Posts

Posted on

LATE-NIGHT NOSHING JOINTS ARE NIL

Auwe. It’s 10 p.m., you’ve just exited the movie theater, and you’re hungry for a late night snack. So where to go?

Home, probably.

The abundance of wee-hour restaurants – some 24/7, others serving till midnight – is history.

In the old days, you could hele on to Pier 7 at the Ilikai. Or a neighborhood saimin stand.

Or a pancake house, like the one on Ala Moana Boulevard (whose name I can’t recall) across the Ilikai, if you were seeking a platter of flapjacks with sides of egg and Spam.

And yes, Kau Kau Korner at Kapiolani and Kalakaua, at the entrance of Waikiki, was a shrine of sorts and a symbol of a destination for ono kau kau. After work, after movie, after doing a show in Waikiki. It was also the home of Coco’s … until the Hard Rock Café settled in there. All gone now.

Coco’s, at the entryway to Waikiki on Kalakaua Avenue, was a favorite 24/7 place.

Other sites, like Wailana, at the corner of Ala Moana and Ena Road, served us well.  It was a place where we all gathered, after the first round of going out, and finished the evening with local chow, frequently of singers and musicians we had seen earlier.

There was hope for a meal, too, if you slipped into a booth at Columbia Inn, before the midnight hour, where dinner, snack or breakfast options awaited. Maybe even at the counter-service at the Liliha Bakery, on Kuakini Street.

Wailana Coffee House was a go-to place for late-nighters.

No can do. Not anymore. Nada.

Restaurants cut back schedules even before the pandemic, but the lockdown punctuated  the disappearance of late-night dining. Maybe folks lost their thirst of night outings, and understandably, the hunger for late-night noshing, too.

Flash forward to the present times. You have to be in an eatery probably by 9:30 at the latest, to get table service. At M.A.C. 24/7 at the Hilton Waikiki Beach resort (the former Prince Kuhio Hotel) on Kuhio Avenue, business hours are 6 a.m. to midnight.

Both locations of the venerable Side Street Inn (Hopaka St., Kapahulu Ave.) have clipped hours, too, shutting down at 9 p.m.

Two former 24/7 brands also have abbreviated timetables: Anna Miller’s at Pearlridge and IHOP locations

The places that used to welcome night owls back in the day now close by 10 p.m.: 

  • Sorabol, on Keeaumoku Street.
  • Zippy’s  locations with dine-in options.

Conclusion: If you’re hungry late at night or in the wee hours, scout your fridge for leftovers or get the frying pan on the stove to whip out an omelet. Cup-a-Noodle just doesn’t cut it.

But the memories linger:  where did you go for your night noshes back in the day?

Posted on

THE ‘LINE’ IS ENDING BUT LEGACY LIVES

The roots are deep, director-choreographer Greg Zane has been learning via his latest project, “A Chorus Line,” as the musical hit winds up at Diamond Head Theatre.

Since the award-winning show opened July 16, a number of island folks who’ve previously performed in “ACL,” have responded to the production and shared indelible memories and ties with the late Tommy Aguilar, whose legacy and spirit have driven and prevailed during entire run. The show has another weekend of performances, Thursday through Sunday (Aug. 8).

Suzen  Murakoshi and Ron Kurowski, now Honolulu residents, are alumni of “A Chorus Line,” who have worked with some of the DHT ensemble here to keep the legacy alive.  Suzen played Connie Wong in the Broadway and National Tour companies; Ron portrayed Bobby Mills in the 1979 Blaisdell Concert Hall cast and was in the original cast of the London production, and logged seven years during “ACL’s” original Broadway run.

Greg Zane

“I consider his Bobby (like Tommy Aguilar’s Paul) as definitive portrayals. Both Suzy and Ron have ties to Tommy by performing with him during his time on tour and on Broadway,” said Zane. “Having learned the show from its creators, they have given the cast amazing insights into their characters. Invaluable details that only Ron and Suzen know, and have culled over their years with the show, have given our actors and production a tremendous depth. Both Suzen and Ron are keeping the legacy and show alive through coaching this new cast. We are so grateful to have them and their amazing support. We are so lucky!”

Zane still has two “ACL” original T-shirts and have donned them over the past few months, further keeping the spirit and tradition alive.  “I guess, they help keep me connected to that ‘ACL’ legacy and to Tommy. I mean, ACL is ‘The Greatest Musical Of All Time!’” …

Isle actor Alvin Ing dies

Alvin Ing, a Hawaii native with a lifelong career in Broadway musicals, has died at age 89.

Alvin Ing

The date and cause of his death have not been revealed; he was a Los Angeles resident.

