SUPER BOWL ’24: YOUR CHOICE?
KUNG HEE FAT CHOY — YEAR OF THE DRAGON
MURDER, MAYHEM, MIRTH IN WHODUNNIT
An oddity, “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940,” is neither a full-fledged musical nor a riotous comedy, though there are brief tuneful segments and a mix of laugher, amid a series of murders.
The whodunnit, playing at the Diamond Head Theatre, is actually quite charming. Actors eager to audition for a show (a musical, natch), along with a dancer, a singer and a comedian, who are seeking employment, so they assemble at the mansion of Elsa Von Grossenknueten (Lisa Konove, flamboyantly brilliant and in her prime) in Chappaqua, New York. The time is midnight (of course), at the height of a chilling snowfall (another of course). The theatrical figures hope wealthy Elsa will bankroll the musical, or so is the premise.
In actually, the estate is where three dancers were previously murdered by an unknown slasher, and a policeman, Michael Kelly (Michael Abdo, sleek in his sleuthing) is among the invitees and believes the slasher also is among the party guests. So everyone is a suspect; or dead serious. a forthcoming victim.
The play, by John Bishop, is set in December, 1940, and opens with the murder of Elsa’s maid Helsa Wenzel (Brianna Johnston, fittingly domestic, who comes to life again, which viewers later learn how). The slasher claims several more victims, terrifying the survivors, who are stuck in the snowstorm and the expected happens: the lights go out, meaning more murders when they go on again.
The motley crew includes the singer, Patrick O’Reilly (Christopher Denton); the dancer, Nikki Crandall (Emily Lane); the comic Eddie McCuen (David Samsel), a director Ken De La Maize( Lee Nebe); and a writing team comprising Roger Hopewell (Andrew Simmons) and Bernice Roth (Betty Bolton). They’re all wary of the lurking mayhem, beginning with the demise of Elsa’s friend, Marjorie Baverstock (Heather Taylor).
“Musical Comedy” cast: seated front, Lisa Konove, Michael Abdo and Heather Taylor; rear, from left, David Samsel, Emily Lane, Brianna Johnston, Christoper Denton, Andrew Simmons, Betty Bolton and Lee Nebe. — Brandon Miyagi photo, courtesy DHT.
An ensemble show, the cast builds chemistry with shared fear and mutual concerns about who is the killer. Frequent hilarity lessens the intensity of emotions in this kind of murder mysteries, and director John Rampage maintains a cadence of fright and laughs. Actress Konove, a veteran of many dramatic and comedic shows in the past, is in her element in this one, clad in flowing, elegant and colorful gowns created with authority by Emily Lane (doubling as a cast member), with Aiko Schick’s hair and makeup designs contributing to the era of the ‘40s.
A star is born, in set designer Randy Tandal’s auspicious debut as a stage designer, whose maginificent single-set spectacle is efficient and functional, with book shelves that spin to hide, then display, a hidden passageway. The one-view spectrum includes handsome doorways for entrances and exits, plus a clothes closet which conceals a body and also displays wardrobe. There are eye-filling gems including artwork on the walls and working lamps, working in sync with prop designer Travis O. Asaeli’s contributions – a desk, a comfy armchair, and a faux grand piano.
At long last, DHT has come of age, marking the first anniversary of the new theater with a set (finally) that demonstrates and reflects the magic of stagecraft. Clearly, greatness sprouts with time and talent. This set — and its creator — are winners! No set pieces to roll on and off stage; nothing to descend from the overhead fly space. What you see is what you get–excellence.
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“The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940”
A play by John Bishop, about theatrical types gathering at a mansion, where murder is on the menu and a snowstorm prevents an escape
Where: Diamond Head Theatre
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays; also at 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays and 4 p.m. Sundays, through Feb. 18; extension playdates, 7:30 p.m. Feb.23 and 3 p.m. Feb. 24
Tickets: $37 to $62, at www.diamondheadtheatre.com or (808) 733-0274
And that’s Show Biz…
HEAVENLY DINNERS START FRIDAY
Heavenly, the new restaurant in Hawaii Kai, will open for weekend dinners – Fridays through Sundays – beginning this Friday (Feb. 9).
The swanky, healthy-dining eatery on the marina at the Koko Marina Shopping Center, will take reservations with seating beginning at 5 p.m.
Heavenly has been open only for breakfast and lunch, from 7 a.m. daily, and its unique seating — with regular tables in the front half of the restaurant, and comfy, unusual sofa and cozy chairs in the zone fronting the marina — has been a hit.
I popped in for breakfast this morning – my second –following an early doctor’s visit at 7 a.m. — and was surprised the long lines weren’t there today. Since my Jan. 5 surgery to remove my problematic gall bladder, I’ve been gradually consuming appetizing meals like Heavenly’s egg benedict, with choice of salmon or Canadian bacon, beneath the poached egg. ‘Twas my first reintroduction to eggs and boy, was it yummy, with hollandaise sauce with lilikoi butter, three fingers of Okinawan potato, and salmon. A small kale salad was included, it’s not my choice salad greens.
My earlier visit, before my surgery, was a sensible pancake duo with berries and a splendid homemade syrup. I would have had this again but opted for something new.
The restaurant is gorgeous if you’re seating facing the marina; the view is spectacular, and with sliding glass windows fully open, it feels like you’re dining at a waterfront resort with real palms and vine as part of the charm. The near hour I spent at breakfast, there were no pesky flies.
The décor, with a surfboard on one wall, reflects a lifestyle of a surfer. Indeed, a surfer opened the first Heavenly in Waikiki in 2014 and a decade later, Hawaii Kai is blessed with this second option from Zetten Inc., Japanese owners who operate six other restaurants in Waikiki.
I had a peek at the dinner menu for the Hawaii Kai restaurant, and the offerings will range from steak to lamp chops to mahimahi, cold and hot tapas including lettuce wraps and jumbo shrimp cocktail to fried Takoyaki to Kauai garlic shrimp, fish and shrimp tacos to Koko Head loco moco, and custard pudding ala mode to itoen matcha tiramisu, and special drinks such as smoothies, lemonade, fruit drinks and special coffee drinks. For now, however, not all items on the menu will be immediately available.
Can’t wait to have a dinner experience here; it took Heavenly like a year and a half (perhaps longer) to finally open at its location next to the reopened Assaggio, and it should be a greater neighbor.
Moena Cafe, the upscale breakfast place, may have lost some customers with Heavenly just a few doors down. Its major nighttime competition might be Roy’s Restaurant at the Hawaii Kai Towne Center on Kalanianaole Highway, but hey, all restaurants have their devoted following based on cuisine.