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MALIHINI VS. KAMAAINA

Just asking…

What does it take for a malihini (newcomer to Hawaii) to finally become kamaaina (long-time island resident)? It’s a status that comes with time, for sure.

However, part of the distinction has to do with how long you’ve lived here. Perhaps 20 years might be a qualifier, but what you know or have experienced matter, too. In short: embracing local culture and ways — what you think, how you talk — is part of the equation.

Some examples:

— You’re kamaaina if you remember when Kalakaua Avenue was a two-way street.

J. Akuhead Pupule on radio

— You listened to J. Akuhead Pupule on the radio during your morning commute, not Michael W. Perry & the Posse.– You shopped at Liberty House, not Macy’s.

— You  worked at Hawaiian Pine or Libby’s, companies that raised and canned island pineapples.

— You drove down the winding Old Pali Road, to get from Honolulu to Kailua/Kaneohe.

— You speak pidgin, but can switch to standard English, too.

Get the drift? So now provide some thoughts on your kamaaina-ness…

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BROADWAY IS READY, BUT I’M NOT

Start spreading the news. New York theater will be aglow again. Broadway is in reopening mode, with the main thrust coming this fall.

But…

I’m not, and I’m not certain you are either.

I’d take the direct flight to JFK, if I’m flying Hawaiian. Or if I opt for United, the destination is Newark.

Either way, NYC is on my radar now. But I am cautiously optimistic of a smooth reopening, but I likely will wait till spring 2022,

The newbie shows I’d love to see are:

* “Mrs. Doubtfire,” the comedy that starred Robin Williams on film, set to open Oct. 24 at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre in New York.

* “Music Man,” beginning Dec. 20, at the Winter Garden Theatre. This one features Hugh Jackman as Professor Harold Hill and Sutton Foster co-star.

But there might be  T-R-O-U-B-L-E ahead, borrowing the song from “Music Man.”

Why? Ticketing websites are already selling seats for the new shows and the perennial favorites, lined up like racehorses, for the opening bell. Since New York claims the theaters will be like the pre-pandemic days, there shouldn’t be open seats between patrons. What happens if protocols and rules change? Do you forfeit seats?  Who stays and who preys for open spaces, if that happens, and will you have wiggle room that fits into your hotel bookings?

Many wonderments. Not many precise details yet.

If you’re planning a fall visit, the marquees should be glowing with these attractions:

• “Hamilton,” beginning Sept. 14, at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. Now you can finally get your “shot.”

• “Wicked,” returning Sept. 14, at the Gershwin Theatre. Green will be the keen face color again.

• “The Lion King,” roaring in Sept. 14, at the Minskoff Theatre. Can you feel the love already?

• “Chicago,” starting Sept. 14, at the Ambassador Theatre. It’ll be razzle dazzle time, with all that jazz.

• “The Phantom of the Opera,” resuming Oct. 22, at the Majestic Theatre. Watch out for the falling chandelier and bask in the music of the night.

• “Diana,” premiering Dec. 1, at the Longacre Theatre. A musical about the beloved Princess of Wales.

• “Ain’t Too Proud,” opening Oct. 16, at the Imperial Theatre. Relieve Motown magic and music.

• “Jagged Little Pill,” returning in Oct. 21, at the Longacre Theatre. Music by Alanis Morissette.

• “Come From Away,” opening Sept. 1, at the Schoenfeld Theatre. The Canadian hospitality blooms again, post 911.

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MVT NEW HOME FOR HORSE, ANGEL

Comedian Frank DeLima has donated a horse and an angel to Manoa Valley Theatre.

Well, yes… and no.

DeLima discovered he had  costumes of a horse and angel amid his collection, storage for which had become an issue. So he wanted the items to reach a good home, and called MVT to donate the rare gear. And the theater accepted. Now it owns a horse and an angel.
“The horse has a front and a back end,” DeLima said. It was a costume intended for a Japanese show with samurai, which never reached fruition.

“The angel is huge – 8 feet – and since I can’t stand for a long time, I can’t use it any longer,” he said.

Frank DeLima

The horse never was in a show of his. But the angel made one Christmas appearance, in a Christmas production co-starring Glenn Medeiros at the Polynesian Palace years ago.

