The Hawaii Academy of Performing Arts will go live, then virtual , for its 44th annual Na Hoku Hanohano Awards event.
It’s set for Sept. 11 as a “live” event filmed for telecast Oct. 7 via KFVE.
There will be an array of entertainment and entertainers, clad in finery like the customary awards evening, with a bento part of the Hawaii Theatre proceedings.
“Ho‘ala Hou — A New Awakening” is the theme for the proceedings.
The idea is to enable nominees and the retinue of performers the chance to celebrate in person – social distancing has not been factored in, at this time – to maintain the aura of an awards celebration, considering the nearly two years of lockdowns and the rebirth of live entertainment around town, with HARA carrying the banner to uplift the musical community with –what else — music.
Though 40 awards categories are at stake, attendees will have to wait for the announcement of winners in a prime-time show from 7 to 10 p.m. Oct. 7 on KFVE, with an encore presentation in the same time slot on KGMB.
HARA members will have first dibs at tickets, so if you’re an industry participant, you should receive details and protocols via a link provided in an email.
At the Hawaii Theatre, doors will open at 4 p.m. for no-host refreshments outside of the theater, fronting the Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Park. Tickets include boxed bentos from Kuhio Avenue Food Halls, available from 4 to 6:30 p.m.
Pre-show festivities will begin at 5:30 p.m., with footage filmed for Facebook and aired prior to the show. The broadcast at 7 p.m. will include presenters and performances, with possible pauses for re-takes, if necessary. The experience will be akin to be being in a studio where a show is being taped.
Tickets are $65 to $110 (plus $9.50 for ticketing fee, benefitting the Hawaii Theatre). HARA members will be first to sign up; public sales will begin next week, and members are asked not to share the HARA link with non-members.
COVID-19 mandates will be in place, with attendance requiring a valid vaccination card or a FDA-EAU negative test result 48 hours prior to the event. …
No Po‘okela Awards this year
The Hawaii State Theatre Council is shelving its Po‘okela Awards this season, largely due to the pandemic but also because it is reexamining and bolstering its awards evening, celebrating excellence in theater.
‘Play/Write’ competition under way
Kumu Kahua Theatre and BambooRidge are partnering to launch “Go Try Play/Write,” a monthly playwriting competition.
Entrants must write/create a five-page monologue or a 10-page scene, based on a monthly prompt.
Every month, Kumu Kahua’s artistic director Harry Wong II will provide a prompt to define a scene.
The contest starts at the first of the month and concludes the last day of the month.
The August prompt is a monologue or scene depicting a confrontation between a person and a cockroach. A monthly winner will be selected and receive $20 and a subscription to Bamboo Ridge Press. There is no cost to enter; for details, call 536-4441 or visit kumukahua.org
The roots are deep, director-choreographer Greg Zane has been learning via his latest project, “A Chorus Line,” as the musical hit winds up at Diamond Head Theatre.
Since the award-winning show opened July 16, a number of island folks who’ve previously performed in “ACL,” have responded to the production and shared indelible memories and ties with the late Tommy Aguilar, whose legacy and spirit have driven and prevailed during entire run. The show has another weekend of performances, Thursday through Sunday (Aug. 8).
Suzen Murakoshi and Ron Kurowski, now Honolulu residents, are alumni of “A Chorus Line,” who have worked with some of the DHT ensemble here to keep the legacy alive. Suzen played Connie Wong in the Broadway and National Tour companies; Ron portrayed Bobby Mills in the 1979 Blaisdell Concert Hall cast and was in the original cast of the London production, and logged seven years during “ACL’s” original Broadway run.
Greg Zane
“I consider his Bobby (like Tommy Aguilar’s Paul) as definitive portrayals. Both Suzy and Ron have ties to Tommy by performing with him during his time on tour and on Broadway,” said Zane. “Having learned the show from its creators, they have given the cast amazing insights into their characters. Invaluable details that only Ron and Suzen know, and have culled over their years with the show, have given our actors and production a tremendous depth. Both Suzen and Ron are keeping the legacy and show alive through coaching this new cast. We are so grateful to have them and their amazing support. We are so lucky!”
