Greg Zane will direct and choreograph Diamond Head Theatre’s “The SpongeBob Musical,” opening a run July 18 through Aug. 3.
Jenny Shiroma will be musical director.
Nickelodeon’s undersea world of Bikini Bottom, originally a TV cartoon favorite of young kids, was transformed into a flashy Broadway musical, bringing the heart, humor, fantasy and fun to an adult sensation, with an explosion of sea-worthy colors and antics, and a bounty of bubbly music enriching the score, with tunes by John Legend, Cyndi Lauper and David Bowie.
Greg Zane
The cast is already rehearsing for the see-worthy fun. Chad Navarro will play the beloved SpongeBob SquarePants, Zach Oldham will be his buddy Patrick Star, Nathaniel Ryan-Kern is Squidward Q. Tentacles, Mehana Stone is Sandy Cheeks, Lee Nebe is Eugene H. Krabs, Presley Wheeler is Sheldon Plankton, AikoSchick is Karen the Computer, Sage Nguyen is Pearl Krabs, Lainey Hicks is Mrs. Puffs, Landon Ballesteros is Patchy the Pirate/Perch Perkins, Cassidy Ross is The Mayor of Bikini Bottom,
Genesis Kaeo is Buster Bluetang/Electric Skates, Isaiah Gundermann Graham is Old Man Jenkins/Electric Skates, and Andrew Erwin is Larry the Lobster/Electric Skates.
The ensemble will include Nanea Allen,Marisa Noelle Capalbo, Celia Chun, Alana Clayson, Sammy Houghtailing, James Lauer, and Timmy “Tino” Nozaki.
Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and at 3 p.m. Saturdays and 4 p.m. Sundays. Extended playdates are likely, considering the popularity of “SpongeBob.”
Tickets are $41 to $68, on sale at the at www.diamondheadtheatre.com and at the box office, (808) 733-0274….
“Six: The Musical” might be deemed a musical for the Tik Tok generation. It’s now, it’s pow, it’s empowerment for women.
The Broadway show opened last night (June 17) for a two-week residency (through June 29) as the second of three Broadway in Hawaii attractions at Blaisdell Concert Hall.
“Six” plays like a pulsating concert and doubles like a talent show competition. It’s like a routine Broadway musical , but on steroids, with unbridled energy from a versatile cast of six, which sings loudly and proudly and uncorks choreographics like disco divas. They enacting the six wives of King Henry VIII.
The cast of “Six: The Musical:” Like a “British Got Talent” competition.
With its competitive spirit, it resembles a “British Got Talent” competish, with emphasis on Tudors, but minus the judges.
It’s a volley of twisted history – fact-checkers need not apply – about grand dames who are “divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, and survived,” in the order of the fates of Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Katherine Howard and CatherineParr. They form the exes of Henry VIII.
Alize Cruz, as Katherine Howard; she dons a pink ponytail, a la Ariana Grande.
In the touring company, the wives are portrayed by Chani Maisonet, Gaby Albo, Kelly Denice Taylor, Danielle Mendoza, Alize Cruz and TasiaJungbauer. You won’t remember their names, so labeling the characters as numbers – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 – would facilitate their identities and fate.
This is super cast with tireless moves and grooves. They’re the highlights of a modern playing field, with ounces of bounces like a pin ball machine.
There’s sizzle and socko animation in the scenic design and lighting (often neon), costumes that are reflective short skirts for four ladies, long pants and short pants for two, orchestration that go-go-goes with throbbing and titillating syncopation. The choreography is brisk and bold, with solo and ensemble dynamics.
Gaby Albo, as Anne Boleyn.
If there were a dance floor, hundreds would be gyrating with joy. Many dress to the nines, to reflect the party spirit. And the audience is generous in cheer and esprit.
The show runs a tidy 80 minutes, with no intermission, and clearly leaves the fans wanting more – could be the reason for the two-week residency, compared to a single week for the first show (“Tina, the Tina Turner Musical,” earlier this summer) and the finale (“Chicago,” in December).
Curiously, there are only nine numbers in the production, a solo apiece for the principals, and a trio of tunes featuring The Queens, in the opening, midway through the show, and at the finale. Because the songs are rich and robust, most with a catchy cadence and delivered by the all-star queens, it just feels like there’s a lot more in the score, thanks to the riveting deliveries.
“Six” could be described as an entertainment to empower womanhood, because of the outspoken rants and ramblings in the storytelling. Surely, the wider appeal is to women, but their beaus will find enough eye candy to relish. The four-member house band dubbed The Ladies in Waiting is comprised of women, deliberately playing on the empowerment of m’ladies.
Pop culture influences are shared, if you explore. Alize Cruz as Katherine Howard flashes a pink ponytail which soars as an obvious tribute to Ariana Grande;Kelly Denise Taylor as Jane Seymour exudes the tone and delivery of either Adele or Beyonce on her “Heart of Stone” tune, bluesy with familiar love overtones.
