Category: Stage

We’re reviewing two stage musicals here — Diamond Head Theatre’s “Cinderella,” the first show in its new facility, and Manoa Valley Theatre’s “The Mystery of Edwin Drood.”

We liked one, but not so much the other…

‘Cinderella’

“Cinderella,” the Rodgers and Hammerstein version of the fairy tale about a servant girl who has dreams of good fortunes, is the first musical in the new $22.37 million Diamond Head Theatre.

It is not to be confused with the popular animated Disney version, though the characters are similar: Cinderella has a stepmother and two dipsy stepsisters, in a kingdom where a Prince is staging a ball and looking for love.

Of course, there is a Fairy Godmother who grants Cinderella her wish to attend the ball, but there is no “Bibbidy-Bobbidy -Boo” song here.

The last Broadway revival of this R&H version was known for the incredible and inventive costume design, which won a Tony Award for William Ivey Long, who literally turned rags to riches into marvelous garb with the changes instantly right before your eyes. I saw it on Broadway and not much more mattered, considering this gift of instantaneous wardrobe change.

DHT’s rendering boasts great voices, but redundant choreography scenes, and its  fab costume switch, with Ella’s ball grown drifting downward on a hanger  from the venue’s new fly space is effective  –with kokua from a few huddled cast members – with the unseen switcheroo happening as quickly as possible.

The palatial ball, however  lacks sparkle and party frou-frou, with a skimpy wooden frame depicting a staircase for Ella’s entrance, almost as if funding for a prettier set fell short because money was spent on the theater, a priority over a glitzy party décor.

Christine Kluvo has the right look and voice to render Ella, but the “find” is Paula Fuga as the Godmother, a rather calm savior who brings command and wisdom to the plate; “It’s Possible” is her motto, not “Impossible,” and “Fol-de-Rol” is her answer to “Bibbidy-Bobbidy-Boo.”

Larry Paxton as The King and Anna Young as The Queen also provide vocal enchantment, and in this telling, the stepmother (Lisa Konove) and her two diddley daughters Portia (Stacy Pulmano) and Joy (Barrie Kealoha) are  simply cartoonish figures in flamboyant costumes and giddy but not genuinely funny.

The Prince (Nick Amador) has a competent voice, but seems to be  a boring royal who finally takes an interest in the ball after Ella shows up in his life. You know the drill; she cuts short her visit because, well, you know what happens after midnight if she’s tardy.

Though the theater has that aerial loft, some set pieces (Ella’s home and the palace exterior) still are rolled on and off stage, the old-fashioned way. And while there is an orchestra pit, musical conductor Lindsay Rabe didn’t take that post-intermission bow.

Alas, director-choreographer John Rampage can’t manufacture laugher or emotion if  they’re not in the script. And with obvious budget constraints, set designer Dawn Oshima and prop designer John M. Cummings III could not fill the stage with grand embellishments. Even the chariot that brings Ella to the ball – the re-imagined pumpkin-turned-coach – is flat with a lone merry-go-round pony.

In her finale as costume director, the retiring Karen G. Wolfe creates elegant gowns and suits favoring hues of sherbet, salmon and white,  for the cast of nearly 40. Or perhaps she can squeeze a dollar from a quarter.

Rampage, as DHT’s artistic director,  has been a tireless and innovative craftsman for decades but misses the mark here. The magical spell is missing.

The new theater is awesome, offering comfortable seats, leg room. and great sight patterns, though there’s no far left or far right aisle, if your seats are in the first six or seven rows. The interior looks like a work in progress, so the space has no personality.

There’s a concession bar plus ample restrooms (outdoors, not within the theater).

The capacity is nearly 500 seats, equaling the old DHT, now demolished. The new main entrance is on the makai side of the new facility, instead of the usual back of the house entry facing the street, so if you park at Kapiolani Community College, there are steps or a wheelchair walkway, to get below street level and the side “front” door.

And parking at KCC currently is a maze, because of construction work and coning and barricading, the only entry is from Makapuu Avenue and one way  is out via Kilauea Avenue, so caution is advised.

‘Cinderella’

Plays Thursdays through Sundays, through Feb. 12. According to the DHT website, the run — including a week’s extension — is virtually sold out.