Zane still has two “ACL” original T-shirts and have donned them over the past few months, further keeping the spirit and tradition alive. “I guess, they help keep me connected to that ‘ACL’ legacy and to Tommy. I mean, ACL is ‘The Greatest Musical Of All Time!’” …
Isle actor Alvin Ing dies
Alvin Ing, a Hawaii native with a lifelong career in Broadway musicals, has died at age 89.
Alvin Ing
The date and cause of his death have not been revealed; he was a Los Angeles resident.
Years before he made an imprint on Broadway shows, Ing performed in the islands in such shows as “13 Daughters” at the Hawaii Theatre. He was one of the first-from-Hawaii residents to star in a number of musicals in New York and in national tours, including “Pacific Overtures,” “The King and I,” “South Pacific” and “Flower Drum Song.” He is believed to be the actor with longest run playing Wan Ta in “Flower Drum Song.”
He also starred on TV in a gamut of shows, including “Third Watch,” “Law and Order,” “Dynasty,” “Dallas,” and “Falcon Crest,” and in such films as “Final Countdown” and “The Gambler.” …
Smooth as Silk, with skates
Silk Sonic, the duo/group featuring Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, has dropped a new single, “Skate,” as kind of a mid-summer surprise.
Bruno Mars
The tune, on YouTube, is sleekly infused with rhythm ‘n’ blues combined with Latino vibes, with Mars on congas and .Paak on drums, in the new video. The tune is Silk Sonic’s second single, providing a better sense of how the pair will ultimately pace its anticipated first album.
Because the two are on instruments, it’s hard to know how much their own body language would play out if they perform the tune live in concert. The video depicts dynamic, skate-sensitive choreography with a cluster of women sliding and gliding and skating their way with animated glee.
Clearly, Mars and .Paak are leaving the door open for more surprises in the weeks/months ahead.
First Lady Jill Biden apparently left Hawaii with an unwanted souvenir – an unidentified object in her left foot encountered during a brief walk on a beach.
Network media have been mentioning Biden had a visit to Walter Reed National Medical Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland, to remove the foreign object, upon her return to the Capitol, according to the first lady’s press secretary Michael LaRosa, in a statement. President Biden was by her side.
Jill Biden
FLOTUS had two official meet-and-greet sessions while here, including one to promote vaccinations during this pandemic. …
KHON2 veteran Joe Moore did not anchor the Wednesday and Thursday editions of the 5:30 and 6 p.m. newscasts, as he rested from a badly sprained ankle earlier this week. He’s scheduled to return to the Friday evening lineup as usual. Alas, the ankle injury also triggered some back pain. “Feel like a hundred years old at the moment,” he emailed Thursday.
Joe Moore
Moore and his Army buddy, Pat Sajak, will co-star in Neil Simon’s “The Sunshine Boys” comedy June 16 to 26 2022 at the Hawaii Theatre. In the comedy, they play senior citizens Willie Clark (Moore) and Al Lewis (Sajak). “I feel like I won’t have to act at all to play the old fart Willie Clark,” said Moore. “ I’ve become Willie Clark! ).”
The pain has impacted his daily routine, like “sleeping in the wrong position, turning awkwardly, sitting too long…and on and on and on. :-(.” …
A rom-com film
Taiana Tully
Taiana Tully, a singer-actress-dancer-model from Honolulu, has a role in the Hallmark Channel’s “Love, for Real,” a rom-com airing at 6 p.m. Saturday. She plays the character Bree.
You may have seen her previously in “Magnum P.I.” and “Hawaii Five-0,” and on a Zippy’s commercial, too, a valuable credit indeed.
She stars with Chloe Bridges as Hayley, Scott Michael Foster as Luke, and Corbin Bleu as Marco, in a tale about a reality dating show complete with friction and melodrama before
a dramatic finish. The film is part of a wave of summertime love stories. …
Global reach growing
Kevin Iwamoto, who released a cache of digital tunes from one decade of his performing/recording career in Hawaii, continues to receive a wave of new international fans.
Kevin Iwamoto
His album, “The Best of Kevin I,” has logged streaming and sales that astound him. No, it’s not current stuff, but a mixture of his 1980s music and performances that have resonated anew with pandemic-era listeners. And he hasn’t performed since he moved to California and established a vigorous profile in the business community.
