse, the Brad Powell Theatre at Dole Cannery, has limited seating, betcha you’ll get priority dibs for seats when you need ‘em.

Lifetime tickets are not transferrable, for obvious reasons. Your name will be on your tickets till you die so this is something you can take to heaven. And like life, this is a limited -time offer and will, um, terminate .

Order online at: https://www.taghawaii.net/lifetime-tickets

Harrington’s last role

We haven’t seen ’em yet, but while Al Harrington is gone — the actor-entertainer died Sept. 21 — his last acting gig is yet to be seen.

“I wanted you to know that Al Harrington’s last role was in ‘Doogie Kamealoha, MD,'” according to consulting producer Chris Lee, of the Hawai’i-based comedy now streaming via Disney+. Harrington plays Jason Scott Lee’s uncle “and has some very moving episodes later in the season. It was an honor to have him on the show,” said Lee (no relation to the actor). Harrington portrays Uncle John and we all should anticipate these appearances. …

Channel hopping

While the world wrestles with coronavirus and the delta variant, Daniel Dae Kim (does he still live in Hawai’i, when he’s not working?) soon will be seen battling anthrax threats in “The Hot Zone: Anthrax,” part of National Geographic’s anthology based on factual incidents.

In this one, Kim portrays an FBI agent named Matthew Ryker, said to be a composite of several agents, who investigates post 9/11 issues with anthrax-laced letters to media and politicos following the terrorism and the toppling of the World Trade Center Twin Towers. His partner in crime fighting is Tony Goldwyn, playing Dr. Bruce Ivins, an actual microbiologist whose work involved analyzing the deadly mailings.

Good to know that Kim, one of the pillars of ABC’s “Lost” and CBS’s “Hawaii Five-0” reboot, misses us in the islands. You see, “Anthrax” filmed in Canada during the pandemic crisis, and as he told Entertainment Weekly, “The Toronto winter, combined with a strict lockdown, made it one of the most challenging on-location experiences I’ve ever had. It certainly wasn’t Hawai’i.” Atta boy; Hawai’i no ka oi. …

The series bows Nov. 28 and a preview now is airing. …

And that’s Show Biz. …

Rosa Navarro Harrington, widow of entertainer Al Harrrington who died Tuesday (Sept. 21), has issued a compassionate statement about her loss, saying “he was my regal Polynesian King.”

She was at his side when he died at age 85. Harrington earlier suffered a stroke.

Her statement, released today (Sept. 22), reflects how inseparable the couple was.

“I have had the honor of loving Al, whom I called ‘Harrington’ for 20-years,” she said.

“We were an inseparable team; best friends and he was my regal Polynesian King. Al embodied the purest, life-giving values of aloha and began each day with a smile.”
She described their routine: “We were early risers, and long before the sun would appear over Manoa Valley’s Ko‘olau Mountain Range, Al would have already thanked me for creating our humble yet adventurous life together in the islands. Oh how he loved Hawai’i and would remark on its beauty throughout the day…from one holoholo to the next, like a never ending swell of gratitude within him.” 

To know him was to love him, said Rosa.

“Al was truly a gift from God. A noble, compassionate, patient and gentle man with a witty sense of humor and a larger-than-life laugh that will echo in my heart until we are reunited. He was generous, quick to forgive, a hard worker, a provider and always ready to talk-story. He loved his community and even more, his culture. It was his greatest honor to represent his people on-screen, and to serve them off-screen. To know him was to feel seen, loved, safe and welcomed. As an Icon for Hawai’i, our islands and her people are mourning his loss.” 

And she offered her mahalo for his giving ways. “Harrington, it’s my turn to thank you, for inviting me along the most extraordinary ride of life! I promise to rise each morning with gratitude, and to honor your legacy by living each day to its fullest with a commitment to health and vitality.”

A Punahou football star as a student, Harrington returned to campus as a school teacher, though show business became his ultimate profession.

His stint playing Ben Kokua on the original Jack Lord-starring “Hawaii Five-0” from 1968 to 1980), enabled him to become the South Pacific Man, starring in a Polynesian revue in Waikiki. The acting gig helped buoy his nightclub stint, the last of the locals hired to play a recurring role on a network (CBS) TV, dissolving the general prevailing assumption among casting directors who felt Hawaii didn’t have the talent to succeed in co-starring roles.

As Harrington 2.0, he appeared in another wholly locally-produced “Doogie Kamealoha MD,” portraying Uncle John, in the current Disney+ series now streaming.

He also played Mamo Kahike in the Alex O’Loughlin reboot of “Five-0.”

He made his network TV debut on “To Tell the Truth,” viewable on YouTube, in which he played himself with two other imposters, with a panel of judges trying to name the real Al Harrington. The real dude also demonstrated that he could twirl a knife in a common Samoan staple in visitor productions here. In fact, he was a fire knife dancer before he starred in his own revue here.

He had a string of guest roles in a range of other TV series and logged a roster of film roles that didn’t utilize the depth of his talent.

Harrington’s agent, Gregory David Mayor, also offered a reaction to the actor’s passing.“It has been my utmost pleasure to have served as Al Harrington’s theatrical agent for many years.  More importantly, Al became a close friend and mentor to me in my own career and life,” he said. “ Al uplifted me to find my faith again….and for that alone, I am truly grateful. Admiration, respect, humor, peace, and joy are those attributes that one can ascribe to Al Harrington. Truly a special child of God.”

Besides his wife, Harrington is survived by sons Alema and Tau, daughters Cassi Harrington Palmer and Summer Harrington and several grandchildren.

Services have not been announced. …

And that’s Show Biz. …