How many streaming channels is too many?Am I the only one who thinks that there should be a limit to signing up for premium streaming channels? For starters, it’s darn expensive to keep adding streaming resources to the monthly fees.
Bundled with my Spectrum subscriptions are a host of longtime cable channels like HBO, Showtime, Cinemax and lesser sources like A&E, TNT, Hallmark, Lifetime and USA.
My pay-extra streaming channels – five –include Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu, Disney+ and HBO Max. That’s five on my plate. Would like to add others like Apple TV, but the costs are prohibitive, so I am limiting and restricting further memberships like Paramount and Discovery+. Every few months, new sources pop up….expect CNN+ soon, for instance.How many are you addicted to in your household?
When the 73rd annual Primetime Emmy Awards are staged Sept. 19 on CBS, the competition will feel like a Tony Awards evening because of a range Broadway stars dominating the list of nominees. A few already have claimed a Tony.
“Hamilton,” the mega-hit musical on the Great White Way, nabbed 12 nominations for the widely applauded televised reboot of a filmed performance streamed on Disney+ earlier this year.
Notable previous Tony winners are among the top nominees, as the taped movie of a stage production has been deemed worthy of consideration in the limited or anthology series or movies.
Thus, key “Hamilton” talent, most of them original cast members of the Broadway hit, are vying for Emmys:
Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of “Hamilton,” was the titular star on Broadway and on film.
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie: Lin-Manuel Miranda and Leslie Odom.
Outstanding Supporting Actress in Anthology or Movie: Renee Elise Goldsberry and Phillipa Soo.
Outstanding Supporting Actor in Anthology or Movie: Daveed Diggs,Jonathan Groff and Anthony Ramos.
Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-recorded): “Hamilton” and “David Byrne’s American Utopia” (released on HBO/HBO Max
Among other Broadway troupers in contention:
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series: Billy Porter in “Pose.”
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama: Mj Rodriguez in “Pose.” (The first trans woman nominated).
Outstanding Drama Series: “Pose.”
Guest Appearance in a Series: Bernadette Peters, on “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.”
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology: Cynthia Erivo, for “Genius,” portraying Aretha Franklin.
Uzo Abuda, “In Treatment.”
Allison Janney, in “Mom.”
John Lithgow, in “Perry Mason.”
William H. Macy, in “Shame.”
Ewan McGreggor, in “Halston.”
Phyllicia Rashad, in “This Is Us.”
Josh O’Conner, in “The Crown.”
Ashley Park, in “Emily in Paris.”
“Tina,” HBO’s documentary, with clips from the Broadway musical on Tina Turner’s life, for Outstanding Documentary or Non-Fiction Special.
Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, for Original Music and Lyrics for “WandaVision.”
David Rockwell, for Outstanding Production for a Variety Special, for his work on the televised 2020 Academy Awards.
Numerous Broadway talent also performed on “Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square,” vying for Outstanding Television Movie. And Marc Shaiman provided an original song in “Soundtrack of Our Lives.” …
To reiterate, this is not a full compilation of nominees; the focus here is on the community of Broadway troupers in contention for Emmys; if some or many win, Tony wins, too. …
Make your own ‘A Chorus Line’ playbill
If you’re attending the opening performance of “A Chorus Line,” or any of the shows through Aug. 8 at Diamond Head Theatre, I suggest you make your own playbill and bring it with you.
Download and make your own playbill.
The pandemic has eliminated hand-out playbills that list songs, production credits, and cast list with photos to help identify the performers and backstage artists.
I know, DHT should have published the usual program as a salute to its cast and an amenity to its playgoers, but throughout this coronavirus cloud, we’ve all have had to do what we need to do to enjoy the disruptions and challenges of getting through this malady.
How to create your own playbill? Go to the DHT website; if you ordered tickets, you should have received a note about downloading the credits. Do so; print out the pages, then assemble in the sequence required. I stapled the pages and cut off unwanted borders, and covered the stapled edge with washi tape (Scotch tape will do), mostly to avoid knicks from the pointy metallic staples on the spine, Voila, you’ll have a playbill to peruse.
You’ll likely have the urge to peek to see who’s who and when; you’ll sure to be curious about an actor, singer, or dancer.