“I’m continually fascinated by the weekly top countries that streamed or bought my music worldwide according to Apple Music,” he said on Facebook. “In the beginning it was the U.S. hands down, in June/July each week has been a different country,” he said of his mounting global reach.
“Recently it’s been Peru, Norway, Thailand, India, Japan, South Korea, and the UK,” he said. “Thank you so much to the global listeners!”
A peculiar trait of his reborn “career” as a digital crooner: his fan base in Hawaii knows him – he visits home frequently enough — but hasn’t shown the kind of devotion expressed by an international audience. Wassup, Hawaii? …
Hoku Low, the bass player of the Society of Seven, has announced his retirement in a Facebook post.
“It has been been a privilege to be a part of the SOS organization for the past 44 years,” Low said in an email to me. “I enjoyed every minute of performing for audiences all over the world.”
Low officially retired in February but went public last week, confessing, “I plan to live a life of leisure and also do some volunteer work and maintain a healthy lifestyle.”
Hoku Low
Low evolved as an all-around entertainer after joining the SOS. He has gained confidence and resilience and has been of the do-it-all troupers in the group, meeting the high standards of versatility of the late leader Tony Ruivivar. When you’re an SOSer, you learn to do it all. Play an instrument, take on impersonations (remember his Frankie Valli?), become a dancer, and simply be a reliable team member . Alongside Ruivivar, he prevailed as a long-timer in the SOS, with Bert Sagum and Wayne Wakai as the surviving key players. Oh, and be flexible; he lived in Honolulu but relocated to Las
Vegas where the SOS relocated for showrooms in Sin City over the past decade.
Apparently, leadership now falls on Sagum, and the group intends to continue, said Low. However, the pandemic has challenged the group and fellow entertainers to restore a stage presence again. …
Enjoy retirement, buddy!
Teng on ‘NCIS: Hawai‘i’ progress
For Larry Teng, who has been in town to direct a couple of episodes of CBS’ “NCIS: Hawai‘i,”
the mission’s done but continues.
Larry Teng
Teng, showrunner of the third “NCIS” spin-off, took to Instagram to reveal that not only the initial episode is in the can, so is the second show.
That’s good news, because the Hawaii show launches Sept. 10, following the premiere of the mothership “NCIS” series, which precedes the home-brewed newbie.
“After 22 days of filming, I can officially say that the pilot and episode 102 for @ncishawaiicbs is wrapped,” he announced. “I feel so lucky to collaborate with this amazing cast, this amazing group of producers, and more than anything, this amazing crew. They have held me up, worked long hours, and devoted their time, sweat and talents for this maiden voyage.”
So the toil of long hours, and fresh scripts, marches on, as lead actress Vanessa Lachey also is keeping up the frantic schematics of carving a new notch on the “NCIS” tree…
Oh, a shout-out to CBS: when will you launch the show’s official logo, with the okina in Hawai‘i?
Life’s a beach
Hawaii has landed on Conde Nast Traveler’s recent Readers’ Choice Awards of 25 Best Beaches, among islands, but not in the top slot. Not surprising, actually.
Two island spots are mentioned in the travel website – but the beach selections were based on their island-specific locations:
At No. 21, Sunset Beach. Mostly because this is the site of big wave surfing contests.
At No. 19, Honokalani, Maui. Largely because of its black sand beaches en route to Hana.
So what/where was No. 1? Gouverneur, St. Bart’s, in the Caribbean, for its remote and pristine beach. …
After 18 months of disruptions, including and/or reduced productions, Hawaii’s theater groups are poised to resume normal seasons for 2021-22.
The hope, of course, is that the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 and 2021 will no longer mandate the social distancing protocols or dictate small-cast shows. However, one theater group will stage its first two shows virtually, then go live with the third production; another will mix digital with live shows.
At this time, most theaters are presuming that by fall, a full-capacity season, like normal times, might be resumed instead of the half-houses during the pandemic.
Furthermore, “Jersey Boys,” the Broadway hit (and later revived off-Broadway), still is on the radar for a Hawaii run, but MagicSpace, the presenter, is still pondering actual dates. The musical, of course, showcases the music and history of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. So stay tuned…
Here’s a peek at the fall season slates around town:
DIAMOND HEAD THEATRE
The island premiere of two Broadway musicals and the revival of two others with wide audience appeal will highlight DHT’s season.
