Category: Television

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‘LES MIZ’–A SHOW FOR ALL SEASONS

You missed a sparkling gem, if you didn’t tune in to PBS’ retelecast of the 25th anniversary of the “Les Miserables” milestone concert at O2, last night (June 13) on TV.  The mammoth Brit arena was converted into a massive stage to celebrate the show’s enduring popularity…originally in 2010.

Nonetheless, the screening stirred memories and recalled what an astounding score Alain Boublil and and Claude-Michel Schonberg created, based on the Victor Hugo novel. Simply, “Les Miz” is a show for all seasons — never out of fashion.

PBS first aired this one in October 2010 and the show remained a snapshot of a theatrical giant, whose popularity has not declined an iota.

The stellar cast brought back that galaxy of theatrical luminaries, significantly and resourcefully relying on the words and music that have made “Les Miz” a powerful evergreen. The actors donned costumes but let the poetry and poignancy of the score to re-tell the saga of the jailed protagonist who stole bread to feed his family and stalked by an irrepressible policeman who made it his life’s work to right what he felt was wrong.

With a cast of more than 300 and an orchestra that sounded like 300 and a chorus of extras donning T-shirts displaying the familiar face of little Cosette, “Les Miz” was pure theater.

Alfie Boe as Jean Valjean

Consider the who’s who in the ranks:

  • Alfie Boe as Jean Valjean. A stunning tenor, who owned “Bring Him Home.”
  • Norm Lewis as Javert. A powerful presence, with a conflicted agenda.
  • Lea Salonga as Fantine. A gem from the get-go, delivering the role’s indelible “I Dreamed a Dream.”
  • Nick Jonas as Marius. A bit reserved, as the lone survivor of the war, but possessing the necessary youthfulness.
  • Ramin Karimloo, as Enjolras. A booming voice, and “One Day More”/”Do You Hear the People Sing” are his one-two take-away anthems.
  • Samantha Barks, as Eponine. The love-stricken “boy” whose “On My Own” resonates the theme of sacrifice and commitment.
  • Katie Hall as grown-up Cosette. Her heart was full of love, with cheer to spare.
  • Matt Lucas and Jenny Galloway, as the Thenardiers. Masters of the house, and masters of comedic hi-jinx.
  • Mia Jenkins as Young Cosette. Her “Castle on the Cloud” projected innocence and hope.
  • Robert Madge as Gavroche. His “Little People” exuded the feistiness of a young, reliable soldier.

David Charles Abell conducted the orchestra with grandeur and control, shepherding the mass choruses and legendary actors to march to a uniform drum.

The stage was devoid of sets like the show’s famed barricade or the signature turntable of a conventional production, so the audience had to toss in their imagination to fill in the blanks. And Gavroche’s death, a moment of awe, was not part of the theatrics.

Watching on TV, “Les Miz” felt like real theater, a habit that had been halted since the start of the pandemic 16 months ago. So in households galore, “Les Miz” was a welcome visitor and perhaps a means to jump-start a visit to a real theater in the near future…

Channel hopping

In the NCIS  TV universe, filming starts here today (June 14) on CBS'”NCIS: Hawai’i.” If you encounter those filming and catering vans across the city in the weeks ahead, it’s likely to be the cast and crew of the latest franchise in the NCIS family. To the show’s creators and actors and techies, welcome to the islands. May your stay be fruitful. See ya’ in the fall, when the Hawai’i brand starts sharing its glow to the rest of the world…

Meanwhile, in the California-based show; Barrett Foa (Eric Beale) and Renee Felice Smith (Nell Jones) will not return in “NCIS: Los Angeles” next season. Instead, Gerald McRaney (Admiral Hollis Kilbride), introduced this year, will replace them in season 13. …

And Eric Christian Olsen (Marty Deeks), captured as “L.A.” wound up season 12, will return to the CBS procedural along with on-screen spouse Daniela Ruah (Kensi Blye). However, Olsen has another TV production ahead during the off-time: “Woke,” which is filming its second season as Olsen as an exec producer. …

And that’s “Show Biz.” …

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TWO MORE JOIN ‘NCIS: HAWAI’I’ CAST

“NCIS: Hawai‘i,” scheduled for a Sept. 1 launch on CBS, continues to name subsidiary cast members.