So there are warm memories of both costumes.

“I think I bought the horse, but the angel was designed by Kathe James,” DeLima recalled.F

So who knows? Some day the horse may trot out onto the MVT stage. The angel’s fate is not known, but she already is a blessing no matter the season…

A celebrity couple

Vanessa Lachey, tapped to portray Jane Tennant in CBS’s “NCIS: Hawai’i,” is married to boy band singer Nick Lachey of 98 Degrees. Which begs the question: will his celebrity factor in on hers?

Vanessa Lachey

Vanessa Lachey is making history in the “NCIS” orbit as the first and so far only female to lead an NCIS task force. In the mothership original, Mark Harmon is chief; in the Los Angeles version, LL Cool J and Chris O’Connell share the leadership; in the outgoing New Orleans rendering, Scott Bakula is honcho.

Besides singing, Nick Lachey also has been an actor/host on TV, co-hosting Netflix’s “Love Is Blind” with the missus, and appeared in The WB’s “Charmed.”  Will he appear as an actor in “NCIS” here? He’s certain to have a SAG membership. Will he corral his 98 Degrees buddies to concertize here? The possibilities are unlimited. …

Moonlight serenade

Robert Cazimero is gearing up for yet another Moonlight Concert, at 7  p.m. May 27 at Chef Chai’s on Kapiolani Boulevard. A sit-down feast is served from 6 p.m.

The monthly performance features hula, too, but the joy is the unknown factor about Cazimero’s songlist. Hawaiian? Hapa-haole? Standards? He does ‘em all, a key reason the moonlight serenades work for him and for restaurateur Chai Chaowasaree.

Next one: June 24. …

Tickets: $95 at https://chefchai.com …

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And that’s “Show Biz.” …

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DANIEL DAE KIM, MAN OF ALL REASONS

Daniel Dae Kim, 52, has emerged as one of show business’ most active players, at unimaginable tiers both on screen and off.

We locals best know him from his role as Jin-Soo Kwon in ABC’s “Lost” and more recently as Chin Ho Kelly in CBS’ “Hawaii Five-0.” Both were filmed in Hawaii, establishing Kim as a powerhouse figure, and giving him island roots in the process.

Since then, he’s been all over the map –a man of all reasons.

I saw him several years ago, portraying the King of Siam, in Lincoln Theatre’s award-winning Broadway musical, the beloved “King and I.” He also did a stint in London.

After “Five-0,” he distinguished himself as a TV producer-actor via his 3AD production company, tapping a Korean drama and retrofitting the storyline to America in ABC’s “The Good Doctor,” still on the air.

He’s been a TV figure for an incredible 35 years now, a rarity among Asian Americans in an industry favoring mostly white, and more recently black, thanks to the Black Lives Matter movement.

Daniel Dae Kim, on the cover of New York magazine’s Culture Pages.

Of Korean descent, he’s become perhaps the most visible face and voice of the current Asian American hate front, speaking with clarity and earnest about the hate crimes that have targeted innocent Asians in racially motivated physical attacks.

No wonder he’s been tagged as The Diplomat, in an April interview in New York magazine’s The Culture Pages, where he discussed his zeal to combat inequities in salaries. Perhaps the most successful alumni of the “Five-0” cast, he (joined by colleague Grace Park, who played Kono Kalakaua) walked away from the show in protest of paychecks smaller than their two other white leads, Alex McLoughlin and Scott Caan, in a situation where the four actors were, in reality, an ensemble.

Kim and Grace Park, in “Hawaii Five-0.)

As a producer, Kim is quoted, “Now, whenever I develop a show, I specify right off the top what ethnicity the lead is,” making salaries tantamount to intention.

He will have the lead role of Matthew Ryker in National Geographic Channel’s “The Hot Zone: Anthrax.”

His credits are vast and varied. He played Ben Daimio in “Hellboy,” has a recurring role in NBC’s “New Amsterdam” as Dr. Cassian Shin.

He was heard but not seen in the animated “She-Ra and the Princess of Power” and “Raya and the Last Dragon.” And he’s been filming episodes—not yet released — of the animated “Pantheon,” portraying David. Gamers may know him from a series of video games.

And that’s “Show Biz.” …