You’re not likely to carch all the commotion in one visit, so consider a hana hou visit — with seats a-plent, if you buy now…/
————————————————–
“Six: The Musical”
What: A historical musical by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss
Where: Blaisdell Concert Hall
When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sundays, now through June 29
Cameron Macintosh’s “Les Miserables,” easily the world’s No.1 and best-loved musical of all time, descended on Kennedy Center in Washinton D.C. this past Wednesday night, for a residency through July 11.
The show brought out the First Family and the Second Family, plus a contingent of cabinet members of Kennedy Center, not the usual dedicated arts-and-culture leaders.
There were shouts and boos, when President Donald Trump and wife Melania took their seats in the president box in the balcony. To challenge the negativity of the uncomfortable boos, there were chants of “USA! USA!” from the MAGA cheerleaders, even if this was not a rally.
Certainly, this was not the usual tone or turnout of a “Les Miz” evening. Then again, Kennedy Center is no longer quite the usual performing space anymore, since Trump named himself as the board chair, who raised the temperature of usual attendees of productions of theatrical fans, and the president fired everyone on the existing board to hand-pick his choice of supporters.
Donald Trump
According to media reports, about a dozen “Les Miz” cast members declined to show up for work – they didn’t like the politics now at Kennedy – which prompted Richard Grenell, president of the center, to call “out” and ID the holdouts to prevent them from future stage jobs.
Ironically, the production is about heroes and villains, truths and lies, rights and wrongs, war and peace, and much more, based on the epic Victor Hugo novel, with music by Claude-Michel Shoenberg and lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer.
It’s the kind of powerhouse shows patrons adore, but will it elevate Kennedy Center to its former glory days? Subscriptions are a third down since the Trump takeover and the ouster of a savvy board. When No 47 took over, he announced he would not just clean house but eradicate and eliminate drag shows and sidestep drag queens and that brand of actors and themes. That would mean that legit shows like “La Cage Aux Folles” and “Kinky Books” and perhaps even “Cabaret” – box office gold in their prime – might not earn the presidential seal of approval at Kennedy.
J.D. Vance
Trump, who apparently had not seen “Les Miserables” earlier, was asked if he identified more with the protagonist (Jean Valjean) or the antagonist (Inspector Javert), and he couldn’t say one or the other. Smart move; if you don’t know, being mum is best.
Meanwhile, VP J.D. Vance joked on the online X that he had no idea what the musical was about. Sometimes, cluelessness works, too…
‘Princess and the Iso Peanut’ next at MVT
Manoa Valley Theatre will revive Lisa Matsumoto’s and Roslyn Catracchia’s“The Princess and the Iso Peanut,” opening June 19 for a run through July 6.
Curtain time is 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and at 3 p.m. Sundays. Matinee shows will be at 2 p.m. June 21, 28 and July 5.
The pidgin English romp, part of the legacy of Matsumoto, is an adaptation of the fairytale classic, “The Princess and the Pea,” where a princess falls in love with a local Japanese prince in the kingdom of Allyria. The book is by the late playwright, who partnered with Catrachiia, who created the music.
Patrich Fujioka is director, Ka‘ohi Yojo Daniels and Ahnya Chang are choreographers, MJ Matsushita is set designer and scenic artist, Annie Yoshida is prop designer, Chris Gouveia is lighting designer and master electrician, Mattea Mazzella is sound designer, Mei Nakano is costume designer, and Ponce de Leon is hair and makeup designer.
Devon Nekoba
The bountiful cast features Devon Nekoba as King Arthur, Kana Tyler as Queen Yumiko, Seanalei Nishimoto as Royal Sing/Lumpia/Guinevere, Brandee Doi as Royal Singer/Nisan, Chaslyn Kuiee as Royal Singer/Tink She Baddes, Julie Okumura as Queen Alyssa/Tink She Mo Bad, Chad Okumura as King Alfred/SanSan, Mark Ikenaga as Nathan, Austin Ajimura as Prince Chah Ming Won, Jantzen Shinmoto as Prince Yoshi, Kevin Molina as Russell, Allan Okubo as Uncle Masa, Nolan Hong as King Yuichi, Casey Park as Queen Evelyn/Trad Singer/Bagaong, Jacob Edwards as King Rup/Alexander/Navy Cap, Jill Chung as Janice/Titaele.