Tickets: (808) 733-0274  or at www.diamondheadtheatre.com

‘The Mystery of Edwin Drood’

Manoa Valley Theatre boasts a stunning revival of “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” playing through Jan. 29, and the impressive music-hall set, designed by Andrew Doan, is the first thing you see. The two pairs of box seats (three are utilized as staging areas, the fourth houses orchestra) punctuate the setting of a show house in the London of 1895.

Update: MVT has extended the run of “Drood” through Feb. 5.

The velvet curtain opens, and you start meeting and hearing  this vigorous and vital ensemble, and they’re having fun and you can’t resist joining in. Enticing entertainment follows,.

Directed and choreographed by Miles Phillips (with Taylor Gruver as co-choreographer), this little musical, written by Rupert Holmes, is a play within a play, inspired by an unfinished Charles Dickens novel, which enables the show to engage the audience in deciding who among the cast is a murderer.

Being an ensemble piece, everyone is a somebody and every move might be a clue in this whodunit. If there are “leads,” it would be Christopher Denton as the Chairman, Mr. William Cartwright, Miguel Cadoy III, as Mr. Clive Paget as John Jasper; Susan Johnson Green, as Miss Angela Prysock as Princess Puffer; Kim Anderson, as Miss Deirdre Peregrine as Rosa Bud; Chelsea Carline as Miss Alice Nutting, as Edwin Drood; and Alexandra Zinov as Miss Janet Conover as Helena Landless.

The score offers a gamut of styles, from quasi-opera to show-tune ballads, from light rock to jaunty gems, but no hummable tunes you’ll remember. But Denton as the emcee-chairman, and Cadoy as Jasper, engage in a jewel of a tongue-twister and rapid-fire “Both Sides of the Coin.” Worth going just to experience and applaud this one.

Musical director Jenny Shiroma, as orchestra maestro, has a couple of occasions to shout out a reply from an actor, and she plays the game like the rest of us.

Hannah Jitsukawa’s costumes reflect the era, from bright and showbizzy to dark and somber.

A raise-your-hand survey, to determine the culprit, is somewhat overplayed, and yes, votes matter.

‘The Mystery Edwin Drood’

Playing Thursdays through Sundays, through Jan.29. Update: The show has been extended through Feb. 5.

Tickets: $24 to $45, discounts available for seniors, military, and youths up to 25,  at (808) 988-6131  or www.manoavalleytheatre.com …

Broadway grosses, for week ending Jan. 22

With the closure of “The Music Man,” Hugh Jackman’s $3 million-plus blockbuster during most of its run, guess which show now is the No. 1 hottie. The top seven productions, for the week ending Jan. 22:

No. 1 — “The Phantom of the Opera,” $2.227 million. It winds up its extended run on April 16.

No. 2 — “Hamilton,”: $1.946 million.

No. 3 — “Funny Girl,” $1.933 million.

No. 4 — “The Lion King,” $1.795 million.

No. 5 –“Wicked,” $1.657 million.

No. 6 — “MJ,” $1.654 million.

No. 7 — “Moulin Rouge,” $1.437 million.

The compilation is courtesy The Broadway League:

And that’s Show Biz. …

And that’s Show Biz. …

Can you imagine a casino and hotel smack dab  in the heart of Broadway’s Times Square?

It could happen, sooner or later, depending on who gets the nod to develop the casino/gambling rights over the next year or decade.

Roc Nation, the show biz agency founded by Jay-Z, is one of a growing list of three prospects to build a gambling element in the heart of the Great White Way, which, of course, is a mecca for Broadway musicals, plays, and comedies.

The site in the heart of Times Square, where the glittering ball is dropped on New Year’s Eve, is a 54-story office structure that fronts 44^th and 45^th Streets, and tenants include Viacom, whose global anchor is here, plus the Minskoff Theatre, where “The Lion King” has been roaring there since Disney relocated the hit musical.

If successful, developer  SL Green and Caesars Entertainment and could help provide billions of dollars in tax revenue to New York City and New York State.

A rendering of the Caesars Palace Time Square hotel and casino.

Caesars Palace Times Square would likely occupy the lower eight floors of the building, while an 800-key hotel would complement the casino and occupy the floors above. Further, several restaurants and entertainment destinations could be provided by Roc Nation.

