Category: Updates

Unbeknown to most residents or media, President Barack Obama has been holidaying  in Hawaii, presumably with wife Michelle, and likely maintaining a low profile.

But his stay in Hawaii was mentioned on CNN this morning  (Jan. 8) with reports that No. 44 had been in our midst but was en route to the Las Vegas memorial ceremonies today for the late Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who died Dec. 28 at the age of  82 in Henderson, Nevada.

Obama, who credits Reid for his success to the White House, was to deliver the eulogy.

There’s been no sight-‘ems of the Obamas, not even reports that he was out enjoying shave ice as he has done during his vacations here. And the closure of Alan Wong’s means that the first family has had to seek other dining opportunities.

You think they might have done take-out orders anytime? …

The Obamas spent Christmas in Hawaii, according to The New York Post, which posted pics of Obama swimming and first daughters – Sasha, 20, and Malia, 23 — perched on paddleboards in the sea.

“Sasha, who was decked out in a red bikini and chunky jewelry, was pictured at various points kneeling and standing on her board as she glided through the water,” the Post said.

“Her sister, Malia, who graduated from Harvard University over the summer, wore a pink tie-dye bikini top, white skirt and baseball hat for the water outing.”

Michelle Obama apparently didn’t go to the beach with the family.

Thanks, June Yago, for flagging the Post article. …

Monday shake-up for CBS

CBS has delayed screening of new episodes of “NCIS” and its spin-off “NCIS: Hawai‘i” this coming Monday. Instead, a repeat of an episode of the mother ship show, “Nearly Departed,” will be in store at 7 p.m., with an encore of a “Hawai‘i” segment, “Rescuers,” at 8 p.m.

It’s been a shaky week or two for the NCIS franchise. Before the postponement of the new episodes, reports from CBS had confirmed a future crossover show with the original NCIS, with special agent Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) and Knight (Katrina Law) would be heading our way, to join agent Tennant (Vanessa Lachey) in crime-solving in Hawaii.

The crossover was nixed and put on hold, when the COVID-19 virus hit the set of the mothership cast, according to Deadline. A timetable has not yet been determined.

New episodes for both “NCIS” and “NCIS: Hawai‘i” are scheduled for Jan. 17. …

And that’s Show Biz. …

They’ve been staples of the entertainment scene for decades, but they’ve never worked together. Till now.

A pair of Filipino headliners – crooner Martin Nievera, a favorite in Hawaii and a superstar in the Phillipines, and saxophonist Michael Paulo, a beloved star on the jazz front – will team up for their first concert together at 8 p.m. Jan. 15 at the Hibiscus Ballroom of the Ala Moana Hotel by Mantra. A VIP meet-and-greet reception, from 7 to 8 p.m.,  will be precede the concert.

The two share another commonality: Both Nievera and Paulo are sons of notable performers. Nievera’s dad is the late balladeer Roberto Nievera, a former luminary in the Society of Seven group that helped put the Outrigger Waikiki’s Main Showroom on the map for decades,  and Paulo’s pop is the famed pianist Rene Paulo, a headliner with wife Akemi on the lounge and show circuit for decades before their retirement.

The gig is being staged by Paulo’s Apaulo Production company, and he has been a frequent jazz headliner in Waikiki, hosting jazz peers over the decades. 

Nievera, who has not performed in the islands for three years, will bring his stable of pop and Filipino tunes that he has shared in gigs in his now-home, the Philippines, where Nievera is billed as “the concert king of the Philippines,” as well as his shows in Las Vegas and New York. Most recently, he gigged at the Blue Note Hawaii located in the Outrigger Waikiki, where the wannabe singer spent several years watching his dad perform with his “Uncle” Tony Ruivivar, a co-founder of the SOS show band.

Paulo has performed locally and internationally and recorded with a roster of jazz giants, including Miles Davis, Al Jarreau and Herbie Hancock and has concertized with legendary R&B and pop artists including James Ingram, Jeffrey Osborne, Deniece Williams, Kenny Loggins, Bobby Caldwell and many others. 

