Category: Show Biz

With the hope that the lingering pandemic protocols will ease or dissipate by this fall, some of Hawaii’s theatrical organizations are tweaking policies, anticipating the best and perhaps kind of a return to normalcy. This, despite current reactions from a state health official who deems the CORONA-19 virus outbreak “a crisis.”

At Manoa Valley Theatre, season subscribers and single-ticket purchases will have reserved seats for the first time during the 2021-2022 theatrical season, beginning in the fall. Playgoers must wear face masks and must show evidence of vaccination. Seating will be “normal,” meaning pre-pandemic, without spacing between seats. “Be More Chill,” a Hawaii premiere, kicks off the new season Sept. 2.

At Diamond Head Theatre, all seats will be open for purchase – no empty seats and alternating spaces in each row – with “normal” full-houses anticipated. Face masks and proof of vaccinations will be required. DHT’s season launches Sept. 24, with “Oliver.”

Both aforementioned theater groups hope that with vaxxed patrons donning face masks throughout a performance, they’ll be OK under current protocols minus the social distancing open seats. Sure hope so; image the train wreck, if sold seats have to be socially distanced.

Elsewhere, there are variations of how the fall theater season will play out.  For instance:

• Honolulu Theatre for Youth’s season, which kicked off Aug. 9, will be a mix of live performances for school audiences and the public, but will involve flexibility with virtual performances for some productions.
• Kumu Kahua Theatre also will mix live with virtual staging. “#Haoleboyfriend” debuts Sept. 14 as a virtual production, along with the second show, “The Kasha of Kaimuki” Oct. 28, but the third event, “The Conversion of Ka‘ahumanu,” will be live, beginning Jan. 20.
• The Actors Group opens Aug. 27 with an all-live season at the Brad Powell Theatre at Dole Cannery.
• Kennedy Theatre will unveil its first show, “He Leo Aloha,” in the Hawaiian language, in early October, but closes its season with a second part later in the year

Smooth as silk

The Silk Sonic collaboration has a new wrinkle: investments outside of music.

Anderson .Paak, who partners with Bruno Mars as the newest hot vocal duo, has ventured into the world of restaurants.

Californian .Paak has invested into Taisho, a Japanese restaurant, in Sherman Oaks, Calif.

He posted an online photo of himself, with this caption: “The boy done invested his #silksonic money in the best sushi in town! The foodies are calling it ‘BUSSIN!!’ Come see for yourself!

While former Honolulan Mars does not have a stake – not yet, anyway – in a restaurant, he has his own sideline biz: he is one of the owners of Selva Rey Rum.

No arrival date of Silk Sonic’s first album, which already has become sizzling chart-topping singles: “Leave the Door Open” and “Skate.”

Birthday mahalo

Have had an overwhelming round of birthday wishes the past few days, and most notably, some folks can’t perceive my turning 80. Because I’m a Facebooker and also post stuff on my own website, I don’t commonly get to see words of aloha on other sites, so I thank my buddy Loretta Ables Sayre, who shares Instagram and Twitter items about me, like this one from her “South Pacific” co-star on Broadway, Matthew Morrison.

Saw him in the show with Loretta at Lincoln Center, and caught his Hawaii Theatre show before the pandemic shut down everything. And had an opportunity to share my Wild Cards creations with the remarkable Broadway singer-actor. So sharing his communication a few days back. ..

And that’s Show Biz. …

Two former locals have new projects – one in film, the other on streaming TV:

• Auli‘i Cravalho (“Moana”) and Rowan Blanchard (“Snowpiercer”) will co-star in an untitled Hulu film directed by Sammi Cohen.

The script, by Kirsten King and Casey Rackham, deals with an aspiring artist forced to join her high school track team, enabling the opportunity to proceed with chasing a girl she’s had a longtime crush on. However, she discovers romance with an unexpected teammate, discovering what true love is.

Blanchard plays Paige, the artist with a mission to find romance, and Cravalho – a Kamehameha Schools alum — is AJ, an elusive track star living in the shadow of a twin sister…

• Ann Harada is part of a mega-star, “Schmigadoon!,” with new episodes premiering every Friday on Apple TV.

The musical comedy, a parody of and homage to the Golden Are of musicals of the 1940s to the 1950s, is a collaboration of Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio, with tunes composed by Paul.  Barry Sonnenfeld is director, Christopher Gattelli is choreographer.

The show centers on a magical town where there’s no shortage of romance, judgment, and secrets. Harada, a Punahou grad, portrays Florence Menlove, whose husband is the Mayor (Alan Cumming), and there’s musical songs, dance and comedy aplenty. The cast features such names as Cecily Strong, Aaron Tveit, Kristin Chenoweth, Keegan Michael Key, Fred Armisen, Jane Krakowski, Martin Short and Dove Cameron ….