“There’s no better partner than Jay-Z and Roc Nation to help Caesars Palace Times Square ensure that Times Square remains a global entertainment hub and an economic engine for New York,” said Marc Holliday, chairman and CEO of SL Green, in a recent statement. “Together, we will bring the nearly 130 million annual pedestrians a stronger and more exciting Times Square to visit, reunifying the bow tie around a new set of innovative programming that will appeal to New Yorkers and tourists.”

The project team for Caesars Palace Times Square indicates the bid —  one of two in the running  — is supported by a broad coalition of Times Square stakeholders representing construction labor, Broadway labor, restaurants, hotels, small businesses, theater, and local residents. AKRF, a New York City-based engineering and developer consulting firm, projects an annual increase of seven million new visitors, should the casino be approved.

“We have the opportunity to create a destination at the heart of Times Square, the true crossroads of the world,” said Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter. “My partnership with SL Green and Caesars, this coalition, has all the promise and commitment to economic opportunity, growth, and enrichment for the community, and everyone who visits the Empire State.”

“Times Square has been the heartbeat of American Entertainment for over a century,” said Tom Reeg, CEO of Caesars Entertainment. “Through our shared vision, we will build a world-class destination specifically designed to complement and elevate today’s Times Square experience, ensuring it remains a magnet for visitors and a hub of creativity for years to come.”

Not from away in mid-town, another casino option is in the works atop the luxury department store, Saks Fifth Avenue. Hudson’s Bay Company, which owns the Saks brand, said it wants to convert its top three floors into a Monte- Carlo-style gambling house.

The project, starting on the ninth floor of the high-end retailer, will cover about 200,000 square feet. Developer Hudson’s Bay, which owns Saks, plans to devote a new lobby with a separate red-carpet-lined entrance for the casino.

“It will be comparable to the aesthetics and luxury detailing of the Saks Fifth Avenue store,” said Trenesa Danuser, a spokeswoman for Hudson’s Bay, and its Related Companies developer.

Overall attendance and box office grosses on Broadway, while spectacular during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, still have not grown to pre-pandemic levels, and there is considerable anxiety – not necessarily hatred, but concerns  — against the Caesars vision  about how changes will impact  commuting patterns, entertainment consumption and the global economy and how this new blood might affect its long-term health.

The Saks proposal is relatively modest — and this might be a blessing. The redesign of Saks would not involve the demolition of the retailer’s building, and the project could be completed within a year, after permits and licensing are completed.

In Queens, Steve Cohen is considering a casino bid on roughly 50 acres of publicly owned land next to Citi Field, while Thor Equities is eyeing   a Coney Island project in Brooklyn. And the Las Vegas Sands has announced plans to seek a casino license on the nearly 80-acre site of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Long Island. …

Imelda revival has isle ties – again

“Here Lies Love,” an award-winning “disco pop” off-Broadway musical about the life and times of Imelda Marcos, is heading to Broadway this summer.

The original piece, with a score by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim, starred Ruthie Ann Miles, who portrayed the first lady of the Philippines, in an off-Broadway production at the Public Theatre. She later went on to win a Tony for portraying Lady Thiang, in Lincoln Center’s exquisite revival of “The King and I.”

“Love” again will have island ties, this time with a backstager from Hawaii. Celia Kaleialoha Kenney, daughter of restaurateur Ed Kenney Jr., is one of four Filipino co-producers of the Broadway-bound musical. The other three are Miranda Gohh, Rob Laqui and Giselle “G” Tongi.

A cast has not yet been announced, and the intention is to secure Filipino actors.

The original creative team will return, including Tony-winning director Alex Timbers, choreographer Annie-B Parson and Clint Ramos, a Tony winner who has served as designer and a creative director as well as a producer.

A Filipino creative team is involved this time, with music director J. Oconer Navarro, costume designer Clint Ramos, casting director Gail Quintos , assistant director Billy Bustamante, assistant stage manager Sheryl Polancos and aforementioned producer Töngi also serving as cultural and community liaison.

Previews begin June 12, with the opening set for July 20 at the Broadway Theatre, the only one of five  New York theaters actually on Broadway. …

Broadway grosses, week ending Jan. 8

A few surprises made the Top 7 in the weekly listing of Broadway show grosses.

The outlook:

1 –“The Music Man,” with $3.146 million.

2–“The Phantom of the Opera,” with $1.285 million.

3 — “Beetlejuice,” with $2.146 million.

4– “Hamilton,” with $2.120 million.

