Even with the ol’ adage, “The show must go on,” the show couldn’t continue for Hawaii’s Nicole Scherzinger on Broadway this past Wednesday (April 23) afternoon.
At a matinee performance of her “Sunset Blvd.” hit at the St. James Theatre on Broadway, a technical mishap forced the cancellation of the show.
Nicole Scherzinger sings “With One Look,” relying on a bullhorn.
Frustrating, yes, but inventive Scherzinger – starring as Norma Desmond in “Sunset” – didn’t allow her audience to be totally disappointed. With her co-star, Tom Francis (he plays Joe Gillis in the show), she took to the stage to announce the cancellation, by grabbing a bullhorn from backstage to make lemonade from a lemon of a situation.
With the support of a backstage track, Scherzinger sang “With One Look,” a tune her Desmond character sings, which at least gave disappointed show-goers to have something to talk about after vacating the theater.
Magician Giancarlo Bernini, in the audience, captured the singer with her bullhorn in an Instagram post, and the show continued as usual for the evening performance…
Show breezes
Coming up:
Boys II Men, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday (April 26), at the Tom Moffatt Waikiki Shell. Ticket prices vary, depending on seat location.
Jefferson Starship, at 8 p.m. June 7, at the Hawaii Theatre. Tickets: $72 to $262.
Lee Ann Rimes, at 6:30 p.m. July 12, at Blaisdell Arena. Ticket prices vary, depending on seat location.
Jayna Elise is Tina in “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical” now at Blaisdell Concert Hall.
“Tina: The Tina Turner Musical” is a powerful eruption of explosive, energetic and expressive songs and dances, probing the ascent and survival of the queen of rock amid a climate of sex abuse and domestic violence.
In the title role, Jayna Elise is luminous and fiery and delivers most of the tunes in the score.( Meagan Dawson plays Tina in some performances).
The show opened last night (April 22) at Blaisdell Concert Hall and continues its short week’s run through Sunday (April 27).
Act I is a painful history of how Tina – formally named Anna-Mae Bullock — became infatuated with music and stardom, despite a relationship with a dominating and abusive beau/husband, Ike Turner (Sterling Baker McClary), who is perfectly unlikeable. He smacks her repeatedly and it is painful to endure.
Act II is where Tina validates her reign and delivers simply the best of her ditties – with the splendid support of the Ikettes (Mya Bryant, Daniya Jazel, Morgan Lewis and Aiyana Smash, back-uppers who possess pizzazz. ).
Jayna Elise as Tina: Luminous and fiery…and delivers a punch!
Elise/Tina received the loudest support (applause, cheers, hoots) in the moment that she stopped being Ike’s punching bag, and delivered a pivotal return punch (yeah, right where it hurts the most!) in an unexpected response to halt being a victim.
“Tina” has everything you’d expect:
A parade of juke box hits (“What’s Love Got to Do With It,” “Private Dancer,” “River Deep, Mountain High,” “We Don’t Need Another Hero,””(Simply) The Best”).
Shimmering gowns, some fringed.
That one costumed piece that became a Tina trademark: a blue jean jacket worn with a dress.
Infectious and demanding choreography (by Anthony Van Laast).
An array of background projections and scenic (by Jeff Sugg).
Because of the adult themes, the show is not suitable for young children; perhaps age 15-16 and up could attend. Further, the dialogue contains some swear words, and the N word is uttered several times.
While the score should rightfully relate to Ike and Tina, the usage is occasionally awkward. So, the overview is like a patchwork blanket with random pieces that suit the eye or color motif.
The 10-member orchestra often is too loud, drowning stage vocals; a bit of toning down might be in order, even though this is a rock/pop act performance. Or the alternative might be considered: those with soft voices might amp up a skosh.
Elise has quickly picked up the local spirit, shouting “Aloha, Hawaii” at the final curtain, before launching a couple of hana hou selections; no, she’s not yet acclimated to the island shout-out for an encore. Surely, she’ll know the terminology and turf by the end of the run.
