“NCIS: Hawai‘i,” scheduled for a Sept. 1 launch on CBS, continues to name subsidiary cast members.
The latest additions:
- Tori Anderson, who will portray Kate Whistler, an ambitious agent with the Defense Intelligence Agency with goals to rise up the professional ladder. Her feisty goals will become evident as the CBS series progresses.
- Kian Talan, who will play Alex Tennant, the oldest child of team leader Jane Tennant, enacted by Vanessa Lachey. He is 16, strong-willed, mature beyond his age, who is struggling with the effects of his parents’ divorce, but a good child nonetheless.
Whether a locally hired actor snags perhaps the seventh key role is yet to be seen. Ya never know, of course, till it happens.
Yasmine Al-Bustam, as Lucy; Jason Antoo, as Ernie; and Noah Mills, as Jessie; were previously announced in key roles, providing, so far, an ensemble of six major players to date.
The team behind the scenes include two execs from the now-shuttered “NCIS: New Orleans,” Christopher Silber and Jan Nash as executive producers and showrunners, with Matt Bosack from “Seal Team” part of the team.
Lachey, the first female to lead an NCIS unit, will be overseeing and exploring crimes and mishaps against the backdrop of Pearl Harbor, with competing familial issues as well. …
Talk about people
Wearing facemasks, Justin and Hailey Bieber popped into TJ’s Sports Bar & Grill one recent night, surprising locals who were there, including entertainer Kekoa Kane, who was singing there. Kane was able to get photos taken with Bieber, who previously has spent time on the Neighbor Islands, renting high-profile, extravagant accommodations. Well, you only live once. …
Bright Kid scholarships
As part of the education core of the I Am a Bright Kid (IABK) Foundation, academic scholarships are awarded to deserving theatrical students.
Grace Rogers, Kalaheo High student, earned the IABK Foundation Performing Arts Award and a cash scholarship of $1,500. She will attend Emerson College this fall, pursuing a BFA in theater education and performance, and is a former participant in the IABK Summer Program in 2020.
“Theater connects people,” says Grace. “That connection is so much more valuable than any silly insecurity I may have, and I love performing because it allows me to experience that brief and beautiful feeling over and over again. I never knew Mr. Bright, but I believe that he shared this belief. As an educator, I can only hope to leave a fraction of the impact that Mr. Bright left on his students and his community.”
Ty Souza-Martinez won a $500 scholarship in the performing arts category and is currently studying vocal performance at Colorado State University in Pueblo.
And Taysha Paige of Kapolei High was awarded $500 and will attend the University of Hawaii West Oahu this fall, and commented, “I know that the rewards lie in the lives I change and the hearts I touch.”
Five years ago, Katie Yoshioka (Baldwin High School, ’17) won an IABK scholarship and completed her BA in education at Pacific University in three years. She graduates this month with a master’s in teaching and will teach kindergarten at West Union Elementary in Hillsboro, OR. “I am very excited to have my own classroom and complete my goals,” she says. …
And that’s “Show Biz.” …