Also, Caitlin Bright as Queen Alana, Relle Reavis as Princess Alexis, Carley Park as Trad Singer/Tink She Bad, Mana Franquez as Trad Singer/Ho Stuck Up, Keela Chung as Ichisan, Stephanie Sanchez as Isabel, Aya Fujioka as Prin Jeannette/ Cassie/Habuteru, Giada da Silva as Princess Jacquelyn/Adobo, Kamalani Hanuna-Siqueira as High Makamakapiapia, Andrew Baker as Prince Phillip/One-Eyed Jack, Ryan Shinmoto as Sailor 1, Trent Yamagata as Sailor 2, Asaeli Hikila as Peter the Pirate, Jay Laeno as Tiny, Cayden Park as Cinderella/Eteokalani, Easton Ikenaga as Lancelot, Swings/Ensemble are Aaliyah Thomas and Annie Yoshida.
Turns out there were two Tony Award winners with Hawaii roots in Sunday’s telecast from Radio City Music Hall in New York.
We knew and applauded one, Nicole Scherzinger, who picked up the trophy for Leading Actress in a Musical, for her powerful portrayal of Norma Desmond in “Sunset Blvd.,” which also was the coveted winner of the Best Revival of a Musical.
Nicole Schwerzinger
Scherzinger, of Hawaiian, Ukrainian and Filipino ancestry, also earned the unofficial Tony for being the first bare-footed singer to perform her featured tune, “As If We’ve Never Said Goodbye.”
What we didn’t know, until this morning, that Hawaii can claim another Tony winner in Darren Criss, who earned Tony as Leading Male in a Musical, for his role of Oliver in “Maybe Happy Ending.” He claims Filipino roots, since his family lived here when he was young.
The media in the Philippine have been pouring out the hurrahs for Schwerzinger and Criss.
Call this response Pinoy Pride.
Darren Criss
Schwerzinger has long mentioned her multi-racial roots while being the leader of the Pussycat Dolls. She mentioned her mixed- blood extractions when excepting her Tony, revealing that the win made “a little girl from Hawaiian, Ukrainian and Filipino roots see her dream come true.”
She added, “Growing up, I always felt like I didn’t belong, but you all have made me feel like I belong, and I have come home, at last.”
Criss credits his Filipino heritage in shaping his foundation. Criss is Filipino on his mother’s side; his mom, Cerina Bru, was born in Cebu, in the Philippines, and is of Filipino, Chinese, and Spanish descent. Although Criss was born and raised in the U.S., he has embraced his multicultural background and is proud of his connection to his Filipino roots, especially through family and food. His family resided in Honolulu from 1988 to 1992, and colleagues recall he attended St. Clement’s School for pre-school/kindergarten, but his primary education was in schools in the San Francisco area.
Criss also is the first islander to pick up two trophies the same night – one for Leading Actor and a second for being a producer of “Maybe Happy Ending,” voted Best Musical. which was judged 2025’s Best New Musical. No ifs or maybes here, since the show was the evening’s big winner of six awards, including best director (Michael Arden), Best Score (Will Aronson and Hue Park), Best Book (Aronson and Park) and Best Scenic Design (Dane Laffrey and George Reeve)…
The scoop on Clooney play
George Clooney’s’ “Good Night, and Good Luck” closed Sunday, with two performances – a matinee and evening show – prior to the Tony Awards June 8. The finale was that taped performance
Some factoids:
Clooney was paid $1 each for writing, directing, and acting in ‘”Good Night, and Good Luck.”
He took a pay cut; originally, his fee was $3 each for writing, directing and acting.
It cost $7.5 million to make.
George Clooney
Due to a spinal injury he received on the set of his film “Syriana” a few months earlier, Clooney could not pass the tests to be insured. So he mortgaged his own house in Los Angeles to make the film.
The play recouped its $9.5 million capitalization in just over seven weeks.
The play broke Broadway gross records, posting $4 million-plus figures each week.
It played to 100 per cent capacity, at the Winter Garden Theatre, which has a capacity of 1,508 seats— 1,001 orchestra seats and 507 mezzanine seats.. .
Average ticket price was $339.
A CNN telecast of the play had viewership of 7.34 million – and setting a record in the process, of being the first live performance of a play on TV.
Clooney was nominated in the Best Actor category, but did not win…
The Top 10, for the week ending June 8:
1—”Good Night, And Good Luck,” $4.331 million
2—“Othello,” $3.807million
3—“Wicked,” $2.413 million
4—“Glengarry Glen Ross,” $2.358 million
5—”The Lion King,” $2.002 million
6—“Hamilton,” $$1.983 million
7—”The Picture of Dorian Gray,” $1.367 million
8—“Death Becomes Her”, $1.347 million
9—“Aladdin,” $1.286 million
10—“Sunset Blvd.,” $1.261 million
The complete list of the grosses, for the week ending June 8:
There was one notable Tony Award winner from Hawaii, in Broadway’s biggest event last night. And she put her best (bare foot) forward.