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“Tina: the Tina Turner Musical”
What: A musical biography of the queen of rock, with book by Katori Hall, with Frank Ketelaar and Kees Prince, with music by various composers
Where: Blaisdell Concert Hall
When: 7:30 p.m. April 23 and 24, 8 p.m. April 25, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. April 26; and 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. April 27
Tickets: Varies, depending on date and seat locations; visit www.Broadway inHawaii.com
Running time: 2 hours 45 minutes.
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Three Broadway shows in $3 million club
And then there were three: “Wicked,” in the No. 2 slot on this week’s roster of Broadway grosses, outpaced “Othello,” which slid to No.3. George Clooney’s “Good Night, and Good Luck” remained No.1.
It was the first time ever that three productions surpassed $3 million in the weekly recaps.
The Top 10:
1—”Good Night, And Good Luck,” $3.882 million
2—” Wicked,” $3.333 million
3—”Othello,” $3.123 million
4—”The Lion King,” $2.940 million
5—”Glengarry Glen Ross,” $2.362 million
6— “Hamilton,” $2.164 million
7—” Aladdin,” $2.027 million
8—”MJ the Musical,” $1.719 million
9—” Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” $1.612 million
Buz Tennent, an accomplished baritone with musical comedy and operatic credits, will portray Miguel de Cervantas, aka Don Quixote, in Diamond Head Theatre’s “Man of La Mancha,” which opens May 23 for a run through June 8.
The Tony Award-winning show is considered one of the greatest musicals of all times, set in the time of the Spanish Inquisition, written by Dale Wasserman, with music Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion.
The story is about a man who doesn’t give up his impossible dream and show is operatic in motif, featuring such riches as “I, Don Quixote,” “Dulcinea,” and the trademark anthem, “The Impossible Dream.”
The cast also includes Mo Radke as Sancho Panza, Richard Power as the Governor/Innkeeper, Garrett Hols as The Duke/Dr. Carrasco, Laurence Paxton as Padre, Joe Kartyak as Barber/Captain of the Inquisition, Anna Young as Aldonza/Dulcinea, Amy K. Sullivan as Housekeeper, Brianna Johnston as Maria/Moorish Girl, Lakshmi Vermui as Fermina, Lainey Hicks as Antonia, Michael Abdo as Muleteer Anselm/Dr. Carrasco, Brian Willis as Muleteer Pedro.
Other Muleteers are Joseph Lee, Lee Nebe, Phillip Ikaika Foster, Paul Garcia and Casey Lauti.
Ensemble players are Celia Chun, Lainey Hicks, Brianna Johnston, James Lauer, Cassidy Ross, Amy K. Sullivan, Lakshmi Vemuri and Presley Wheeler.
Buz Tennent
Bryce Chaddick is director, John Rampage is choreographer, and Jenny Shiroma is musical director.
Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, at 3 p.m. Saturdays and at 4 p.m. Sundays.
“Kim’s Convenience,” a comedy by Ins Choi, will be staged May 15 through June 8, at the Manoa Valley Theatre.
The show, about a family operating a convenience store in Toronto, has been a popular sit-com favorite on cable TV. It explores a myriad of topics and themes, about family traditions, cultural and racial clashes, generational confrontations, and everyday 9moments in making a living while retaining work-a-day highs and lows.
The cast features Brandon Hagio as Appa, Sun Min Chun-Dayondon as Umma, David Tang as Jung, Miki Yamamoto as Janet, Jonathan Beck as Mr. Lee/Alex/Mike and elywyattnakaulu’aina rapoza as Rich.
Reiko Ho is director.
Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and also at 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are $25 to $48, available at www.manoavalleytheatre.com or (808) 988-6131…
Clooney breaks his own record
George Clooney’s “Good Night, and Good Luck,” which he co-wrote with Grant Heslov, has broken its own record.