Bruno has 3 MTV nominations

Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, as the duo Silk Sonic, earned three nominations in the 2021 MTV VMA (Video Music Awards).

Silk Sonic’s smooth “Leave the Door Open” is nominated for Song of the Year, Best R&B, Best Editing. Could wind up with the Song of the Year laurels, since it’s a hot entry and possibly the summer’s best tune.

Justin Bieber tops the nominations with seven nominations, followed by Megan Thee Stallion with six. MTV hands out the trophies Sept. 12 in a live ABC telecast from Brooklyn’s Barclay Center. …

A clarification

Carole Kai Onouye’s Great Aloha Run will be the final one ending at Aloha Stadium in 2022.

The run/walk will continue, in years ahead, with the Ching Stadium at the University of Hawaii as the finish destination, until the Aloha Stadium is ready to welcome back tenants following renovations. When you live in Hawaii, completion dates here are generally tardy. Think rail. …

And that’s Show Biz. …

Hawaii’s Jacob Batalon, who made his filmic debut on the big screen via the reboot of “Spider-Man,” is making a move to the little screen in Syfy’s “Reginald the Vampire.”

Batalon, a graduate of Damien Memorial School, will portray Reginald Baskin, in a 10-episode dramady based on Johnny B. Truant’s “Fat Vampire” novels,” in which Reginald becomes an unlikely hero in a world of beautiful, fit, and vain vampires

He’s faced with challenges galore: a woman he loves but can’t be with, a boss with a bully, and a vampire chieftain who wants him dead.

So natch, he has his own super powers to sustain.

With his co-starring sidekick role with Tom Holland in the ongoing new episodes of “Spider-Man” flicks, Batalon has become a beloved second banana, with his antics and comedic demeanor.

In the Marvel universe, he will appear in the third “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” later this year which follows the earlier “Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) and “Spider-Man: Far From Home” (2019) and also enjoyed spill-over success in “Avengers: Infinity War” (2018) and “Avengers: Endgame” (2019).

And yes, he’s of Filipino heritage, and proud of it. And his pals may not recognize him since he lost 102 pounds before filming “No Way Home.” …

Locals in off-Broadway play

A couple of Island actors, who are graduates of Punahou School, will be part of the cast of Douglas Carter Beanes‘ “Fairycakes,” set to have its world premiere with previews beginning Oct. 4 at the Greenwich House Theatre in New York. The work is a sendup of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

They are Broadway vets Ann Harada and Jason Tam, graduates of Punahou School. She has starred in “Waitress,” “Cinderella,” “Avenue Q,” “Les Miserables,” and “9 to 5.” His credits include “Les Miserables,” “If/When,” “Be More Chill” and “A Chorus Line.”

In “Fairycakes,” Harada portrays Musterseeds, Tam plays Prince/Cupid.

Beane will direct the show, which borrows characters from other realms, so anticipate Geppeto, Pinocchio, Cinderella, Cobweb, and more, along with Oberon, Titania and Puck. …

Second season blooms for ‘Lotus’

“The White Lotus,” wholly taped last year at the Four Seasons resort during the pandemic on Maui, has rebooked for a return visit, even as the last of six episodes has yet to be screened this coming Sunday.

Producer-director Mike White and his star-studded cast — Murray Bartlett, Connie Britton, Jennifer Coolidge, Alexandra Daddario, Jake Lacy, Natasha Rothwell, Steve Zahn — benefitted by taking over the entire resort to film safely in its own bubble amid the COVID-19 lockdown.

The second season, presumably on HBO and HBO Max, will be ensconced at another imaginery White Lotus property, since the formula worked well when the cast and techies sequestered at the Maui resort. The actual site was not named, nor Hawaii mentioned, but the Pacific destination boasted luau, Hawaiian music, and exotic drinks aplenty.

Obviously, filming within a “domestic” locale — our beloved Hawaii — offers fewer challenges than moving onto a foreign hotel, say, in the Caribbeans or Mexico.

Perhaps the next destination will host suspicious hotel workers, who don’t like visitors, and a congregation of rich and wealthy heading for a resort with more angst and issues to iron out.

The show’s ratings have swelled over each week’s airing, so a renewal was a no-brainer. Lucky for us in the islands that the journey, happily, ends here. Don’t know if in reality, families with internal issues come here to moan and groan, or a lonely and single daughter is so distraught, she cannot proceed with scattering her mother’s ashes in the sea. Fiction with friction?