Participating musicians will be Tateng Katindig, keyboards; Johnny Valentine, electric guitar, David Inamine, bass, Michael Grande, keyboards, Garin Poliahu, drums; and a horn section featuring DeShannon Higa, trumpet.

Rocky Brown and Annamarie Love will be backup singers, with Al Waterson emceeing.

In a statement, Nievera said, “I get to share the stage with an all-star band hand-picked by world-renowned saxophonist Michael Paulo, one of the coolest, down-to-earth superstars I know.’
He added, “Let’s make some new memories for the new year – 2022 – in Honolulu!”

Tickets: VIP tables are $250, which includes a meet-and-greet cocktail reception from 7 to 8 p.m.; $75 for reserved seating; and $60 for general admission seating (theater-style). Visit www.TIX.com  or call (951) 696-0184.

A slice of ‘American Pie’

Barring a last-minute rescheduling, depending on the unpredictable COVID-19 and Omicron variant that could alter show protocols, look for Don McLean to return to Blue Note Hawaii Jan. 28 to 30. It’s a make-up engagement for postponed dates.

McLean, noted for his mammoth 1971  hit song “American Pie,” which chronicles real-life figures in the rock era, is slated to return to Blue Note. Two earlier playdates had to be rescgheduled because of the pandemic, which shut down clubs including the venue at the Outrigger Waikiki Hotel.

While tickets now are on sale ($115 for VIP seating, $85 for table and bar area), previous tickets purchased before the postponement are still useable with possible complications for rescheduling and/or cancellations. However, this timetable will prevail:

• Tickets for the original April 3, Oct. 21, 2020 or July 15, 2021 playdates will be valid for the Jan. 28 show.
• Tickets bought for April 4, Oct. 22, 2020 or July 16, 2021 show are good for the Jan. 29 concert.
• Tickets purchased for April 5, Oct. 23, 2020 or July 17, 2021 date will be OK for the Jan. 30 performance. For adjustments, visit www.bluenotehawaii.com or call (808) 777-4890. …

And that’s Show Biz. …

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Times change, and The Waynies – this column’s usual who’s-best and who’s-not recap of the past year – also is reimagined this year.

Let’s face it. The fading 2021 year has been better than 2020, when the pandemic pretty much shut down everything and erased normalcy.

We’re not quite over the hill and on the mountain  peak yet, especially in the entertainment genre. Activities are scanty; audiences still are somewhat fearful to go out in numbers.

So joyful is not the buzzword yet. Perhaps hopeful defines the present overall picture and mood.

In that spirit, we’re listing a different brand of The Waynies. Mostly, this has been a season of small hurrahs but promising growth and accomplishments.

So, onward with the revelation and recapitulation:

• Best series set in Hawaii: Disney+’s “Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.”which is anticipating a second season pickup in the coming weeks. It’s a show that glows with island faces, knows the heartbeat of the local community, and reflects a vivid lifestyle of island living with a super duper cast led by Peyton Elizabeth Lee in the titular role of Lahela, who is not local, but pure hapa, surrounded by actors who portray genuine folks. Jason Scott Lee, in particular, is the best depiction of locals, as husband and father Benny Kamealoha who operates a floral/shave ice truck. Matt Sato as Kai Kamealoha, one of the sons, is the show’s breakout star. The series, written by Kourtney Kang, tapped the late Al Harrington as Uncle John, who earlier co-starred in the original “Hawaii Five-0,” in his final TV role. The show did the obvious in the finale: posting a loving memorial.
• Best launch of a Hawaii-based series, CBS’ “NCIS: Hawai’i.” The rightful addition of the ‘okina in Hawai‘i” was a start, diacritically speaking. A big deal has been made about the franchise showcasing its first woman lead in Vanessa Lachey as Jane Tennant, but what matters more is the modest hiring of locals in lead roles; the Polynesian/Asian blend is visible, but casting neglected an opportunity for a bona fide citizen actor to share co-starring promise, a common practice for network TV. ””NCIS,” like the reboots of two earlier CBS  series that set anchors here (“Magnum P.I,” and “Hawaii Five-O”), took the easy way out by neglecting a bona fide local who could earn his/her stripes given the chance.

