Disney’s “Moana” girl, Auli‘i Cravalho, the Honolulu native who has been transparent about being “out.,” will be among the roster of performers in an untitled film project, formerly referred to as “Love in Color.”
Auli’i Cravalho
The film stars Megan Mullally, the comedic Karen Walker on “Will and Grace,” with Rowan Blanchard (“Girl Meets World”), Tyler Alvarez (”American Vandal”), Michelle Buteau (”Always Be My Maybe”), Aasif Mandvi (”Evil”), Teala Dunn (”All Night”) and Isabella Ferreira (”Love, Victor”).
The flick is about an aspiring young artist (Blanchard) forced to join her high school track team and uses the situation to pursue her long-time crush (Cravalho), but discovers flipping over unexpected teammate instead, thus experiencing real love. …
Jonathan Scott
Whee, the people
Jonathan Scott of HGTV’s“The Property Brothers” and girlfriend Zooey Deschanel, of Fox’s“New Girl” fame, have been visiting Hawaii, seen at and posing for pics at Kualoa Ranch. They marked their second anniversary as a couple last month (Aug. 4 was the milestone date), so this begs a question: Were they married while in the islands? No mention of nuptuals, but certainly Hawaii is a perfect spot for matrimony …
Clublicity
Random additions to the Blue Note Hawaii lineup:
Tavana, Sept. 10, 6:30 and 9 p.m.
Mike Lewis presents A Night of Elton John and Billy Joel, Sept. 13, 6:30 and 9 p.m.
Kaleo Phillips and the Willie K Warehouse Blues Band, in a Tribute to Willie K, Oct. 12, at 6:30 and 9 p.m.
Hawaiian Style Band, Oct. 25, at 6:30 and 9 p.m.
Details: www.bluenotehawaii.com …
Notes to remember
Manoa Valley Theatre has begun its reticketing process for its season’s premiere, “Be More Chill,” which was to open tonight (Sept. 2) but delayed till Oct. 14 due to heightened coronavirus protocols. If you haven’t been notified about the change, call the theater. Outdated TV promos still tout Sept. 2 as the opening night, which is incorrect. …
Meanwhile, this year’s ‘Ukulele Picnic will again be conducted virtually because of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The streaming event, at 4 p.m. Saturday (Sept. 4), features a host of strummers including Japan’s Yoko Oginome. Viewable at youtube.com/user/ukupichawaii; details at ukulelepicnichawaii.org …
Daniel Bayot, son of veteran island performer John Valentine, is making a name for himself, via a hot new YouTube video of his composition, “Like You Love Me.” The track has become an online staple, which means Bayot is on the brink of wider success.
The tune throbs with contagious, fit-for-the-times expression; the visuals are splashy and alive, with flashy, moving visuals resembling Rorschach inkblot impressions, with his lyrics dancing amid moving, over a canvas of bright-orange volcanic-like eruption. Bayot’s image – and live capabilities – are not yet prominently explored; so perhaps a performance video is forthcoming.
Daniel Bayot
Bayot is part Filipino and proud of it. Since he was a toddler, dad Valentine has featured him in on-stage performances, so he’s grown up ‘neath the show biz limelight. He’s sat in on his dad’s occasional gigs, and now it’s his time for singular attention. Though his bio stuff doesn’t exploit or mention it — we won’t name-drop either — Bayot is a cousin of a major island superstar, whose uncle is Valentine. You can easily figure out the connection. …
‘Cobra Kai’s’ fourth season due in December
Pat Morita
“Cobra Kai,” the TV spinoff of “The Karate Kid,” is returning to Netflix, but not till December.
The show has been a cable hit, updated for a new generation of viewers, and maintains the traits originated by the original sensei, Mr. Miyagi, portrayed by the late Pat Morita.
A trailer is available online, and likely should start airing on Netflix, but the series – an Emmy nominee as best comedy series in season three – happily will retain the cast, assembled three decades after the original film and spin-offs starring Morita-san, as the “was on, wax off” karate sensei and Ralph Macchio as Daniel, his student. Only longtime Hawaii residents know that Morita previously worked here as a stand-up comic who resided at 1350 Ala Moana, the condo across Ala Moana Park and Ala Moana Center. As an actor, Morita, also earned fame for portraying Arnold on “Happy Days.” He was a best supporting actor Oscar nominee in 1984 for his Miyagi performance.
