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DESPITE WGA STRIKE, TONY’S A GO!

Negotiate. Abbreviate. Collaborate.

That the tension over the Tony Awards June 11 — will it proceed, or will it be canceled, because there was a Writers Guild of America strike a few days ago — is over.

The show will go on, thanks to the WGA, with some alterations but without union picketers obstructing attendees at the United Palace theater, in the Washington Heights neighborhood.

According to the New York Times, Broadway’s biggest night, televised by CBS for decades, will go on as planned, with all parties reaching a workable temporary agreement.

Last Friday, the awards show was nil. By Monday, a sense of unity energized both sides, essentially enabling the tradition to continue, with some concessions.

“As they have stood by us, we stand with our fellow workers on Broadway who are impacted by our strike,” the Writers Guild of America — which represents screenwriters —  said in a statement late Monday.

But the show cannot rely on pre-written scripts to reflect the glory and the highlights of the 2023 season. The Times noted,  “Tony Awards Productions (a joint venture of the Broadway League and the American Theater Wing) has communicated with us that they are altering this year’s show to conform with specific requests from the WGA, and therefore the WGA will not be picketing the show,” the union said in a statement. “Responsibility for having to make changes to the format of the 2023 Tony Awards rests squarely on the shoulders of Paramount/CBS and their allies. They continue to refuse to negotiate a fair contract for the writers represented by the WGA.”

A revised telecast is better than none. The Broadway community still is wrestling with the three-year pandemic shutdown, and it would have been devastating if the event was totally canceled.

The current hit shows rely on the awards outcome to fuel ticket-buying. The nominated shows are eager to earn a trophy or two, and the newbies which opened in the past few weeks, are struggling to find patrons, too.

The revised plans would include the usual presentation of key awards and live performances of songs from Broadway musicals, but how the protocols work out remain to be seen or heard. Scripted material, prepared prior to the brief threat of a shutdown, cannot be utilized, with the Tony producers abiding to the regulations.

A lot of ad-libbing, perhaps? The awards show is live, so the nominees and presenters may have to resort to the spontaneity of the moment in real time.

Still uncertain, if last year’s host and eventual Tony winner, Ariana DeBose (pictured,) from  “West Side Story,” will host again. She volunteered for the gig, but no decision has been made.

Like Hollywood’s film community, Broadway’s stage industry is heavily unionized, where participants of both entertainment camps are aware of the complications of taking part in the show, with some restrictions to members. For instance, if writers are forbidden to produce scripts for the show, but how does an appearance of a singer, dancer, or musician play out with some kind of script? The dots over the i’s and the crosses across the t’s are up to interpretation.

Prominent theater artists who work on Broadway and are allied with the writers guild also spoke up on behalf of the Tonys, arguing that forcing the show off the air would be catastrophic to the art form and to the many arts workers it employs. The combination of the lobbying efforts and the new conditions appear to have prompted the guild to finally agree Monday that the show would go on.

The striking screenwriters have argued that their wages have stagnated and working conditions have deteriorated despite the fact that television production has exploded over the last decade. Think streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Disney Plus and more. Negotiations between the major Hollywood studios — represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers — and the WGA broke down a month ago, triggering  11,500 writers voting for a strike May 2…

Prime time for Bruddah Iz

Just when you think that the prime time run of Israel Kamakawiwo‘ole’s hit song, “Over the Rainbow” is over, along comes another major placement on Fox’s “9-1-1: Lone Star” earlier this week.

Bruddah Iz’s (pictured, right) very familiar “oooh-oooh-oooh” intro, along with the first verse of the iconic song from “The Wizard of Oz,” had prominent exposure in the wedding scene of T.K. Strand (played by Ronen Rubinstein) and Carlos Reyes (enacted by Rafael Souza), first-responder fireman and police officer, respectively) as they marched down the aisle to exchange their I-do’s sealed with a kiss. ‘Twas the perfect heart-tugging melody, then and now again.

The song has been Hawaii’s No. 1 hit ever since Iz died in 1997, heard in films, TV, and commercial spots globally … but apparently a new generation of fans will again enjoy the new wave of exposure. Great news. …

Broadway grosses, for week ending May 14

Not surprisingly, the million dollar club on the Great White Way, continues to be “The Lion King.”