The latest additions:

  •  Tori Anderson, who will portray Kate Whistler, an ambitious agent with the Defense Intelligence Agency with goals to rise up the professional ladder. Her feisty goals will become evident as the CBS series progresses.
  • Kian Talan, who will play Alex Tennant, the oldest child of team leader Jane Tennant, enacted by Vanessa Lachey. He is 16, strong-willed, mature beyond his age, who is struggling with the effects of his parents’ divorce, but a good child nonetheless.

Whether a locally hired actor snags perhaps the seventh key role is yet to be seen. Ya never know, of course, till it happens.

Yasmine Al-Bustam, as Lucy; Jason Antoo, as Ernie; and Noah Mills, as Jessie; were previously announced in key roles, providing, so far, an ensemble of six major players to date.

Tori Anderson
Kian Talan

The team behind the scenes include two execs from the now-shuttered “NCIS: New Orleans,” Christopher Silber and Jan Nash as executive producers and showrunners, with Matt Bosack from “Seal Team” part of the team.

Lachey, the first female to lead an NCIS unit, will be overseeing and exploring crimes and mishaps against the backdrop of Pearl Harbor, with competing familial issues as well. …

Talk about people

Wearing facemasks, Justin and Hailey Bieber popped into TJ’s Sports Bar & Grill one recent night, surprising locals who were there, including entertainer Kekoa Kane, who was singing there. Kane was able to get photos taken with Bieber, who previously has spent time on the Neighbor Islands, renting high-profile, extravagant accommodations. Well, you only live once. …

Bright Kid scholarships

As part of the education core of the I Am a Bright Kid (IABK) Foundation, academic scholarships are awarded to deserving theatrical students.

Grace Rogers, Kalaheo High student, earned the IABK Foundation Performing Arts Award and a cash scholarship of $1,500. She will attend Emerson College this fall, pursuing a BFA in theater education and performance, and is a former participant in the IABK Summer Program in 2020.

“Theater connects people,” says Grace. “That connection is so much more valuable than any silly insecurity I may have, and I love performing because it allows me to experience that brief and beautiful feeling over and over again. I never knew Mr. Bright, but I believe that he shared this belief. As an educator, I can only hope to leave a fraction of the impact that Mr. Bright left on his students and his community.”

Ty Souza-Martinez won a $500 scholarship in the performing arts category and is currently studying vocal performance at Colorado State University in Pueblo.

And Taysha Paige of Kapolei High was awarded $500 and will attend the University of Hawaii West Oahu this fall, and commented, “I know that the rewards lie in the lives I change and the hearts I touch.”

Five years ago, Katie Yoshioka (Baldwin High School, ’17) won an IABK scholarship and completed her BA in education at Pacific University in three years. She graduates this month with a master’s in teaching and will teach kindergarten at West Union Elementary in Hillsboro, OR. “I am very excited to have my own classroom and complete my goals,” she says. …

And that’s “Show Biz.” …

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WHAT TV THEME SONGS DO YOU LIKE?

What are your favorite TV theme songs?

I have three, for different and specific reasons:

1 – “Hawaii Five-0” – It has no lyrics, yet this instrumental seethes with suggestion of the tropics, perky and outdoorsy energy and genuine aloha.

2—“Cheers” – “Where everybody knows your name” is the mantra, immediately welcoming, inviting, and, yes, cheerful.

3 – “Davy Crockett” – Okay, a vintage one; not the best melody but a true “ballad” that is rich in storytelling, summarizing the legendary figure, and becoming – in its time – a No. 1 fad hit everyone could sing, complete with accessory coonskin cap.

So where do you stand, regarding TV theme tunes?

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WHICH TV FRANCHISE DO YOU FAVOR? ‘LAW & ORDER,’ ‘NCIS’ OR ‘CHICAGO’?

Just asking…

Of the prevailing TV franchises, which is your favorite?

  • “Law and Order,” the original  and its variants, like “Law and Order, SVU” (with Mariska Hargitay as Olivia Benson) and “Organized Crime”  (a new spin-off with Christopher Meloni as Elliot Stabler), and “CriminaI Instinct” in syndication. Also in the mix: “Trial by Jury,” “Los Angeles,” “True Crime.” The original ran 20 seasons ; “SVU” is the all-time champ, with 22 seasons and counting.
  • “NCIS,” the original as well as the spin-offs, “NCIS: Los Angeles,” “NCIS: New Orleans,” and the not-yet-born “NCIS: Hawai‘i”?
  • “Chicago,” and its trio of red hot hits, “Med,” “Fire,” and “P.D.”?