Macchio has been a steadfast hit in the tube resurrection, and his nemesis, Thomas Ian Griffith, now a sinister karate teacher Terry Silver, is ready for more havoc. …
Ukulele talk
Ukulele maestro Bryan Tolentino is offering an online Pop-Up Zoom ‘Ukulele and U Bass Kanikapila,’ at 1 p.m. Friday (Sept. 3).
“We’ll play some Hawaiian mele with no handouts; (this is) an opportunity to use what you know in real time and learn from it,” he said on a Facebook post.
The instruction phase will offer songs in the keys of G, C, F and maybe D, he said. “Challenge yourself to partake in the fun; all levels welcome.”
The sun will come out tomorrow – well on Dec. 2, on NBC – when “Annie Live” is televised as the network’s next staged-for-broadcast musical. And whoa, a Hawaii lass will be in the cast!
The titular character of the orphaned girl will be portrayed by Celina Smith, 12, who heads the cast after portraying Young Nala in the national tour of “The Lion King.”
Harry Connick Jr. will be Oliver Warbucks and Taraji P. Henson as Miss Hannigan. For Hawaii hometowners, the interest surely will be supporting cast member Nicole Scherzinger as Grace, with Tituss Burgess as Roost.
Nicole Scherzinger
Scherzinger is the local-born singer, best known for her work as lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls. While she’s had a string of high-profile roles as a judge on TV competitions including “Dancing With the Stars,” “Australia’s Got Talent,” “The X Factor UK” and “The Masked Singer,” she has logged stage credits, too, including “Cats” in the West End, where she was nominated for a Laurence Olivier acting award. So she’s got theatrical chops, too.
“Annie” has been a darling TV resource; this will be fourth tube interpretation of the Tony-winning musical based on Harold Gray’s comic strip and immortalized in songs with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and book by Thomas Meehan.
Following its Broadway success, there has been a 1982 film with Carol Burnett and Albert Finney, a 1999 TV film with Kathy Bates and Victor Garber, and a 2014 reboot with JamieFoxx and Cameron Diaz. …
Blue Note-tations
Kuana Torres Kahele
A couple of gems:
Robert Cazimero
Robert Cazimero will join Kuana Torres Kahele when the latter has a birthday celebration, at 6 and 8:30 p.m. Sept. 9 at Blue Note Hawaii. Only the first show will offer a full-on hula component. Both are skilled, leading singers-composers-musicians in theHawaiian orbit. Kahele previously was part of the Na Palapalai ensemble but has established himself as an indefatigable soloist, writing and recording several albums paying homage to mele of each of the seven Hawaiian islands, specializing in made-for-hula newbies. Cazimero is the surviving member of The Brothers Cazimero and is a legendary kumu hula and choreographer, with a vocal repertoire ranging from Hawaiian to Broadway tunes with in-between pauses on classics from the All-American Songbook to the occasional pop and jazz numbers.Tickets: $25 for loge, $35 for premium, and $20 for live streaming. Visit www.bluenotehawaii.com
Jim Brickman brings his piano and vocal artistry at 6:30 and 9 p.m. Sept 17 and 18 at Blue Note. Though it’s not Valentine season (his preferred time for romantics), love will be in the air. Tickets: $65 premium, $55 loge and bar. Visit www.bluenotehawaii.com
Why TAG yanked live ‘Akimbo’
The heightened, changing COVID protocols and safeguards have forced The Actors’ Group (TAG) to halt its “live”audiences at the Brad Powell Theatre at Dole Cannery. The plan was to do a few in-person performances of “Kimberly Akimbo,” combined with virtual shows; now it’ll be only via streaming.
Board members decided to eliminate live audiences in the name of caution; Mayor Rick Blangiardi last week decreed that in-person shows must be limited to an audience of 10 or fewer, but the question was unclear: what about the nine actors and crew? Are they counted in the 10 allowable?