It might have been beneficial for the show to fuel the revenues of the gurus who count and cheer the dollars spent here, in an industry that has been booming — think overtourism — but a measure of cultural and ethical relevance also should be a yardstick. The hotel crew, as depicted, has been as negative and willful demons in this saga of confused lost souls. Bon voyage and aloha. …

And that’s Show Biz. …

Looks like talks have resumed, among the minds and creators of “Hawaiian Goddess,” on an ambitious new Hawaiian musical embracing the lore and drama between Hi‘iaka and Pele. The saga has been previously shared in existing hula and chants; this retelling, with powerful new music, could become a cultural icon for its creators and a mystical and magical experience for potential audiences outside of Hawaii.

So Michael Jackowitz, a New York producer who spends time on Maui, convened with his artistic team to revive work on this alluring project with Hawaiian mele, chants and hula, according to online chats. Locals  Keali‘i Reichel, Maui’s award-winning composer, singer, recording artist and kumu hula; Roslyn Catracchia, composer; Patrick Makuakane, kumu hula, dancer and choreographer, now based in San Francisco, gathered with Stephen Schwartz, award-winning Broadway hit-maker of “Wicked,” “Pippin” and “Godspell,” to  continue shaping the new show, which is pretty much bubbling under the radar.

Producer Jackowitz’ credits include “Tuck Everlasting,” “The Best Is Yet to Come: The Music of Cy Coleman,” and “How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.” With a passion for things Hawaiian, he’d love to score a new hit, with Hawaiiana at its core, and has tapped an artistic team with credible portfolios committed to authenticity, to bolster the Pele and Hi‘iaka saga with homegrown behind-the-scenes experts. Before the pandemic, Jackowitz shared excerpts of the show in a preview with a cast of stellar island singers and dancers, with some possibly making the trial-run cast as the artistic journey continues. I was there to witness this work-in-progress then; it was stunning and beautiful.

The creative minds met at Mill House in Wailuku, to continue shaping and tweaking the Broadway musical with island storylines and music, initially planned to launch on a cruise ship, an unconventional but  novel “out-of-town opening” trial run which was stalled when the pandemic lockdown halted everything. Don’t know if these ideas have changed.

Historically, this wouldn’t be the first Broadway musical with a Hawaiian arc. The first vehicle made its debut in March 1961, when Eaton Bob Magoon Jr. launched “13 Daughters” in New York, with disastrous results after 28 performances. Perhaps it was way ahead of time for an all-Hawaii show to grace a Broadway stage.

The intention for “Goddess” surely includes a possible run on Broadway, which also is in the midst of shaping a new kind of normalcy in New York, where new shows are being groomed and old hits restored to return on the Great White Way this fall, amid rigid protocols for safety including vaccination proof for theater-goers and vaxxing for actors, backstagers, and theater personnel. All a good thing, to raise the bar to combat and control the latest delta variant. …

TAG ready to welcome ‘Kimberly’

The Actors Group (TAG) will launch its new season Aug. 27 when “Kimberly Akimbo” debuts at the Brad Powell Theatre at Dole  Cannery. Performances run through Sept. 12.

Swaine Kaui is directing David Lindsey-Abaire’s play, set in suburban New Jersey, about a teenager with a rare condition causing her body to age faster than normal. Her family flees Secaucus under dubious conditions, and Kimberly is forced to reevaluate her life, including the possibility of first love and her own mortality. The challenges include a hypochondriac mom, a seldom sober father, and an aunt who is a scam artist.

The cast includes Lisa Konove as Kimberly , the daughter with a complicated life; Aiko Chinen as Debra, the aunt; Tom Smith as Buddy, the dad; and Clarisse Lee as Pattie, the mom., One of the characters is Jeff, a nerdy friend, played by Kainoa Kelly, the son of Lee Cataluna and Jim Kelly. So there’s intrigue within the show and its players.

Performances are at 7:30 p.m.  Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets: $30 adults, $25 seniors, $20 military and students.

