wayneharada.com

Manoa Valley Theatre is the first local stage group to kick off a delayed and occasionally truncated drama season. Its Hawaii premiere of “Be More Chill” opened Thursday night (Oct.14) and  runs through Oct. 31, with new protocols.

Consider:

• For the first time, season subscribers, along with single-ticket buyers, had to designate specific seat choices. Assigned seating will be in place throughout the 2021-22 season.
• Masks must be worn to enter the theater and watch the play, as has been the practice during the past season.

• Proof of vaccination is required, so bring your vaxx card for certification.
• Social distancing protocols mean that MVT can only sell and fill 60 of its 120 seats, meaning half the house.
• The post-show opening night party is canceled as long as the pandemic lingers.
• With the pushback in dates, there won’t be a week or two of extension performances, because the finale of the current show would affect the preparation and opening of the next production, which is “The Joy Luck Club,” beginning Nov. 26.
• Audience members are asked to exit the hall after the performance, which means that apres-show gestures of aloha – lei or bouquets, gifts and hugs – are discouraged. Gifts for cast members on opening night were collected and distributed backstage.
• Playbills are part of the sacrifices of a pandemic – there is only a virtual playbill, available at www.manoavalley.com .  It’s a misfortune for actors and techies involved in the ritual of theater – a memory keepsake unavailable for now. …

‘Oliver’ seats scarce

 Diamond Head Theatre has virtually been silent about its “Oliver!” season opener, which begins Oct. 22. Because of the half-house seating protocols, most of the performances have been “sold out,” since season subscribers had to be reassigned to other nights. (When sales started, the pandemic protocols suggested that all seats could be sold; that changed).

At this time, only one performance, at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 3, offers pairs of seats available for purchase. Details: www.diamondheadtheatre.com .

The obvious requirements are in place: mask-wearing, social distancing, proof of vaccination before entry.

Further, DHT has eliminated its opening night party, along with the complimentary playbill (a virtual one exists on the website) and also discourages friends and other patrons gathering after a performance for the customary shared aloha with cast members. …

A virtual ghost story

Kumu Kahua’s world premiere of “The Kasha of Kaimuki,” at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 28, is perhaps Hawaii’s most unusual debut this fall. The thriller, about a notable and terrifying haunted house in Honolulu, will be performed virtually. The play is by Hannah Ii Epstein.

A virtual performance is not unusual these days, but the cast will assemble from four different time zones, to perform as one ensemble. Talk about a looming twilight zone.

The cast and crew will involve talent not only in Honolulu, but also in California, Illinois (Chicago), and Pennsylvania.

“One of the best things to come out of having to work digitally, is working with people from all over the place,” said Kumu’s Harry Wong III. “Especially when we get to work with those with local ties to Hawaii, people who are going to school outside of Hawaii, or some who had to leave Hawaii to seek work elsewhere.”
For instance, islander Alisa Boland, is attending school in Chicago, and the virtual performance enables her to participate from afar. So it’s a new wrinkle and twinkle to the digital experience.

“The digital format will also lend itself well to the scary aspects in this production,” said Wong. Which means if things go awry, there will be unintended obake drama. …

And that’s Show Biz. …

One down, one more to go.

Destin Daniel Cretton, the Maui director who helmed the Disney/Marvel box office hit, “Shang-Chi: Legend of the Ten Rings,” has another Chinese film as his next assignment.

He has signed on to direct “American Born Chinese,” based on a graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang, which will be a Disney+ vehicle.

“American Born Chinese” explores the challenges of Jin Wang, a teenager conflicted with his immigrant home life and his efforts to fit in with social life at school. The storyline will entangle the lad in battles with legendary Chinese mythological gods.

Cretton will direct and also serve as an executive producer, with Kelvin Yu and Charles Yu adapting the graphic novel for the screen. Kelvin Yu also will be showrunner.

“Reading Kelvin’s riveting adaptation of Gene’s incredible novel had me laughing and crying and jumping out of my chair on every page,” Cretton said in a statement to the Hollywood Reporter. “I feel deeply connected to the characters in this story and the brilliant team bringing it to life. This show is going to be unlike anything we’ve experienced on TV, and I can’t wait for the world to see what we’re cooking up.”

Clearly, Cretton’s follow-up to “Shang-Chi” should boost his profile as a global film-maker and further extend and expand his fame as a Maui-boy-makes-good figure in Hollywood.