The Disney musical has topped the weekly grosses tally, provided by the Broadway League. It regained the pinnacle, ever since Hugh Jackman’s “Music Man” prevailed with $3 million grosses week after week.

Here’s the ranking of the top seven shows:

1 — “The Lion King,” $1.950 million.

2 — “Hamilton,” $1.889 million.

3 — “Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” $1.840 million.

4 — “Funny Girl,” $1.637 million.

5 — “MJ, the Musical,” $1.606 million.

6 — “Wicked,” $1.500 million.

7 — Moulin Rouge,” $1.262 million.

And here’s the entire list of the Broadway grosses…

And that’s Show Biz …


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WRITERS’ STRIKE JEOPARDIZES TONYS

The 2023 Tony Awards, set for June 11 in New York, are in jeopardy.

Unless the Writers Guild of America strike is settled in the next few weeks, the planned telecast on CBS won’t happen.

The American Theatre Wing and Broadway League, two sponsors of the annual awards fest, are huddling about what to do.

They sought a waiver to enable the show to proceed, with no success. If the event is held without some agreement for a green-light, it’s likely that nominees and presenters would not attend, since that would be crossing the line.

No pact, no presence of keen participants. So talks evidently will continue.

The Tonys are Broadway’s biggest promotional opportunity.

So what are potential options and effects?

The strike settlement would mean business as usual.

The Tonys could be postponed till after the strike is over and writers go back…to writing. Delaying the show is nothing new; during the first year of the pandemic, the Tonys were shelved till later. The 2020 event was pushed back to the fall of 2021, after theaters reopened after the COVID crisis.

The Tonys are the Broadway community’s largest promotional tool. Winning shows would see a burst of  ticket sales. Winning actors and other aspects of play production would get a boost in popularity and likely a jump in salary.

New plays or musicals, in particular, need the exposure from the Tonys; without the show, the struggling productions would have to shut down.

The New York Times reports that four of the five nominees for Best New Musicals are not filling seats to cover the production costs each week, and  all nominees could get a jump in box office sales. Even a nominee that doesn’t win usually gets a boost if a production number performed live on the Tony show connects with viewers at home.

If the strike lingers, theaters would remain dark for the duration of the walk-out; the 2007 WGA strike lasted more than three months, resolved in 2008.

So the stakes are large, and producers are trying to figure out a path to success…or an end to the strike. …

Broadway grosses, week ending May 7

“Sweeney Todd, the Demon of Fleet Street” is moving on up; it’s now in the No. 2 slot of the week’s top-grossing shows.

Thus, the Top 7 rankings look like this:

1 – “The Lion King,” $1.961 million.

2 – “Sweeney Todd,” 1.826 million.

3—“Hamilton,” $1.778 million.

4 – “MJ, the Musical,” $1.653 million.

5 – “Wicked,” $1.484 million.

6 – “Funny Girl,”  $1.448 million.

7 – “Moulin Rouge,” $1.250 million.

The weekly list, courtesy The Broadway League:

And that’s Show Biz. …

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THESE RIBS RUBBED ME WRONG WAY

Welcome to Chow Fun. Beginning with this posting, we’ll share periodic chats about food and dining. More informal revelations than the usual reviews, with focus on chowing … from snacks to casual dining.

Had a recent yearning for BBQ ribs, so ventured to Tex808 BBQ & Brews at the Hawaii Kai Shopping Center. This joint is jumping, for folks hungry for ribs and brisket.

Made two visits, since what I wanted to try the first time – the kal bi ribs – was sold out.

So, I ordered the usual ribs, with a choice of sauces, which wound up being a generous portion. I ate one half, taking the leftover home.

Still curious about the kal bi, I returned a week later and ordered ‘em.

The Tex88 kal bi, served with rice and salad on an aluminum tray.

Alas, I had mixed feelings. While the portion also was plentiful  – two rather thick slabs, not the thinner cuts you get at Yummy BBQ outlets or Kim’s (in Hawaii Kai), so I consumed one, took one home.

Frankly, if you like Korean kal bi, stick to a Korean  BBQ restaurant. The Tex version had the Korean flavor, but it’s smoked like the house ribs, so the ribs were tough and  dry. The butter knife provided (no serrated knife) could not easily cut through the meat.