• Worst depiction of islanders: “The White Lotus,” Mike White’s HBO-Max series set on Maui without specifying the site, had drama and melodrama aplenty, but little respect for islanders making a living at a ritzy resort. The intent was to portray a motley crew of  bored,  bickering, entitled and unruly travelers complaining about anything and everything; the bigger picture — the show disrespected the hospitality industry. The one savvy character: a son of one of the rich families paddled to his dream future by disbanding his ‘ohana. The one sparkplug in the bunch was Jennifer Coolidge, as Tanya McQuoid, a wounded, vulnerable and  dazed traveler, with a mission to scatter her mom’s ashes in a silver box. Since director-writer White intends to relocate “Lotus” in another locale for round two of his storytelling, he’d be wise to sign on his lucky charmer, Coolidge.

• Best theatrical booster shot: “Hamilton” finally is heading here in 2022, one of three fresh musicals in the first-ever Broadway “series” of shows. The other newbies are “Beautiful, the Carole King Musical,” and “Jersey Boys,” the Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons bio-musical, which is excluded from the season package because it was booked and postponed and finally rescheduled. But the cat’s out of the bag again – “Cats,” a perennial touring show, is part of the three-show series, largely for folks who’ve not yet seen nor heard “Memory” in the context of the musical.
• Speaking of theater: shout-outs to two Hawaii actors in “Hamilton;” Marc delaCruz is in the New York company, Joseph Morales is back in a national touring company portraying the titular role originated by the show’s creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda. And the company Morales is touring with is the one that is supposedly heading our way, so I’ve been urging producers of the Hawaii visit to ensure decision-makers to make sure Morales is part of the cast. That would be such a vibrant homecoming and a victory lap for him.
• The power of plexiglas was everywhere and still is in vogue in restaurants and banks. It was Benjamin, in the 1967  film “The Graduate,”  who was told the future was in plastic, well before the pandemic forced merchants dealing with crowds here and abroad. Kudos to Blue Note Hawaii, one of the first showcases that dismantled its wall of plastic on stage. Won’t someone tell the folks at Medici’s to do the same?

• The spirit award goes to Henry Kapono. He and his org have been everywhere; in a series of Blue Note Hawaii shows; at Duke’s at the Outrigger Waikiki; neighbor island jaunts; on TV commercials; a planned “Legends of Hawaii” tour with Keola Beamer next year; with regular Henry Kapono Foundation matters to tend to.
• The musical marvel nod to Shari Lynn, whose annual biggie is a holiday season gig at Medici’s at Manoa Markertplace. When she’s not singing, she is a music teacher at Hawaii School for Girls at La Pietra, though retiring in 2022. Until COVID nixed it, she was the heart beat of the Sunset Jazz event at La Pietra. She is a photo hobbyist who creates travel photos into notecards; and she and hubby Michael are parents of a new furry pup, Lui (short for Luigi). Who could ask for anything more?

• The bright-as-a-moon laurel, to Robert Cazimero, who rules over a Full Moon Concert at Chef Chai’s on Kapiolani Boulevard. Like a full moon, he shines and glows with serenades from behind the grand piano Chai Chaowasaree bought for him to invest in a monthly musical moonfest. The continuity is a marvel, with humble beginnings when Chai’s was a bistro/show space for local troupers at Aloha Tower Marketplace. A rare and generous bond; folks continue to support the music artistry and the culinary treats, a rare example of a chef’s commitment to provide a tuneful amenity for patrons, even during the pandemic social distancing and face masking rules.
• The grand reopening of movie and stage theaters has been a welcome and joyous opportunity to see blockbusters on a large screen with all the bells and whistles of technology (compared to streaming a film at home) and live actors on stage in person. Even if you have to don a face mask. Amenities vary; the lounge seats are popular but expensive and the snacks are costly, at the movie houses (where sale prices of bottles of water would get you a full case at Longs or Target).  As the year ends, the stage theaters are still not fully  back-to-normal, awaiting cues from city officials and self-monitoring the surge of COVID and Omicron to address the distancing issues. Still, there’s hope; Manoa Valley Theatre is restoring the printed playbills for its next show — which were missing in action from both MVT and Diamond Head Theatre productions. …

And that’s Show Biz. …