With the possibility of health issues later, and the lack of clarity on the 10-in-the-house directive, TAG decided to pull the plug on spectators even without legal scrutiny. Season ticket holders will receive updates on how to view the virtual show; others should visit https://www.broadwayondemand.com/series/ylviHkBqTjmd-kimberly-akimbo–the-actors-group
The coronavirus cloud is affecting all theater groups here, and adjustments to playdates – like Manoa Valley Theatre’s and Diamond Head Theatre’s decisions to delay opening night for a month – will impact future shows by impacting seating and crowd capacity, and reducing or minimizing necessary rehearsal time for the next-up shows.
This is a predicament that will continue to change. So stay tuned. …
Stones gather no moss
The Rolling Stones won’t gather much moss, despite the Aug. 4 death of founding member Charlie Watts, a drummer extraordinaire. He was 80.
The Stones’ “No Filter” tour, sidelined in 2020 because of the pandemic, will hit the road starting in September, and Watts’ replacement will be Steve Jordan, 64, who had been lined up to sit in for Watts since the vet needed time to rest and recuperate. Watts himself tapped Jordan as his replacement, who has gigged with The Blues Brothers, B.B. King, Bruce Springsteen, Cat Stevens, Billy Joel, Lee Ann Rimes, Bruno Mars, Bob Dylan, Beyonce and Kelly Clarkson.
Concerts West has rescheduled 12 postponed dates, beginning Sept. 26 in St. Louis MO and ending Nov. 20 in Austin, TX. Alas, Hawaii is not on the itinerary. …
Most of us own, and use, cellphones daily. Lives are dependent on this invention. No. Kidding.
Without it, we are lost. We are possibly useless. Some rely on its calendar reminders. Others, without watches, use it to find out the time. Most embrace the contact list to reach out to the world.
iPhone: secret help tips.
Further, the phones can map out your day and assist in anything from finding an address, getting there, and texting and tweeting.
So what happens when you have an emergency? When you accidentally lock your keys in your car? (Yes, it happens, but luckily, my car will beep if my keys are inside the vehicle). When you need directory assistance, and unknowingly pay for that service? When you (gulp) lose your phone or if (bigger gulp) someone steals it.
The cellphone likely can help you in more ways than you probably know. These five “hows” are invaluable.
1 — Emegency calls
The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112. If you find yourself out of the coverage area of your mobile network and there is an Emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency number for you, and interestingly, this number 112 can be dialed even if the keypad is locked. Try it out
2 — Car keys locked in the car
Have you locked your keys in the car? Does your car have remote keyless entry? This may come in handy someday. Good reason to own a cell phone:
If you lock your keys In the car and the spare keys are at home, call someone at home on their cell phone from your cell phone. Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the person at your home press the unlock button, holding it near the mobile phone on their end. Your car will unlock. Saves someone from having to drive your keys to you. Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away, and if you can reach someone who has the other ‘remote’ for your car, you can unlock the doors (or the trunk).
( Note: It works fine! We tried it out and it unlocked our car over a cell phone!’)
3 — Hidden battery power
Imagine your cell battery is very low. To activate, press the keys *3370#. Your cell phone will restart with this reserve and the instrument will show a 50 pe rent increase in battery. This reserve will get charged when you charge your cell phone next time.
(Note: some testing this say it doesn’t always work. Depends on the phone?)
4 — Disabling a stolen mobile phone
To check your Mobile phone’s serial number, key in the following Digits on your phone: *#06# .
A 15-digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe. If your phone is stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset so even if the thief changes the SIM card, your phone will be totally useless. You probably won’t get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can’t use/sell it either. If everybody does this, there would be no point in people stealing mobile phones.
5 — Free directory service call
Cell phone companies are charging us $1.00 to $1.75 or more for 411 information calls when they don’t have to. Most of us do not carry a telephone directory in our vehicle, which makes this situation even more of a problem. When you need to use the 411 information option, simply dial: (800) FREE411 or (800) 373-3411 without incurring any charge at all. Program this into your cell phone now.
Note: “Help data” provided by the Halton Police Retirees Assn. of Canada; opening text/commentary by yours trulyy. Suggestion: print this out, save it in your wallet/purse, share with anyone with a cellphone.
Entertainer Horace Dudoit III, the leader of the musical group Ho‘okena, is recuperating at home after contracting the COVID-19 virus.
“It really hit me hard!” he said via email, after posting on Facebook that he caught the virus “even though me and my family are fully vaccinated.”