Menu diversity is wonderful, but the kal bi here turns out to be a disappointing distraction.

The ribs and brisket come with choices of starch (rice, fries) and sides (like potato-mac salad, baked beans). The cafeteria style presentation – an aluminum tray with the entrée, with the sides served in paper luau-type mini-trays – was functional but uninspired.

There are tables facing the Hawaii Kai marina, and boats float by and there are mutual waving, from boaters and diners. On a dark night, blackness rules, with glistening lights from residents across the bay.

The waitstaff is friendly, and your server is your cashier, and mine signed me up for frequent diner points, but didn’t explain the rewards. There’s (loud) music some nights, perhaps targeting bar-area folks.

Another setback: the restaurant doesn’t serve coffee or tea but offers soda and wine.

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JIM LINKNER, RECORDING PIONEER, DIES

Jim Linkner, a prolific mover-and-shaker of Hawaii’s recording community, died May 6 in his sleep in his Kailua home. He was in his late 70s.

His son, Dylan Linkner, confirmed his dad’s passing on social media.

“On May 6, my dad peacefully went in his sleep and left us physically. But this man’s spirit will live on forever. (He was) Truly a legend in many aspects of his life, husband, father, grandfather, music producer, mentor, joke teller, storyteller, and friend,” Dylan stated, creating a tapestry of a beloved and versatile figure.

Jim Linkner, pictured above, was also a pioneering and influential behind-the-scenes force at a time five decades ago when Hawaiian music was bubbling in a renaissance in island culture, helping shape the islands with streams of joyous Hawaiian songs. If you check your aging vinyl LPs, 45s, and CDs, his name is likely to pop up amid the credits and define a spark of inspired genius.

Linkner was the right person for the right time, to boost and explore the mele of Hawaii. The artists benefitted, providing tracks for island radio, enabling emerging performers to break out  and find gigs at Waikiki hotels as the hospitality industry also was shaping its future.

Linkner’s  collaboration with Keali‘i Reichel, a Maui-based kumu hula who had a beautiful and undiscovered voice in the Hawaiian strain as well in selected pop tunes, perhaps was his most stunning achievement. Linkner produced and engineered such chart-topping albums like “Kawaipunahele,” “E O Mai,” “Ke’alaokamaile”  and “Melelana,” and helped make Reichel one of the most compelling island acts.

“Jim was our mentor, our business partner and our friend,” said Reichel and his life and business partner Fred Krause, in a joint statement. “Since tracking him down in 1994 to ask if heʻd record an unknown Kumu Hula from Maui, Jim has been at our side as an integral partner in Punahele Productions. Without Jimʻs experience and creativity as producer and engineer, we donʻt think anyone outside our families would have heard Kawaipunahele. We are grateful for his unwavering support, technical skill in the studio and his loving friendship. He was family and he will be missed dearly.”

His remarkable discography tapped a spectrum of other island talent, including Robert Cazimero, Ledward Kaapana, Irmgard Aluli and Puamana, Nina Keali‘iwahama and Charles K.L. Davis, Frank DeLima, Melveen Leed, The Krush, Karen Keawehawai‘i and scores more.

One of his treasures – a compilation disc,  entitled “Hawaii’s Greatest Contemporary Classics,” released in 1987 – had an all-star track list including Jerry Santos and Olomana, Cecilio and Kapono, Keola and Kapono Beamer, Gabby Pahinui and the Sons of Hawaii, Nohelani Cypriano, Jay Larrin, The Sunday Manoa featuring Robert and Roland Cazimero plus Peter Moon, and The Makaha Sons. The CD reflected the pulse of an artistic volcano, with a dynamite roster of troupers.

While his finger was mostly on the pulse of island songs, Linkner also had an earlier life as an event promoter, an active member of the Elks, and in more recent times, a former president of HARA, the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts, which produces the annual awards show. His work as a recording engineer and producer spanned the decades and earned him two fistfuls of Hoku awards – 17 at last count.

Circulation problems – he had his right leg amputated – curtailed his activities in recent years.

 “Our family is okay and appreciates everyone’s condolences and prayers,” Dylan continued. “But knowing my dad, he would appreciate you not mourning his exit but sharing your best story/time with him. So, feel free to share. We love you dad and we know you are having fun up there in the heavens.” …

And that’s Show Biz. …