The outlook:
“Oliver,” Sept. 24-Oct. 10. Set in Victorian England, the show focuses on the titular orphan boy who lives amid London thieves and pickpockets and is taken in by Fagin. “As Long as He Needs Me” and “Consider Yourself” are iconic hits from the score.
“Elf the Musical,” Dec. 3-19. A holiday theme set in the North Pole, a toddler named Buddy finds his way into Santa’s gift bag and embarks in a journey of fellow elves. He is awful in making toys as other elves and seeks his true identity after journeying to New York.
“Steel Magnolias,” Feb. 4-20 2022. Hairdressers know all the gossip, right, and this beauty salon in Louisiana is peopled by spunky folks, including Trudy Jones, who not only dispenses shampoo and advice, and embraces M’Lynn and her daughter Shelby, who wants a baby. Funny and heartbreaking stuff.
“Jesus Christ Superstar,” April 1-17 2022. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s landmark musical, set during the final weeks in the life of Jesus Christ, spotlights the conflicts between Jesus and Mary Magdalene, in a tale told entirely in song – a religious rock opera that boasts such blockbuster songs as “Superstar” and “I Don’t Know How to Love Him.”
“Waitress,” May 27-June 12 2022. Jenna, a small-town waitress who excels in pie-making puts her heart into her baked goods. Her treats reflect her life of torment and she discovers a recipe for a happier life when she discovers a baking contest in a nearby city. A Hawaii premiere.
“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” July 22-Aug. 7 2022. Based on a Roald Dahl fantasy, this family favorite tracks a chocolate fanatic, Charlie Bucket, who is consumed in Willy Wonka’s candy factory, which offers a tour of the plant to five people who find a golden ticket in a Wonka candy bar. The show features Oompa Loompas, too. A Hawaii premiere.
Four Hawaii premieres are included in MVT’s eight-show season next fall; one production will be staged at the Kaimuki High School Theatre.
The schedule:
“Be More Chill,” Sept. 2-19. A musical comedy fantasy by Joe Iconis (music and lyrics) with Joe Tracz (book), based on a novel by Ned Vizzini, about teenager Jeremy Heere, consumed by sci-fi and a super computer that will enable him to score a date and an invite to a lavish party, and a character called The SQUIP, a holographic manifestation of a computer chip lodged into Jeremy’s brain and motivated by Keanu Reeves. A Hawaii premiere. Note: auditions will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. July 11 and 23, by appointment only; callbacks from 6 to 8 p.m. July 13.
“The Joy Luck Club,” Nov. 4-14. Amy Tan’s best-selling novel about four immigrant moms and their American-born daughters, adapted for the stage by Susan Kim.
“It’s a Wonderful Life – A Radio Play,” Dec. 2-5. An African American cast performs amid a set of a radio station, reading and enacting the familiar holiday tale based on the annual Christmas film classic about a desperate and delirious banker whose life changes with the help of an angel.
“Desperate Measures,” Jan. 13-30 2022. Based on Shakespeare’s “Measure for Measure” and described as a “Wild West Musical Company,” this work was delayed during covid and restored to a season slot. A Hawaii premiere.
“The 39 Steps,” March 17-27 2022. A parody of the popular Alfred Hitchcock film, this work, laced with mystery, requires actors to portray multi-roles. A revival.
“Cambodian Rock Band,” May 5-15 2022. A dramady by Lauren Yee, in which a Cambodian American woman and her dad, a survival of the brutal ways of Khmer Rouge, return to their homeland. A Hawaii premiere.
“Once Upon One Time,” June 30-July 10 2022. Lisa Matsumoto’s collaboration with Roslyn Catracchia is a mashup of familiar fairy tales returns one noddah time, with pidgin patter intact. Venue: Kaimuki High School.
“Spamilton: An American Parody,” July 7-24 2022. Gerard Alessandrini, the award-winning master of parody, pokes gentle fun at Lin-Manuel Miranda and his mega-hit “Hamilton” play, from title song to “You’ll Be Back.” An off-Broadway hit. A Hawaii premiere.