Additional advice: “A Chorus Line” runs 2 hours, without an intermission (the show is programmed that way) so do your bathroom before curtain or afterwards. Social distancing protocols are in place, mandating seats and empty spaces. But for all practical purposes, each show will be “sold out.”
To director-choreographer Greg Zane and his cast, “break a leg!”…
A Willie K fundraiser on June 25 will cap Maui’s Willie K Month observance at Da Playground.
Festivities will include a live auction and a silent auction plus performances by the Willie K Band featuring Kaleo Phillips and Gretchen Rhodes, along with Amy Hanaiali‘Ii Gilliom and her band, during both shows.
The first show, at 4 p.m., will feature a live streaming and a live auction, with bidders required to be on hand. Among the items to be auctioned is a Willie K guitar, and bidders must be present to participate. A concurrent online silent auction also will prevail, on the Willie K Facebook page. Doors open at 3:30 p.m
Willie K.
The second show, at 8 p.m., will feature a concert format with Gilliom and the gang, though an online silent auction – via the Willie K Facebook page – will streami live and bidders need not be present. Doors open at 7 p.m.; the silent auction concludes at the end of the concert.
Admission is $40 general admission, $60 for VIP access on Maui. Tickets are available at daplaygroundmaui.com.
Willie K, of course, is the beloved island performer known for his expansive musical styles including Hawaiian, pop, blues, jazz, opera and more. Willie Kahaiali‘i died of lung cancer on May 18, 2020 at age 59 and was a magnetic concert draw for two years as an anchor entertainer at the Blue Note Hawaii club at the Outrigger Waikiki resort.
Amy Hanaiali’i Gilliom
He and Amy were musical partners in the 1990s, recording an album together, and both benefitted by the relationship, earning Na Hoku Hanohano Awards in the process. With a reunion album recorded live in a concert, Willie and Amy were nominated for a Grammy Award in 2005. …
‘NCIS’ chatter
There’s talk but no confirming evidence about the possible appearance of Mark Harmon, the founding father of the “NCIS” legacy, on whether he might make a surprise appearance on the local spin-off, “NCIS: Hawai‘i.” Since filming already under way for the first episode, the hope that Harmon might guest on the premiere episode is slim.
Mark Harmon
There was worrisome tension, too, about his sort-of anticipated departure from the flagship show, because he hadn’t committed to the series in which he has starred from the get-go till the last minute. Yes, Leroy Jethro Gibbs will be part of the 19th season of “NCIS,” but details are scanty on how huge his visibility might be.
And there was a real possibility that season 18 might have been the last, since Harmon had cut back his participation as the show headed toward its finale.
His sked remains iffy this coming season, too, as he might adopt the regimen of co-star David MCallum (Dr. Ducky Mallard), whose appearances were minimal the past season or two. Even CBS Entertainment honcho Kelly Kahl has indicated that CBS wasn’t sure how many episodes Harmon would appear in and that the studio would “work around his schedule.”
So we shall all have to wait till Sept. 1, when the new season of “NCIS” kicks off at 8 p.m. Mondays, preceding the newbie, NCIS: Hawai‘i” at 9 p.m. …
Remember “The Jeffersons,” that “All in the Family” spin-off on CBS?
The show came to Hawaii, some decades ago, and filmed four episodes. One of its writers was David “Kawika” Talisman, then a fledging screenwriter and sometimes musician, who was a writer for the hit series who also became the local man-in-charge of series star Sherman Hemsley.
This is all brought to the present with a hilarious new book called “Honky in the House” (available at amazon.com) about the producing and writing of the series, by Jay Moriarty, who was a senior writer-executive producer and hands-on script writer, for “The Jeffersons,” which aired from 1975 to ’85.
David Talisman
I don’t know Moriarity, but I met Talisman then. Now he’s a bona fide P.I. (private investigator) – and has emerged as a long-time friend.
“He actually mentioned me in the book as one of the writers for the show,” said Talisman. “While I spend my days now as a P.I., I can’t help but look back and fondly remember my time with ‘The Jeffersons,’” said Talisman.
Sherman Hemsley
“I’m sure there are still a bunch of folks who are still around Hawaii that appeared on those shows,” Talisman surmised. “Well, we’re moving on up the Eastside,” he said of the famous quote from Norman Lear’s sitcom that ran 11 seasons, often in the No. 1 slot in Nielsen ratings.