George Clooney
The drama, directed by David Cromer, surpassed its own record-high grossing record, amassing ticket sales of $3,784,200 for the first full week of performances for the week ending April 11.
The gross also broke the house record of its venue, the Winter Garden Theatre.
Could the show rev up sales a skosh, to bypass the elusive $3 million? Hmmmm…
Actor-producer-writer Daniel Dae Kim, the “Lost” and “Hawaii Five-O” actor who’s a sometime resident of Honolulu, recently was honored at the NYU Tisch School for Arts.
Winnie Holzman, an American playwright, screenwriter, and producer, also was an honoree. A Tisch grad like Kim, she wrote the book of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical “Wicked,”” and also co-wrote the screenplays for the movie version of “Wicked” and next year’s Part Two, “Wicked for Good.”
Kim earned his MFA in Tisch School’s Graduate Acting Program in 1996. His son Jackson also is an NYU grad.
Like Father, Like Son: Dad Daniel Dae Kim. left, with son Jackson, right.
Kim’s a man for all seasons, and an entertainment icon for all reasons. He’s become a prolific and pertinent Asian resource in recent years, widening his savvy and significance in everything, on camera and off.
Kim is a powerhouse TV figure: He’s completed three TV series with more than 100 episodes – the Hawaii-originated “Lost” on ABC and “Five-0” on CBS, and he appeared in and also produced “The Good Doctor” on ABC.
He’s big in voicing: In season one of Netflix’s “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” Kim voiced General Fong in one episode, but in season two, he’s playing Fire Lord Ozai in the live-action adaptation. He voiced seven episodes as Hiroshi Sato in “The Legend of Korra,” an animated series.
Kim, in “The King and I.”
He sings — when going theatrical: He’s successfully conquered the musical stage, starring as the The King of Siam in “The King and I” at London’s Robert Albert Hall and on Broadway at Lincoln Center. Last year, he also starred in a comedy, “Yellow Face,” at the Todd Haimes Theatre. But no vocalizing here.
Next up: Kim is producing and will star in a spy series, “Butterfly,” already filmed in South Korea, where he was born (in Busan). It is his first multi-season scripted series where he plays the lead role. Amazon has not set a release date.
Still simmering: “Makawalu,” a feature film initiated by the Hawaii International Film Festival, which he has agreed to executive-produce. The ambitious project will be co-directed by eight Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) filmmakers, the first of its kind in the islands
He’s got the spirit: Yes, he lives in Hawaii as often as feasible, traveling to wherever and whenever a project beckons. He also has residences in New York and Los Angeles, but for Kim, it’s Hawaii No Ka Oi. It’s all about the aloha spirit…
It’s sort of been a Broadway musical explosion on local stages. A lot of fare, with flair.
An epidemic, in a good way.
And perhaps, the best is yet to come.
Broadway frenzy is everywhere. And growing. Song and dance casts are popular. So are familiar show titles from the past, revived for a new generation. Something new often generates big box office, too.
First off, that three-show “Broadway in Hawaii” season starts next Tuesday (April 22), with the Hawaii premiere of “Tina – The Tina Turner Musical” playing for a week at the renovated Blaisdell Concert Hall. Following later: “Six the Musical,” a frisky, discofied parody of the six wives of King Henry VII, in a two-week residency beginning June 17, culminating in “Chicago,” the John Kander/Fred Ebb evergreen opening a week’s engagement beginning Dec. 2.
For many seasons, Diamond Head Theatre has flourished with Broadway musicals; “Grease” just wound up a run, with “Man of La Mancha” following May 22 and “The SpongeBob Musical” expected to have a huge underwater frenzy beginning July 18.
DHT’s earlier 2023-24 roster was chockfull of musicals: “Mamma Mia!,” “My Fair Lady,” “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940,” “Kiss Me Kate,” “Tootsie,” and “Frozen.”
