Month: July 2025

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“MERRILLY’ FILM ROLLS OUT DEC. 5

“Merrily We Roll Along,” the 2024 Tony Award-winning “Best Revival of a Musical,” will finally hit the movie theaters Dec. 5, domestically and internationally.

This is the celebrated Stephen Sondheim project, with collaborator George Furth, that featured a dream cast, starring Daniel Radcliffe as Charley Kringas, Jonathan Groff as Franklin Shepard, and Lindsay Mendez as Mary Flynn. Their chemistry and  performances at the Hudson Theatre on Broadway were filmed for posterity toward the end of its New York run. So ultimately, the feature film beckons from Sony Picture Classics and Fathom Entertainment.

Lindsay Mendez as Mary Flynn, Jonathan Groff as Franklyn Shepard and Daniel Radcliff as Charley Klingas.

“Merrily” wasn’t always merry and does not boast a conventional story motif. When it first made its debut at the Alvin Theatre (now, the Neil Simon Theatre), on Nov. 16, 1981 the show was a humiliating dud, doing 44 previews and a mere 16 performances before  shuting down due to bad reviews.

Clearly, the show was kind of  an oddity, told in reverse chronology. It starts in 1976, and works backward to 1957, so it requires a different mindset when viewing.

But for Sondheim devotees, this is the ultimate musical in scope and in style. So what if  story unfolds backward. This gimmick is part of its charm.

Radcliff, Groff and Flynn, as Old Friends in “Merrily We Roll Along” play and film.

Thematically, “Merrily” is a genuinely appealing exploration of friendship among colleagues, comprising three office pals who share dreams, goals, and conflicts in a show biz climate.  Frank is a rich Hollywood producer, who hosts a party, often alienating his best buddies, Charley and Mary. Their see-sawing inter-action reflects the rhythm of life. To punctuate the timetable a skosh, there’s a scene where the three-some are sky-gazing, and they witness Sputnik from a garage roof. Whoopie!

Over time, Sondheim’s fans have generally adored his music, but occasionally his lyricism can be distancing. The collection of tunes in “Merrily” includes some singable ditties with lasting appeal; you needn’t be a trained crooner to sing such feel-good titles like “Old Friends” and vocalize to the swirl of warmth in the show’s title song. This isn’t “Into the Woods” or “A Little Night Music,” but there’s vision and substance in the score.

When “Merrily” was reinvented for a Broadway run, the show recouped its $12 million capitalization by March of 2024, and by the time of its finale on July 7, 2024, it became the highest grossing ever for a Sondheim musical. Throughout its residency, it was a top-grossing show, often bypassing the usual chart giants, “Wicked” and “The Lion King.”

The show won a Best Orchestrations Tony for maestro Jonathan Tunick. 

According to Playbill, another version of “Merrily” – not to be confused with the one with Broadway creds opening in December – and has been an obscure project of Richard Linklater, the director best known for his 2024 film, “Boyhood,” tracking a lad’s aging over the decades. Linklater’s adaptation of “Merrily” is said to track actors like Ben Platt, Beanie Feldstein, Paul Mescal and Hannah Cruz, who will be filmed sequentially a la “Boyhood” till each performer becomes the actual age of the role he/she is enacting. If he’s lucky, director Linklater will wrap it up in 2039,  lord willing. Not so merrily a roll is this…

‘Wicked’ still rules the Broadway grosses

“Wicked” continues to defy gravity, and soars at the No. 1 in Broadway’s weekly gross charting. “The Lion King’ (No. 2) swapped slots with “Hamilton” (No. 3).

The Top 10:

1—”Wicked,” $2.311 millon

2—”The Lion King,” $2.190 million

3—”Hamilton,” $2.136 million

4—” Sunset Blvd.,” $1.974 million

5—” Aladdin,”$1.456 million

6—”MJ,” $1.354 million

7—”Maybe Happy Ending,” $1.341 million

8—”Just In Time,” $1.287 million

9 –“Death Becomes Her,” $1.255 million

10—”The Outsiders,” $1.157 million

The complete list of shows, for the week ending July 13, courtesy the Broadway Guild:

And that’s Show Biz…

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SAME DAY SURGERY SET AT QUEEN’S

Folks:

Some breaking news, from me.

I’ve moved up a planned Sept. 4 surgery at Queen’s Medical Center, since a slot became available.

The new surgery is set for tomorrow afternoon, July 17. It’s a Same Day Surgery, so not overnight stay. I’ll be out and about and functioning as usual.

I will have an outdated Abbott device removed from my body, and a new, compatible Boston Scientific system, to combat longtime chronic lower back pain. It’s part of the ongoing alternative treatment  supervised by  Dr. Jeffrey Loh.