Tribute shows at Blue Note

A fan of tribute shows? Two are coming to Blue Note Hawaii at the Outrigger Waikiki resort:

• “Take Me Back to Chicago,” a salute to the fabled and enduring rock band Chicago, at 6:30 and 9 p.m. Aug. 13 and 14. The act is led by Danny Seraphine, legendary drummer and co-founder of Chicago, and will feature a roster of Chicago hits. Think “Saturday in the Park,” “If You Leave Me Now,” “Hard to Say I’m Sorry” and “Does Anybody Know What Time It Is.” The musicians include Marc Bonilla, Ed Roth, Travis Davis, and Tony Grant. Tickets:  $30 and $25. Visit: www.bluenotehawaii.com or call 777-4890. …
• Manoa DNA will stage “The Music of the Eagles,” a tribute show, at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 29 at Blue Note Hawaii. The group, now featuring dad Lloyd Kawakami and son Alx Kawakami (son-brother Nick Kawakama has retired), will feature keyboarist Ethan Capone. “MDNA has always been a fan of the Eagles and we wanted to have some fun with their music,” said dad Lloyd. Tickets: $35 and $25. Visit: www.bluenotehawaii.com or call 777-4890. …

And that’s “Show Biz.” …

The 2022 Great Aloha Run will be the 38^th and final one.

So says event founder Carole Kai Onouye, in a Facebook posting to the GAR family and friends.

“It will be ‘Aloha’ to the Stadium,” said Kai. “It’ll be fun and sad at the same time.”

For nearly four decades, the fun run, or walk for those who prefer not to run, has raised more than $15 million for 150 non-profit charitable organizations.

So to be part of a historic finale, mark your calendars – for February 2022, frequently a Presidents Day holiday event but a specific date has not yet been announced. …

Life in the fast Zane

Had lunch with Greg Zane, the busy director-choreographer of  “A Chorus Line,” earlier today at Zippy’s Kahala  and he shared some tidbits about his tenure at Diamond Head Theatre, where the show runs for the last times tonight (Thursday, Aug. 5 through. Sunday Aug. 8 ), which includes the extension dates.

He revealed:

• He’s likely to remain in town, at his family’s Hawaii Kai home, since  he’s committed to direct DHT’s holiday show, Dec. 3 to 19.  He’s retained his New York apartment for obvious reasons: rent is impossibly high, and you’ve got a pad, you’re mad  to  vacate  it.
• Yes, he owns a gold top hat once worn by Tommy Aguilar, his mentor from way back, who played Paul San Marco in the Broadway production as well as originating that role in the London launch. “I don’t know where she got it, but (actress) Devon Guard gave me the hat,” he said, uncertain how she actually acquired the hat, since it had been auctioned off here earlier. And of course, Zane cherishes the costume piece (kept at the family home here) and is hoping to some day locate a jacket the late Aguilar donned.
• He managed to convince DHT management that his cast warranted an opening night bubbly party on stage and was prepared to pay for the champagne himself, till the theater OK’d the toasting.
• He downloaded the playbill data and assembled the pages (as suggested in this space some weeks back) so his mother would have her own playbill while watching the show. DHT has abolished the customary take-home program during the pandemic; it is the lone keepsake for his cast of singers and dancers once the final curtain is drawn.
• Yes, while the orchestrations sound live and crisp at the performances, the music is pre-recorded which is why you don’t see conductor Melina Lillios and her musicians in the vacant orchestral spot at the right of the stage. … 

Up and about

Jeff Peterson, a magician on guitar, gives two concerts at 5 and 8 p.m. Saturday (Aug. 7) at the Manoa Valley Theatre.

Peterson is a beloved Hawaiian music advocate and is a passionate award-winning ki ho‘alu artist, deeply involved with the traditions of the island style strumming. He’s also at home with jazz and classical music.

Tickets are $30, available at www.manoavalley.com, with social distancing protocols in place…

‘Oliver!’ auditions at DHT

Diamond Head Theatre will conduct auditions this weekend for “Oliver!,” its first show of the 2021-2022 season.

Tryouts will be at 7 p.m. Friday (Aug. 6) and 2 p.m. Saturday (Aug. 7) at the theater. Pre-selected time slots, in five-minute increments, must be obtained to participate; walk-ins are not permitted. To seek a time, visit https://www.cognitoforms.com/CrossMediaHawaii/DHTAuditionAppointmentRequestForm

Those with appointment times should arrive 5 minutes early but wait in vehicles at the back entrance of the theater, to be summoned. Facemasks are required and worn, except when singing.

“Oliver!” will run Sept. 24 through Oct. 10, with a potential extension through Oct. 17.

John Rampage will direct and choreograph, with Phil Hidalgo as musical director.

Key roles are for Oliver, a child 10 to 12, for the title role of an orphan workhouse boy; Fagin, a wily adult who operates a training academy for young pickpockets; the Artful Dodger, a child/teen who is Fagin’s brightest pupil; Bill Sikes, a villainous role; and Nancy, an adult female who also is a Fagin graduate.

The show boasts such hit tunes as “Consider Yourself,” “I’d Do. Anything,” “As Long as He Needs Me,” and  “Where Is Love.” And “Who Will Buy?” …

And that’s “Show Biz.” …