DHT’s forthcoming 2025-26 season is anticipated to be one of the biggest slates yet, with “Come From Away” making its Hawaii premiere Sept. 12, to launch the parade of shows. Revivals of “West Side Story” starting March 20, 2026, and “Funny Girl” beginning May 22, 2026, will fill seats. And “Les Miserables,” 40 years old and still with an immense heartbeat (meaning a blockbuster pulse), caps the coming season’s agenda beginning July 31, 2026. Do you hear the people sing? You will! And with a new tech/set designer aboard, anticipation is higher than ever, for visual splendor along with stellar acting.
Manoa Valley Theatre just closed a held-over staging of “Parade,” and earlier mounted a splendid “Once on This Island.” “Side by Side by Sondheim” will conclude the season beginning July 17. And during its 2025-26 season, watch for two Broadway biggies, “Priscilla Queen of the Desert,” starting Nov. 13, and “Spring Awakening,” beginning March 19, 2026. It’s amazing how much MVT can pack in its little space!
The I’m a Bright Kid Foundation will follow up its stunning “Newsies” hit from last summer, with a revival of “Gypsy,” playing for three weekends Aug. 8 to 24 at Paliku Theatre, Windward Community Theatre. Everything’s coming up roses for the organization, which continues to perpetuate and preserve the legacy of the late teacher-director, Ron Bright, remembered for his superb high school shows with student casts over the decades when he was primarily a high school director, and later a disguished force in community extravaganzas with adult performers.
Speaking of high school theatrics: The Broadway fever has spread to high school slates. Among them:
The Kaimuki Performing Arts Company just staged “Beetlejuice.”
Farrington High School scored points from kids with its “Moana 2.”
Kamehameha thespians and Mililani High casts tackled “Hadestown.”
Iolani said hello to “Hello Dolly!” at Hawaii Theatre.
HTY season celebrates communities
The Honolulu Theatre for Youth, now in its 71st year, still is perking and creating stories and plays that celebrate Hawaii’s many communities.
The season is themed “Stories From Hawaii and Beyond,” and explores tales from around the globe and even outer space. Four world premieres are among the offerings.
“An important part of growing up “local” is being surrounded by the beauty and complexity of the many cultures that make up our community here in Hawaii,” said Eric Johnson, HTY artistic director. “This in turn, ignites curiosity and aloha for people and places beyond our shores. This season celebrates stories from this pace and invites us to look beyond as far as our imaginations can take us, from outer space to the plains of Africa.”
The season at a glance:
“Tales of the Sun and Moon,” is a world premiere by Reiko Ho and the HTY Ensemble, comprised of myths and legends from Hawaii and cultures around the world.
“Line Circle Sphere,” by Danica Rosengren and HTY Ensemble, an interactive exploration of art in collaboration with Capitol Modern: The Hawaii State Art Museum.
“Uncle’s (Mostly True) Stories of the Philippines,” by veteran company member Hermenigildo “Junior” Tesoro and the HTY Ensemble, a piece celebrating the history and peoples of the Philippines.
“Annika’s Elephants,” by Annie Evans, helmed by Pam Arciero, ‘Sesame Street” veteran and native Hawaiian puppeteer, early 2026. The tale is about a young Kenyan girl who befriends a baby elephant and explores the current plight of Africa’s elephants.
“Joseph Kekuku and the Voice of the Steel Guitar,” returns in February and March, paired with “Pa ka Makani.” The former is a story by Moses Goods in collaboration with the Kealakai Center for Pacific Strings, and the latter,” by Lokomaika‘i Lipscomb, Hanalei Marques Marzan and Annie Cusick Wood.
“The Tiny Tree,” by Annie Cusic Wood, plays in April. It is an interstellar adventure including songs, puppets and a multitude of characters.
“HAPA: The Musical About Being Many Things,” by the HTY Ensemble and Moses Goods, will be staged April through May, as the season’s finale. Playdates of public performances have not been announced.