5 — “Funny Girl,” with $2.062 million.

6 — “The Lion King,” with $1.996 million.

7 — “Wicked,” with $1.962 million.=

The full list, courtesy The Broadway Group:

And that’s Show Biz. …

I revisited “Hamilton” for the third time earlier this week (Dec. 21) at the Blaisdell Concert Hall,  experiencing a different Alexander Hamilton, Tre Frazier; another Eliza Schuler, Emma Claye; and a new George Washington, Ellis C. Dawson III.

It was a half-full house, on a week night, and I hope the empty seats get filled in the coming weeks since “Hamilton” runs through Jan. 29.

Simply put, it’s a pleasure to experience different performers since cast members have days off. So  it matters little who’s doing a role. It was my third time here watching this incredible show … and three earlier viewings in New York and Chicago. I never tire of seeing something I like, over and over.

A touring company like this one, dubbed “And Peggy,” commonly will have cast adjustments and a high bar to contend with, but in reality, anyone cast in any role must be capable of working up to the level  established by the original New York company that originally showcased Lin-Manuel Miranda.

The understudies, like the aforementioned, are vital for a big production like “Hamilton.” They fill in for principals, who get a night or day off from the tight schedule, not only in tours like this cast but in sit-down shows anchored in such markets as Broadway and the West End. Understudies provide a valuable role and doing leads bolster their profiles.

When you attend a show, here or elsewhere, that inserted white sheet in your playbill will list alternates filling in for the regular leads. Since you don’t know traveling casts, you won’t know who’s principal or who’s understudy, so just soak in the performances. Better yet, revisit the show and see others in action. You won’t be disappointed…remember, understudies matter. …

Broadway grosses, week ending Dec. 16

It’s a toasty Christmas for “The Music Man,” which grosses $3.255 million last week. You might thing the No. 1 hit featuring Hugh Jackman hit the cast is chirping, “It’s a Most Wonderful World.”

No. 2 was “The Lion King,” earning $2.449 million. Its anthem just might be, “O Come All Ye Faithful.”

No. 3 was “Hamilton,” pulling in $2.255  million. Its shot could be, “Joy to the World.”

No. 4 was “Wicked,” logging $1.159 million. Its bewitching popularity merits a bouncy ditty, so why not “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”?.

No. 5 is a  newbie in the million dollar club, “Funny Girl,” amassing $2.005 million. The thematic “Jingle Bell Rock” could apply here, since the cash registers have been ringing like crazy since Lea Michele became Fanny Brice.

The listing is courtesy The Broadway League:

And that’s Show Biz. …

Hawaii’s Ruthie Ann Miles, a Tony Award winner, will be part of the cast of a revival of “Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” the acclaimed musical by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler.

Miles will  play the Beggar Woman in this reboot, headlined by Josh Groban as the murderess barber Sweeney Todd and Annaleigh Ashford  as Mrs. Lovett, the pie maker.

Miles, a Kaimuki High School graduate, earned a Best Supporting Actress in a Musical Tony for her portrayal of Lady Thiang in an earlier revival of “The King and I.”

Other supporting roles include Jordan Fisher, from “Dear Evan Hanson,” as Anthony, and Gaten Matarazzo, of “Stranger Things, “as Tobias.

Thomas Kail, who directed Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony-winning “Hamilton,” will helm the show.

Previews begin Feb. 26 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, with opening night set for March 26…

Hiccups on KSSK

I’ve been listening to KSSK, to get into the holiday mood, and it’s a most wonderful thing to hear the likes of Johnny Mathis, Andy Williams, Nat King Cole, Dean Martin, Brenda Lee, and many others whose vocals are not commonly on the airwaves these days.

But the radio station has a peculiar hiccup/stutter distraction, where a word or two is repeated. Sounds like those old phonograph records, which can jump or be stuck while listening, but KSSK’s music resources are all digital, so something’s quirky on air and that shouldn’t be happening.

Makes me wonder if anyone deejaying on air listens to what’s playing, to fix the problem.

Just wondering …

Broadway grosses, week ending Dec. 11

“The Music Man” still prevails at No. 1, in Broadway gross tallies, with $3.389 million.

But there’s been a bit of up-and-down rankings last week.

No. 2 is “The Lion King,” with $2.365 million.

No. 3 is “Wicked,” with $2.083 million.