He said being vaxxed enabled him to escape the ravages of coronavirus. “If I wasn’t vaccinated, I would probably be in the ICU right now,” he said.
Horace Dudoit III
Earlier this week, he suspected something brewing. “I was going downhill, and just so happened my doctor was able to have me do a monoclonal antibodies treatment at the Respiratory Evaluation Clinic adjoining Straub, “and that treatment helped snap me back from a low point in my condition.”
He and his family are properly quarantined and should be cleared from being isolated by Monday.
Happily, his wife Nani has been an angel of a caregiver through these frightening moments. And he is very thankful she, their sons and granddaughter are free from contracting the virus.
“Nani has been so awesome, taking care of me from a distance, and making sure I am fed well and doing well,” said Dudoit.
From the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, Dudoit has been adamant about safety, eliminating unnecessary travels with Ho‘okena, tending to safety measures by mask-wearing, social distancing and hand-washing, so COVID was totally unexpected. He reiterated that getting vaccinated has been a key to his recovery. …
Updates on delayed stage season
COVID has been an opening night fright, delaying the kickoff of fall seasons at Honolulu’s two largest producing theaters. With COVID numbers surging, Mayor Rick Blangiardi imposed a 28-day shutdown with heightened measures and concerns about indoor activities, forcing theater groups to postpone opening night.
Manoa Valley Theatre has pushed back opening of its “Be More Chill” musical from Sept. 2 to Oct. 14. For the first time ever, MVT season ticket holders will have reserved seats, complicating the rescheduling process, particularly if the social distancing protocol is mandated. If spaced-out seating rules prevail, the theater likely would have to juggle some season seat holders, since capacity would dip to 60 compared to a full-house of 120.
According to the MVT website, “All purchased tickets will be honored. Season ticket holders should expect a call from our box-office to reschedule performance dates and seats based on the new performance calendar.”
Translation: The playout means that ticketing for Sept. 2 will be shifted to Oct. 14 through 31, and patrons should make slide-over date adaptations accordingly. The shifted dates will mean that an extension of “Be More Chill,” if warranted, is no longer possible, and the season’s second show, “The Joy Luck Club,” set to bow Nov. 4, will also require a pushback.
Diamond Head Theatre also is delaying opening of its “Oliver!,” from Oct. 15 to Nov. 5 and is banking on a full capacity house of 475. It also employs assigned seating and if social distancing seating becomes necessary, only half the house can be sold – a major complication.
Season subscribers have been notified, but DHT still is sorting out options before going public and posting updates on its website. …
Ukulele milestone
On Aug. 23, Nā ‘Ukulele ‘Ekolu celebrated the 142nd anniversary of the arrival of the Ravenscrag to Hawaii, the ship that introduced the ukulele to the islands. Manuel Nunes, Augusto Dias, and Jose deo Espirito Santo are credited for introducing the uke to the islands.
Hopkins, Seabury and Tolentino, with historic ukulele instruments.
Not surprisingly, a trio of local ukulele strummers celebrated the milestone with a YouTube performance. Bryan Tolentino played an 1895 Nunes, Kama Hopkins, an 1886 Santo, and Halehaku Seabury, an 1890 Dias. “When these musicians performed on these antique instruments, it was a historical moment,” said Tolentino. “These three instruments played together last night (Monday), probably never happened before.”
Hopkins is formerly of Holunape; Seabury is with NaHoa; and Tolentino, a visible, virtual and versatile master of the ukulele, has been staging wonderful online work not just for himself but for the Hawaiian music community. …
Penn Holderness
Shorts of sorts
King’s Bakery, with roots in Hawaii, has become the subject of a musical parody-partnership with Penn Holderness and his family, online sensations, making merry music and often poking fun at people, things, and places during the pandemic.
Now Holderness offers “The Lunch Song,” a charming and entertaining rap, which I’ve shared with online buddies. It’s a declaration of the mid-day meal, with the sweet bread of choice.
Robin Kimura of Greenwood was elated to learn that former isle deejay Kamasami Kong, a leading radio figure in Japan, played one of the act’s tunes, “Loveland Island,” on his Nippon show. Kong always boosts island music on his broadcasts. …