Current new “Law” and “Chicago” series are still in production, on primetime NBC and CBS,  but the reruns are plentiful, over several platforms, on KPXO (ION TV), USA, and other streaming services.

Procedurals, featuring crime investigators and first responders, continue to be  immensely popular and are not likely to disappear anytime soon.

FYI, the “Law & Order” template is not yet over; “Law & Order: Hate Crimes” and “Law & Order: For the Defense” are also brands seeking an audience; the former might emerge on the

But to which brand are you most loyal?

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OLSEN HOPING FOR L.A.-HAWAI’I ‘NCIS’ CROSSOVER

Eric Christian Olsen, who co-stars as Marty Deeks on CBS’ “NCIS: Los Angeles,” has frequently spent his off-season with his family in Hawai‘i, and has publicly endorsed the notion of a spin-off established in the islands.

On “Entertainment Tonight” last week, Olsen expressed interest in a cameo on the new sister show, “NCIS: Hawai‘i,” which is establishing roots in the islands in preparation for its debut this fall. Olsen kiddingly said he was open to joining “Hawai‘i” fulltime, but clearly, he’s bound to continue with “L.A.” which will return to its Sunday slot this fall.

But with the island-based show, it’s highly possible that “L.A.” and “Hawai‘i” could option crossover shows, perhaps not in the Pearl Harbor-based newbie’s first season, but sometime in the distant future. “L.A.” did a crossover with “Hawaii Five-0” previously.

Eric Christian Olsen

“Hawai‘i” will drop anchor at 9 p.m. Mondays in the fall, with the mothership show
“NCIS,” starring Mark Harmon, switching nights and time slot to 8 p.m. Mondays (moving from Tuesdays) to serve as the lead-in show to the Hawai‘i brand. “L.A.” will be the lead-in for “SEAL Team” at p.m. Sundays. …

The Hawai’i connection

Meantime, Vanessa Lachey, who is portraying Jane Tennent in
the “NCIS: Hawai‘i” newbie, is eager to make her mark here.
“I’m excited to bring a different layer to this role and hopefully inspire this next generation of young girls and women,” she says of her character, the first in the NCIS brand led by a woman.

Vanessa Lachey

She is half-Filipino and spent some time n Hawai‘i when her military father served here. “I obviously know the first layer that most people know when they pass through and see the beautiful waters and the beaches,” she was quoted in a CBS promo. “But what I’m interested to show is the depth to the people of Hawai‘i. “There’s so much culture here … hopefully I can portray to everyone and show the beautiful side Hawai‘i.” …

A starting point would be to enrich and ensure the scripts with relevant and realistic tales and characters that reflect the culture and pride that make Hawai‘i  special and credible. The writers need to learn about the ‘aina and instill these virtues in the people on screen. …

The ‘Bull’ shed

CBS recently dropped TV series ‘Bull’ showrunner, Glenn Gordon Caron, for allegedly creating a “toxic” workplace. Thus, the Michael Weatherly-starring courtroom drama is temporarily healing from in-house drama similar to the Peter Lenkov-led “Hawaii Five-0” and “Magnum P.I.” and “MacGuyver” during the past season.

Michael Weatherly

What’s with these out-of-control TV execs? Are calm and orderly productions a thing of the past? With the unrest and messy tenure, “Bull” apparently is shuffling gears to begin planning a new season this fall. Weatherly himself previously had conflicts with a guest actress that still has left some residue about the resolution.

Perhaps all this brouhaha might have been avoided if Weatherly – still remembered for his Tony DiNozzo character on the Harmon-led “NCIS” – made the leap to the Hawai‘i brand, as fan buzz had wanted. Water under the bridge now. …

Name-dropping

Alex O’Loughlin, the Aussie actor who portrayed Steve McGarrett in the now-shuttered “Hawaii Five-0,”apparently still owns a home he purchased for $3.5 million here in 2011 in the midst of his filming of the CBS show here. That issue, and his worth as an actor and entertainer, was raised by Wealthy Gorilla, which reports that O’Loughlin now is worth $25 million. …

Reminder: Henry Kapono hosts “A Tribute to Jimmy Borges” at Blue Note Hawaii on Thursday evening. John Kolivas and his Honolulu Jazz Quartet also participates….

And that’s “Show Biz.” …