No.4 is “Hamilton,” normally second, but dropping to $2.077 million.

No. 5 is “The Phantom of the Opera,” with $2.020 million

The list is courtesy of the Broadway League…

And that’s Show Biz. …

“Hamilton,” Lin-Manuel Miranda’s highly anticipated musical that embraces hip-hop and rap to depict the  history and climate of the nation’s founding fathers, opens a historic eight-week run tonight (Dec. 7) at the Blaisdell Concert Hall.

 The show — which has won 11 Tony Awards (including Best Musical), the Grammy Award for Best Musical, and the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama –is the first Broadway musical ever to be booked for an extended run through Jan. 29. Most shows are in and out of town for two, maybe three weeks, so this is a biggie. Hope Hawaii supports this mammoth endeavor.

I have seen the show twice at New York’s Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway, once with the original cast that featured the beloved creator who did the book, music and lyrics.

I have fond memories of the first time, when Miranda was the lead. It was so difficult and expensive to secure tickets then, because of high demand and the frustration of elevated ticket prices. Long story short: I had to pay $750 per ticket ($1,500 for a pair) and the seats were in the second-to-the-last-row in the balcony, where you almost could touch the ceiling!  But worth it, what with the anticipation and expectation of a high-profile show.

My second visit was in Chicago, when local boy Joseph Morales was portraying the Sunday matinees at the Private Bank Theatre (now renamed). He since has assumed the Hamilton role in an ongoing national tour for nearly three years, criss-crossing the U.S. and earning hurrahs, before the pandemic and since all theatrical shows resumed tours.

The third time was again in New York, when Big Islander Marc delaCruz was in the ensemble and understudying the Hamilton and other roles before the pandemic.

Here’s the rub: Wherever you sit or whomever plays the title role, it’s highly likely you’ll be charmed.

The show has been a leader in diverse casting, with Hispanics, African Americans, Asians and others singing and dancing among white actors. Don’t be stunned if George Washington is an African American.

In the production here, DeAundre Woods will play Hamilton.

And if you think you’ve seen “Hamilton,” since you watched that luscious and revealing filmed version on Disney+, you really haven’t. Like the promos airing on TV say, to truly appreciate the show, you have “be in the room where it happens,” meaning in a theater. The film had bonuses of close-ups and aerial shots, but theater means being there in the flesh.

I will be taking in three performances here, for different reasons; I’ll attend a media performance on Thursday (Dec. 8), and also on Saturday (Dec. 10 is my season ticket slot). But I’ll be in the room where it happens again on Dec. 21, when I’m inviting my nephew, who will be spending Christmas in Hawaii, on a break from his Army duties at Ft. Bragg, N.C.

Some general advice and tidbits, for first-timers at the show:

• Get acclimated in advance to the cadence and rhythm of the hip-hop raps. If you saw the Disney film, great; you know the flavor and tempos. If not, secure a CD to listen to the numbers before attending. In other words, prepare for your investment in tickets and time.
• This visiting cast is dubbed “And Peggy.” That’s the name of the tour, with other companies also boasting a different code name.
•  There’s a marvel of techie stuff on the single set, which has multiple movements to fit the needs; all shows (assuming And Peggy, too) utilize a turntable revolving stage that’s part of the choreographic modes.
• King George (a delightful character) appears in the show twice, so his big number, “I’ll Be Back,” rings true. FYI, his crown weighs 2 ½ lbs. and conceals his mike. You’ll adore him.
• A catwalk will fly in-between acts, so if you’re in the house, look for this set installation. Be in the house when it happens.
•  “Hamilton” is the lone show, one of four in the Broadway in Hawaii season, which employs mobile tickets for non-season sales. Season subscribers had “hard” tickets mailed to buyers; if you ordered via Ticketmaster or the Blaisdell box office, you’ll have to transfer your tickets to your mobile phone for entry. (Those without iPhones can complete ticketing at the box office on the night or day of the performance).
• “Hamilton” has a special color for some costumes, including the lead actor’s coats, a tannish tone, dubbed “Hamil-tan.”
• It takes 13 trailers (53 footers) to transit the show from one city to the next (not certain if those trailers moved via planes or boats).
• Splurge a little before you exit; secure a souvenir of a memory you won’t forget. On Broadway, I purchased a T-shirt as well as a baseball cap with A. HAM inscribed…

And that’s Show Biz. …