I also have more procedures in the coming weeks:

n  A CT scan treatment on July 30.

n  A potential colonoscopy, date to be set, depending on results of the scan.

n  Possible surgery in my mid-section,  by Dr. Steven Nishida, to treat  recurring pain not yet identified.

Not to worry; however, these procedures will determine treatment for what’s happening under the hood in this aging body. So, thanks for your concern.

–Wayne Harada

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MEDEIROS BIOGRAPHY DUE IN FALL

Most folks know Glenn Medeiros as a singing idol, when he recorded  “Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love for You,” which  spiraled to the Top 10 on the pop charts. His cover of the George Benson love ballad enabled the Kauai High School student to sing his hit on NBC’s “Tonight Show,” where host Johnny Carson interviewed him.

Glenn Medeiros

The recording enabled Medeiros to tour nationally and internationally, a journey that was just one chapter of his multi-career, as depicted in his inspirational  memoir, “From One Stage to Another,” due to be released this fall. With the foundation of a  show biz career, Medeiros  – still adding accomplishments to his dossier  – evolved into a compassionate hyphenate who excels in life, as a son, an athlete, a student, a father, a husband, a teacher, an educational leader, and now, an emerging author.

In the book, Medeiros displays a keen skill in storytelling, with a conversational tone in his text.  Clearly, family was important in his formative years, and his earnest desire to succeed is obvious.

The book will explore the many stages of Glenn Medeiros.

FYI, I read a provided manuscript, and it’s obvious that when doors opened, he was ready to mount a few new chapters in his life.

Of course, the book includes chapters of his teaching career, which led to his current position of president of Saint Louis School. Talk about a climb! An enviable achievement.

Confession: As a former journalist covering entertainment, I’ve tracked Medeiros’ early triumphs as an entertainer, reviewed him in Waikiki shows when he co-starred with comedian-singer Frank DeLima in a revue mixing music with comedy. It’s that stage of his career that I know him best.

 I have talked stories and shared laughter in frequent lunches with Medeiros and DeLima. Simply put, pocho punch lines were plentiful, when two Portuguese sons  of Hawaii – both divine Catholics — convene.

It is with cheerful anticipation that I wish Medeiros blessings  and good fortune in his new endeavor as an author. You go, guy!…  

And that’s Show Biz…

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CAZIMERO’S SONGFEST DODGES MOON

Robert Cazimero’s so-called monthly Full Moon Concerts continue to attract loyalists at Chef Chai’s.  However, the event no longer adheres to the lunar glow.

Reason: the casual serenades – this month’s show was last night (July 13), though this month’s actual full moon was on July 10  — are scheduled according to the entertainer’s mainstream work and travel agenda. And Sundays appear to be the convenient playdate, even though the August show will be on a Friday.

Hula maiden Sky Perkins Gora dances, while Cazimero sings…

Further, December dates are not yet finalized, but will be staged on several evenings because this slate will comprise his Christmas concert gift to the community. So stay tuned to the announcements and sign up early; the shows will be sold out.

Cazimero’s opening number last night was “Sing Me a Song of the Islands,” and that’s kind of his modus operandi. He programs numerous island tunes, some in Hawaiian, some in English, some from left field. But he homers because of candid control. Nostalgia is a common trait – think stories of his first three years at Hongwanji Mission’s grade school, before he switched to Fern School. “I thought I was Japanese,” he chimes with a mischievous tone, then he quickly shares a verse of a folk song in Nihongo.

…and Bully Keola Makakau also lets his hands do the talking

A lot of elements are predictable, but nonetheless precious. Like hula by Sky Perkins  Gora and  Bully Keola Makaiau, who share storytelling with hands, in perfect cadence in difficult, crowded walk space between tables.

Aunty April hulas, too,

Cazimero says it like it is; he tossed darts to a noisy audience a month ago. “You guys the best,” he alludes to this evening’s audience.

He recalls Kui Lee visiting Kamehameha Schools when he was a student, capping the stroll down memory lane with “Days of My Youth;”   and watching Don Ho at the now-gone Duke Kahanamoku’s at the International Market Place. which punctuates this remembrance via a rendering of sHo’s signature, “I’ll Remember You.”

Sitting behind his grand piano, he sips his favorite bubbly, and as the glass empties, another filled one appears. The Louis Vuitton Veuve Cliquot champagne is his magic potion. (It really works!)

Cazimero’s songbook also includes two Dennis Kamakahi classics, “Wahine Ilikea” and “Pua Hone,”  which he renders separately and provides meaningful stories of meanings. And guest performers get brief performance time, like Sistah Robi Kahakalau joining Cazimero at the piano, and  his beloved “Aunty April” sharing her classic “Ei Nei,” hula but this time standing (instead of a sit-down hula).