With lingering issues remaining with the coronavirus pandemic, the Honolulu Theatre for Youth’s 2021-22 season will embrace live, touring and virtual productions that will enable content delivery and flexibility to segments of its academic theater community, with some performances in schools and public attendees at its Tenney Theatre home, plus four digital productions for virtual field trips.
The fall schedule:
“The Musubi Man,” Aug. 9 for schools and Aug. 21 for the public, at Tenney Theatre. The play by Lee Cataluna is based on Sandi Takayama’s book (illustrated by Pat Hall).
Inspired by “The Gingerbread Man,” determined not to be eaten on his journey to the sea. For Pre-K students.
“Holoholo Na Holoholona: Animals on theGo,” beginning Aug. 23 for school and public shows. Adaptations by Maki‘ilei Ishihara and the HTY Ensemble, featuring mo‘olelo (Hawaiian stories) from the wise pueo (owl) to the fearless ‘opihi (limpet), providing an introduction to Hawaiian language and culture. For grades 1 to 6.
“Remembering John Blossom,” starting Nov. 1. A one-man show by Moses Goods, exploring the rich history of Blacks in Hawaii dating back to the early 1800s. Appropriate for school and public audiences.
“We are delighted to continue our mission of helping families and educators inspire the next generation in Hawaii and hope that by expanding the way we develop and deliver programming, we are making the work more accessible to young people,” said HTY artistic director in a statement.
Through HTY’s new membership program, educators may sign up for a free educator membership to book shows and virtual field trips. Visit www.htyweb.org or schools@htyweb.org for school reservations. Public ticketing details are forthcoming.
KUMU KAHUA THEATRE
Kumu Kahua, specializing in locally written or themed dramas and musicals, will stage its first two shows digitally; and will go live with the third production.
The season:
“#Haoleboyfriend,” Sept. 12-19. A play by Stephanie Keiko Kong and Tony Pisculli,
about five former math geeks and high school BFF reunited 15 years graduating from Pearl City to wrestle with secrets and bouncing major life changes while enjoying guacamole at their fave karaoke joint.
“The Kasha of Kaimuki,” Oct. 28-Nov. 14. A thriller by Hannah I’I Epstein, inspired by a famous haunted house. Sam and Amanda, a lesbian couple, move into the Kaimuki home with roommate Emily, and with friend Joseph, discover Kasha, a ghost from Japanese lore who has an insatiable appetite for blood and corpses.
“The Conversion of Ka ‘ahumanu,” Jan. 20-Feb. 20 2022. A historical drama by Victoria Nalani Kneubuhl, about Lucy Thurston and Sybil Bingham arriving on Oahu in 1820, a year after Queen Ka‘ahumanu overthrew the traditional kapu system in old Hawaii. They immediately attempt their missionary task, but the queen is far more interested in their dresses than any new god and has no desire for a new religion. The women persevere, and the play explores the official adoption of Christianity in the islands.
“Who You Again,” March 24-April 24 2022. A drama by Ryan Okinaka, about a family struggling to care for their matriarch, whose memories are stolen by dementia. Her grandson’s bond and methods help her cope, and she gives him the gift of self-acceptance.
“Blue,” May 26-June 26 2022. A play by Wil Kahele, set in Waikiki’s Aloha Sunset Lanai, where the personal dreams and multiple jobs of a dynamic musical duo and their hula counterparts discover that sometimes, entertainment can have a profound impact, so it’s not all fun and games.
Information: 536-4441.
KENNEDY THEATRE
Kennedy Theatre at the University of Hawaii will only offer digital performances this fall, due to the uncertainties of the pandemic. Only months, not specific dates, are shared.
Mainstage shows:
“He Leo Aloha,” early October. A story combining the power of language to heighten communication, showcasing the Hawaiian language. A world premiere of hana keaka (Hawaiian theater); a second part will close the season, details TBA.
“Interstellar Cinderella,” late October. A modern spin on a children’s book by Deborah Underwood, about determination and dreams.
“Sphere,” in November. The season’s largest dance production with choreography by UH dance faculty and invitees, celebrating the genres and traditions of dance.