The project, from Disney Branded Television, is the first series for Ayo Davis, the division’s new president.

In an announcement of the project, Davis said: “We are delighted to continue our relationship with Melvin Mar and Jake Kasdan and thrilled that Destin Daniel Cretton is set to direct. The team are visionaries in bringing character-driven adventures to life, and we cannot wait for our audience to experience his fantastically memorable and imaginative adaption of the graphic novel. This is a universal story that moves between worlds and explores the impact of culture, identity and acceptance through the lens of adolescence.”…

Oh, and good news for Disney+ viewers who have yet to view “Shang-Chi.” The flick will be available on Disney+, along with a lot of other anticipated content, on Nov. 12. It’s part of the start of a celebration of the streamer’s second anniversary. …

A peculiar Hoku Awards

The 44^th annnual Na Hoku Hanohano Awards will be aired at  7 p.m. today (Oct. 7) on KFVE, with additional virtual coverage on Facebook Live.

But there’s a peculiar element for the winners-to-be. The Hoku Awards show, celebrating achievement in  island music, was taped “live” earlier at the Hawaii Theatre, with nominees, musical acts and the usual “and the award goes to” rhetoric.

But the nominees each had to prepare and tape an acceptance speech, which by now has been inserted into the flow of the show, creating a strange situation. Is it easy or difficult to feign emotions? I suppose this was the most convenient way to handle a challenging mission; this is not network TV, which could stage a show and have an army of handlers contact winners by phone or a Zoom set-up, to get live, at-home reactions. No?

The show will repeat at 7 p.m. Saturday (Oct. 9)  on KGMB and at 7 p.m. Oct. 30 on KHNL.

To the winners, an early congratulation cheer; to the losers, well, you got to practice for a future win. …

And that’s Show Biz. …

The pandemic has sidelined many entertainers, for obvious reasons – many clubs statewide have not been retaining performers largely because patrons have not been plentiful.

But for Brittni Paiva, the 33-year-old Big Island ukulele whiz, the past two years –embracing the coronavirus lockdowns — have had a profound impact in her life..

In a Facebook post, Paiva revealed her triumph amid challenges.

“In a little over two years, I went from alcoholic and drug addict, to now sober and moving to Los Angeles to actually live my dream. I’m pretty damn proud of how far I’ve come.”

In her prime and while living in Hilo, Paiva became one of the Big Island’s favorite troupers, collecting awards from the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts, the Hawaii Music Awards, and the Big Island Music Awards.

Her last album was “Tell U What.”

Paiva has not disclosed what her “dream” in L.A. entails, or whether she will resume her career as a multi-talented ukulele artist. While she was a piano-trained musician, picking up the four-stringed uke was a life changer. As she has said, it was “love at first touch.”

Whatever her path, we wish her well in the next chapter of her life. …

Monday night TV

Monday night’s TV viewership had the usual 1-2-3  leaders, though numbers were slightly less than previous weeks.

So:

• CBS’s “NCIS,” attracted the most viewers, 7.6 million, with a 0.6  in the 18 to 49 year-old demographics.

• NBC’s “The Voice,” drew an audience of 7.2 million, with a 0.9 rating in the age-accented demos.

• CBS’ “NCIS: Hawai‘i,” with 5.4 million viewers, logged a 0.4 demo rating.

Storylines may sway and tilt the scale, and a rotating door of actors may exit and enter, but the mothership ”NCIS” — with Mark Harmon as Leroy Jethro Gibbs — concluded last night with a surprising show-closer: a glimpse of a tombstone with his name and birthdate, with a blank place for a death date.

Was that merely a teaser, or a preview of what’s to come? Gary Cole, meanwhile, is now a regular as special agent Alden Park, a buttinski who seems to be the logical lead agent, should Gibbs terminate by choice or by script.

Further, with the “Hawai‘i” spin-off still a work-in-progress and in see-saw mode, it may be the right-show-in-the-right-time savior for the NCIS brand. Simply, it could emerge as this season’s newbie with the best chance of becoming the first of this year’s crop to be rewarded with a second-season pickup, even with its No. 3 ranking. It boasts behind-the-sceners from the cancelled “NCIS: New Orleans” eager to make this one last. …

Stay tuned. …

And that’s Show Biz. …