Our grandnephew Sgt. John Rhoades, now stationed at Schofield Barracks, visits his Uncle Robert, flashing shaka and smiles.

Next month’s endeavor, clearly, will be entirely different. And if he sings “Zippity-Doo-Dah,” the Disney evergreen from “Song of the South,” you can count on his mode of informal but incisive fun…

And that’s Show Biz…

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Robert Cazimero concerts
Where: Chef Chai, at 1009 Kapiolani  \Blvd.

When: Aug. 29, Sept. 14, Sept. 28, Oct. 28; November and December dates to be announced

Schedule: Dinner service, from 5:30 p.m; show at 6:30 p.m.

Cost: $109, includes complete meal, from appetizers, choice of entrée and dessert.

Reservations: (808) 581-0011.

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PAPER TRAIL FUELS SOME MEMORIES

You never know what you’ll find, when you pore through old boxes you’ve neglected for years.

As a journalist, I’m referring  to stuff I’ve kept because newspapers were the focus of my career. I often save many articles for future use.

Interestingly, the three tear sheets I discovered brought flashes of joy, because they were very much a part of my life.

Show directory

One treasure, which reflected the pulse of Broadway, was a compilation of all of the shows in New York, which helped me select shows. The New York Times maintained the tradition of collating small advertisements which – at a glance – reflected the pulse on the Great White Way. This list was dated March 15, 2020, well before the COVID 19 pandemic halted and buried Broadway a few months later.

The prevailing hits included “Phantom of the Opera,” “Come From Away,”  “Dear Evan Hansen,” “Frozen,” “The Lion King,” “Book of Mormon,”  “Mrs. Doubtfire,” “Ain’t Too Proud,” ”West Side Story” and “Six.”

I saw all of these shows – over a couple of visits – before the lights went out. And with the shutdown, The Times  and shows stopped the listings…which never were restored even when the lights were turned on again.

Yeah, I know, the data is available via your iPhone or your laptop. But the at-a-glance peek at what’s playing became history…

Indexing fun

So did the TGIF – The Great Index to Fun – which was a tradition at the Honolulu  Advertiser, a Friday tabloid in the morning paper. Disclosure: I wrote features and/or reviews in TGIF, which was a handy-dandy resource to see where or what was happening for the weekend and beyond.

My colleagues on TGIF – reporters, copy editors, page designers and chief editor (plus staff photographers) – dutifully produced the section week after week, from earlier years when entertainment ruled Waikiki and name acts brought their shows to Aloha Stadium, Blaisdell Arena and/or Concert Hall, and Waikiki Shell.

TGIF didn’t survive the merger of the morning Honolulu Advertiser and the evening Star-Bulletin, and a feature section eventually disappeared. The Star-Advertiser became a two-section endeavor – main and local news, and sports. Instead of a feature section on Sundays, a Travel section prevails – with a key New York Times story with art, week after week.

The paper truly has a content issue, or perhaps it doesn’t give  a damn… 

Bright beginnings

Then I came across a feature article I wrote, published Aug. 3, 2016, in the Star-Advertiser, sharing news that survivors, supporters and former actors in a Ron Bright musical, were launching the I’m a Bright Kid Foundation, to perpetuate the legacy of Mr. B, as he was called.

Ron Bright

The revue, entitled “Brighter Still,” was to feature a roster of Bright Kids in a production July 13 at the Hawaii Theatre, the first IABK show organized  by Ligaya Stice, executive director. The show corraled everyone who was a someone singing and dancing for the late director-educator at Castle High School, whose auditorium bears the Bright name, and at Paliku Theatre at the Windward Community College, where an IABK show usually sets anchor.

Former Bright-directed talent traditionally participate in a Bright show, coming from near and far. Mo Bright, widow of the director, said “A little bit of Ron lives in each one of them/”

IABK’s annual musical production, “Gypsy,” opens Aug. 8, with a three-weekend run at Paliku through Aug.24. For tickets,  visit  Www.iabk.org

‘Wicked” defying gravity; remains No. 1

“Wicked” retains its No. 1 on the Broadway grosses tally, for the week ending July 6.

However, “Hamilton” has jumped into the game, again, moving up a few notches to No. 2.

The Top 10:

1—“Wicked,” $2.257 million.

2—“Hamilton,” $2.110 million.

3—”The Lion King, $2.054 million.

4—” Sunset Blvd.,” $1.940 million.

5—” Aladdin,” $1.378 million.

6—” Maybe Happy Ending,” $1.331 million.

7—”MJ,” $1.232 million.

8-“Just In Time,” $1.231 million.

9—”Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” $1.167 million.

10—“The Outsiders,” $1.146 million.

The complete list, courtesy the Broadway Guild:

And that’s Show Biz…