Nicole Scherzinger, who’s been performing as fading movie star Norma Desmond in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Sunset Blvd.” revival, won the battle of the divas over Audra McDonald, a nominee for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical. Scherzinger, an island native, delivered a powerful, nuanced “As if We’ve Never Said Goodbye,” a song and role that earlier earned her an Olivier Award in London, before the show made its way to New York. If you watched her last evening, you might have noticed her local-style tradition of a hula dancer: she performed her solo in bare feet. Cool!
Nicole Scherzinger
However, our hometown daily, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, didn’t mention her Hawaii ties (shameful), in the manini Tony coverage this morn; they either didn’t give a hoot or simply didn’t know.
Scherzinger is making her Broadway debut with “Sunset” – you go, girl! – and acknowledged Lloyd Webber’s support of her trans-Atlantic journey…and her knock-out victory over the winningest Tony trouper ever – McDonald, who performed “Rosie’s Turn.” ‘Twas a difficult version to watch, with moments of grotesque moves of seeming desperation and exasperation. A seventh Tony trophy eluded her…
Unforgivable: The Tonys snubbed one nominee in this category – Jasmine Amy Rogers’ role as Betty Boop in “BOOP! The Musical.” She and the new musical were denied equal screen time…
By the way, there was another island moment that most viewers likely missed. In his acceptance speech for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role, winner Francis Jue – in the Asian play that featured Daniel Dae Kim and his nomination– did a shout-out to his longtime Hawaii friend, Alvin Ing, a pioneering Asian American actor (now deceased) known for “Pacific Overtures” and “Flower Drum Song,” who gifted Jue with a black bow tie to wear when wins a Tony. He did, wear and win…
Some observations:
Darrin Criss
A new dawn beckons, with a new generation of emerging Broadway stars, like Darrin Criss in “Maybe Happy Ending” (Leading Actor in a Musical, Best Musical), Michael Arden of “Maybe Happy Ending (Best Director of a Musical), “Oh Mary!” (Cole Escola, Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play, and the first nonbinary actor; Sam Pinkleton, Best Director).
That medley from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton” was nothing short of astounding, marking the 10th anniversary of the hit show still running at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway. The tunes — yes, with such titles as “The Room Where It Happened,” “My Shot,” “Alexander Hamilton,” “The Schuyler Sisters” – were performed by the original cast dressed in formal attire or black – instead of the usual costumes, with the exception of Jonathan Groff, who donned a kingly red jacket and carried a scepter, on ”You’ll Be Back,” as King George III. But he carried a scepter…
Jonathan Groff
The aforementioned Groff stunned Keanu Reeves, when the former – singing a medley from his “Just in Time” musical – leaped onto the latter’s arm rests while the cameras caught the awkward straddling moment, clearly one of the evening’s best impromptu moments.
Cynthia Ervio, who hosted the CBS show, is a terrific singer and a efficient host. She dons expensive gowns, but the garments are way out of this world, which might be fashionable to some, but largely bizarre to many. Is there another designer in the house?
Is Andrew Lloyd Webber returning to Broadway? The prolific composer, who herald ed “the ritish invasion” of shows, apparently is shopping sites for a possible revival of “The Phantom of the Opera,” and a new immersion musical “The Illusionist.” Truly, ALW is a dying breed, the lone creator for decades of theatrical phenoms. Think about it: the likes of Rodgers & Hammerstein are non-existent, with only R&H revivals available. ALW can rehash titles , too, like “Evita,” “CATS,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” and “Starlight Express.” But only one –“Phantom” — has had staying power, like 35 years. And he’s got another newbie sooner than later…
Aaron Tviet
Another opening, another show
Nothing like announcing your forthcoming new show on the Tonys. Aaron Tviet (last seen in “Moulin Rouge” and “Sweeney Todd”) and Lea Michele (last seen in “Funny Girl”) will co-star in the revival of “Chess,” a Cold War musical also feauring Nicholas Christopher. No dates were announced on the awards cast, but the show – with tunes by ABBA’s Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus and lyrics by Tim Rice – is expected to be on Broadway at a Shubert theater…
By George, he did it!
George Clooney
Don’t think that George Clooney, sitting with his wife Amal Clooney at the Radio City Music Hall, expected to be nominated for the Best Actor Tony award (for his role in ‘Good Luck, and Good Night,”) much less with winning the coveted prize, but he had guts and grits to (1) star in the play, (2) get it produced in a theater and (3) earn him a Best Actor nomination, and, further (1) stage a live performance on CNN for a global audience, (2) sell it to a marketing team and (3) attract a supportive and receptive ticket-buying audience which set gross records exceeding $4 million every week of its run. If nothing else, the Tony organization should award Clooney (next year) a special Tony award for this once-in-lifetime achievement, for his commitment to the performing arts, for taking a stand with his timely message of addressing challenges in our world fractured by lies, fears and threats… And that’s Show Biz…