“The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant,” in December. A six-women cast explores class, gender, sexual power dynamics, manipulation, abuse and more.
“Eddie Wen’ Go: the Story of the Upside-Down Canoe,” in January 2022. A giant puppetry production about the heroism of Eddie Aikau, will be told through the eyes of sea creatures.
“Hawaii No Ka ‘Oi: A Sakamoto Celebration,” in February 2022. The plays of Edward Sakamoto will celebrate pidgin English, highlighted by excerpts from the late playwright’s beloved plays.
“Co-Motion,” late March 2022. Two different productions of original dances by student choreographers.
“Ho‘olina,” in May 2022. A second world premiere of Kanaka Maoli plays in the Hawaiian language, focusing on families and their future, constricted by capitalism and cultural loss.
The Actors Group boasts an ambitious season, with shows staged in the Brad Powell Theatre at Dole Cannery in Iwilei.
The 2021-22 season:
“Kimberly Akimbo,” Aug. 27-Sept. 12. David Lindsey-Abaire’s heartening and hilarious play, set in suburban New Jersey, about a teen with a rare condition causing her body to age faster than normally. When the family flees Secaucus under dubious circumstances, Kimberly is forced to reevaluate her life on conflictive turf: a hypochondriac mother, an alcoholic father, a scam-artist aunt, her own mortality and the possibility of first love.
“Outside Mullingar,” Oct. 15-31. John Patrick Shanley, author of “Doubt” and “Moonstruck,” penned this romantic comedy, set in rural Ireland, about Anthony and Rosemary, lovelorn farmers who are clueless when it comes to love. Challenged by a bitter land feud, familial rivalries and fears of finding happiness, they learn – amid dark humor and poetic prose – that it’s never too late to take a chance on love.
“Over the River and Through the Woods,” Dec. 3-19. A romantic comedy by Joe Pietro, a single Italian dude from New Jersey, anticipating a marketing exec job, is afraid of separation from his beloved but annoying grandparents. His parents have moved on to Florida, but can he resolve a move to Seattle?
“Sugar in Our Wounds,” Jan. 21-Feb. 6. 2022. Donja R. Love’s play, tackling personal freedom during rumors of a forthcoming Emancipation Proclamation, is set in the South, where a mystical tree thrives that generations of slaves have been hanged on. A stranger arrives on the plantation and romance develops, amid untold stories and active imaginations.
“The Father,” March 11-27 2022. A play by Florian Zeller, about Andre, now 80 and a one-time tap dancer, who lives with daughter Anne and her husband Antoine. Or was Andre an engineer, whose daughter lives in London with her new beau Pierre? He wonders if he’s losing his wits.
“Other Desert Cities,” April 29-May 5 2022.I A play by Jon Robin Baitz, about Brooke Wyeth, who returns home to Palm Springs after six-year absence, to celebrate Christmas with her parents, her brother, and her aunt. She announces she soon will publish a memoir, dredging up a pivotal and tragic event in the family’s history, a wound most don’t want reopened.
“Qualities of Starlight,” June 17-July 3 2022. Playwright Gabriel Jason Dean’s tale is about Theo Turner, a young cosmologist on the verge, whose universe explodes when he and his wife travel to the Appalachian South to visit his aging parents, only to discover that they are now meth addicts. The troubled family must sort out and improvise its path into the future.
“Good People,” Aug. 5-21 2022. David Lindsey-Abaire play, set in Southie, a Boston neighborhood, where a night on the town means a few rounds of bingo, where this month’s paycheck covers last month’s bills. Maggie Walsh has been let go from another job, so the tale explores and magnifies the struggles of survival and the quest for tomorrow.
Neil Simon’s “The Sunshine Boys,” a popular Broadway comedy by the prolific playwright, had been announced then postponed because of the pandemic, but is on board to finally be staged June 16 2022 through June 26 2022. Joe Moore and Pat Sajak reunite again, with Moore as Willie Clark and Sajak as Al Lewis; in real life, the actors are former Army buddies — Moore has been a long-time KHON2 news anchor and Sajak is the award-winning host of “Wheel of Fortune.” Bryce Moore makes his professional stage debut in the shadow of his actor dad.