“I can tell you about one frightening moment when Sherman Hemsley got dressed up in skin diving gear for a scene on the show,” said Talisman. “While we were videotaping him playing tourist, backing into the ocean by the helipad at the Ilikai Hotel, he totally disappeared from sight. We thought he was just hamming it up but that wasn’t the case.”
Oops, he fell into the ocean, said Talisman, about those frantic moments.
“He didn’t know how to swim! A bunch of people on set jumped in to grab him and luckily, he didn’t drown. Sherman laughed about it later and made a big joke of it. Sherman really loved the local people and endlessly signed autographs.”
After filming wrapped up, Sherman asked Talisman to serve as a bodyguard on a visit to Maui. But life with Hemsley is not complete without laughter.
“He insisted on us going to the top of Mt. Haleakala to see the sunrise,” he said. “Sherman was a music fanatic! OMG, we carried around this ‘ginormous’ boom box on which he insisted playing at full volume The Tubes’ ‘Once In A Lifetime’ all the way up to the top of the mountain at 6:15 a.m. The other tourists started to complain until they realized the noise was coming from Sherman. They’d be screaming ‘Look, it’s George Jefferson!’”
Visitors competed for Hemsley’s autograph and photos together, and natch, he complied.
“That trip turned out to be a real adventure and a lot of fun. God rest Sherman’s soul, who is now in heaven with pretty much the rest of the cast.”
One survivor of the acting ensemble is Marla Gibbs, now 90, who played Florence, the maid to the Jeffersons. Talisman also wrote the theme song for spin-off series, “Checking In,” but it didn’t survive more than four episodes “which left a big dent in my ASCAP check,” he said. …
Open heart surgery for Benoit
Phil Benoit, the Maui-based jazz musician, is recovering from a sextuple open heart surgery.
“That’s right, six way,” said Benoit via email.
Phil Benoit
He had recurring shortness of breath and some chest pain, signaling potential problems under the hood, so to speak, and following a series of tests, “the red flags flew and they went and saved me. I should have had a heart attack already. I am lucky, I guess.”
He’s on the mend at home and enormously grateful of wife Angela, who is “selfless taking care of me. I love her more than I can express.”
The recovery process has been shaky. “I’ve been up and down and so I haven’t communicated much or accepted visitors,” said Benoit. “I’m feeling much better every day.”
Prayers, calls and communication from pals have mattered. “It counts, it all counts,” he said, so he’s eternally grateful. And now ready to connect with folks.
The Benoits are the gatekeepers of Benoit Jazz Works.
Incredibly, Phil said his brother Dan suffered an emergency appendectomy on the same day of his surgery. “Can you believe it?,” said Phil. “He is healing well and has been a great friend to me.” …
Since his earlier-announced six shows in July sold out in a day, Bruno Mars has added four more performances at the Park MGM in Las Vegas.
Tickets are on sale, and likely will be snapped up pronto, for new play dates July 30 and 31 and Aug. 13 and 14.
In-between these four shows, Mars will trek to the MGM National Harbor in National Harbor, Maryland, for shows Aug. 6 and 7.
Bruno Mars
With coronavirus protocols lowering and vaccinations increasing across many states, it wouldn’t be surprising if still more concerts are added. Mars, like other mainstream performers, have been idle and awaiting the return of “normal” in the entertainment spectrum.
During the pandemic, Mars has not released a new solo recording but his collaboration with Anderson .Paak in the group Silk Sonic produced a No. 1 hit, “Leave the Door Open,” keeping his name and voice on radio and online postings.
Ticketmaster.com and other websites are selling tickets. …
‘NCIS’ director talks filming
Larry Teng
Larry Teng, who is directing the first episode of CBS’ “NCIS: Hawai‘i,” is beginning to talk about the franchise’s first spin-off away from the continental U.S.A.
Teng, no stranger to the islands since he previously directed multiple episodes of the now-retired “Hawaii Five-0” reboot, is inclined to ensure Hawaii and its residents are properly represented in the new venture, now filming in Honolulu.
“It’s a love letter to Hawaii, too, you know, and I gotta make sure we protect that,” he was quoted at Express.com.
“It’s one of the things we stress about every day,” he added.
Bottom line: he knows he carries the burden to get right. Not just shaping the newbie NCIS so it has a decent life span in prime time, but he pleases not offends the local folks. …