Years before he made an imprint on Broadway shows, Ing performed in the islands in such shows as “13 Daughters” at the Hawaii Theatre. He was one of the first-from-Hawaii residents to star in a number of musicals in New York and in national tours, including “Pacific Overtures,” “The King and I,” “South Pacific” and “Flower Drum Song.” He is believed to be the actor with longest run playing Wan Ta in “Flower Drum Song.”

He also starred on TV in a gamut of shows, including “Third Watch,” “Law and Order,” “Dynasty,” “Dallas,” and “Falcon Crest,” and in such films as “Final Countdown” and “The Gambler.” …

Smooth as Silk, with skates

Silk Sonic, the duo/group featuring Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, has dropped a new single, “Skate,” as kind of a mid-summer surprise.

Bruno Mars

The tune, on YouTube, is sleekly infused with rhythm ‘n’ blues combined with Latino vibes, with Mars on congas and .Paak on drums, in the new video. The tune is Silk Sonic’s second single, providing a better sense of how the pair will ultimately pace its anticipated first album.

Because the two are on instruments, it’s hard to know how much their own body language would play out if they perform the tune live in concert. The video depicts dynamic, skate-sensitive choreography with a cluster of women sliding and gliding and skating their way with animated glee.

Clearly, Mars and .Paak are leaving the door open for more surprises in the weeks/months ahead.

See the video here: https://thissongissick.com/post/anderson-paak-bruno-mars-skate/

And that’s “Show Biz.” …

Posted on

HOUSE RULES: BAREFOOT OR SHOES?

Just asking…

Is yours a remove-shoe, remove-slippers

home upon entry?

In other words, what’s your house rule – enter barefoot or with slipper or shoes?

This is largely a local issue; traditionally, islanders don’t wear any kind of feet covering when entering their homes. They also go barefoot when they visit friends.

Would you tell guests to your home to take off footwear at the doorsteps? Why or why not?

Posted on

DELACRUZ RETURNING TO ‘HAMILTON’

When Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton” reopens Sept. 14 at the Richards Rodgers Theatre on Broadway, local boy Marc delaCruz will be part of the ensemble, as he was prior to the show’s shutdown due to the pandemic.

The principals in the award-winning mega-hit again will be led by Miguel Cervantes, in the title role, with key roles featuring Krystal Joy Brown (Eliza Hamilton), Mandy Gonzalez (Angelica Schuyer), Tamar Greene (George Washington) Jin Ha (Aaron Burr), James Monroe Iglehart (Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson), Euan Morton (King George III), Fergie L. Philippe (Hercules/James Madison), Aubin Wise (Peggy Schulyer/Maria Reynolds) and Daniel Yearwood (John Laurens/Philip Hamilton).

Marc delaCruz

For the record, Hawaii’s delaCruz had been understudying the title role and did perform Hamilton in at least one Sunday matinee. Thus, he became the first Asian American actor to do the role on Broadway. No updated word on his status beyond the ensemble.

The show’s box office opens Aug. 2, and a Hamilton store reopens Aug. 12 across the street from the Richard Rodgers Theatre; another store will open in Los Angeles, too, so the show is poised to relaunch in a big way. …

Halekulani reopening Oct. 1, but…

Halekulani Sunday brunch

The good news: the Halekulani Hotel finally has set Oct. 1 as its reopening date, following the closure due to the pandemic. The public environs will boast a new look, the rooms refreshed with expected elegance becoming a first-rate establishment.

The not-so-good news: The House Without a Key will welcome diners in November, again with exciting transformation befitting its beachfront location with vistas of the sea and the mountains. What locals want to know is when the main dining rooms will resume business, especially the fabled Sunday brunch buffets – a key destination for locals, who will stroll through the lobby and exteriors, but not likely to book a room.

Granted, buffet protocols will change (food items served, rather than self-served) but I’m in as long as the popular popovers prevail.

So: I’ll anticipate an announcement of restaurant reopenings, with particular emphasis on the Orchids Sunday brunch. …

At last: NCIS’ ‘okina in place

CBS finally has added an ‘okina – a diacritical mark – in the promotional visuals for “NCIS: Hawai‘i.” Generally speaking, it’s not a big deal to be “right” but the show made a promise to do what is traditionally correct. As you may know, it’s largely an optional inclusion in print media.

NCIS logo, with ‘okina

That said, the show and its cast led by Vanessa Lachey, continues to film episodes around town, and with its Pearl Harbor orientation, some filming has been on base but numerous sightings have been reported from communities across Oahu. The clue, if you’re wondering, would be a collection of vans and trucks required for equipment as well as cast dressing rooms. Or this cluster of vehicles could perhaps be “Magnum P.I.,” the other CBS filmed in Hawaii, starring Jay Hernandez.

“NCIS: Hawai‘i” will premiere at 9 p.m. Sept. 20, with the mothership original “NCIS” starring Mark Harmon preceding the island version, enabling the newbie a powerful lead-in edge. …

And that’s “Show Biz.” …