wayneharada.com

Kevin McCollum, Hawaii’s Tony-winning Broadway producer, is at it again. His latest production is “The Notebook”– now playing at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre — and it’s nominated for three awards this year.

McCollum and Kurt Deutsch are the lead producers of the new show, based on the popular novel, and co-directed by Michael Greif (“Dear Evan Hansen,” “Next to Normal,” “Rent”) and Schele Williams (“The Wiz,” “Aida.”)

While a 2024 “Best New Musical” nomination eluded “The Notebook,” the show earned three noms, for Best Book of a Musical, Leading Actor in a Musical (Dorean Harewood) and Leading Actress in a Musical (Maryann Plunkett).

A number of high profile names – a few expected, several not expected — also are among this season’s producers:

•  Angelina Jolie (“The Outsiders.”)
• Hillary Clinton (“Suffs.”)
• Eddie Redmayne (“Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club.”)
• Steven Spielberg (“Water for Elephants.”)
• Leslie Odom Jr., Alan Alda, Samuel Jackson, Phylicia Rashad (Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch.”)

The Tony Awards will be held June 16, originating from the David H. Koch Theatre at Lincoln Center, and televised on CBS…

A heavenly reunion of Rap and Kawika

Leesa Clark Stone, widow of comedian Rap Reiplinger, posted a sweet anecdote on my Facebook page, following the death May 2 of David “Kawika” Talisman.

“I sent Rap’s bible to Kawika and we talked a lot about spirituality in recent years after I interviewed him for Rap’s bio,” Stone wrote. “One day Kawika called me to say his cancer had taken a turn for the worse and said, ‘I guess I’ll see Rap before you.’ I’m so happy Kawika was baptized by Kahu (Ken) Makuakane and I know he and Rap are having a great reunion now. I’m also happy he is no longer in pain.”

Can you imagine how zany but productive a Rap/Kawika brainstorming reunion would be? Perhaps a routine about the bible, too?…

Services for Al Waterson, the prolific veteran of Hawaii’s entertainment community who died April 21, will be held June 1 at Sts. Peter and Paul Church at 800 Kaheka St.  Visitation will be from 9 to 11 a.m., services from 11 a.m. to noon, Catholic Mass from noon to 1 p.m. and fellowship and refreshments from 1 to 2:15 p.m. …

Hawaii Theatre offers kupuna freebie

Hawaii Theatre is launching a new monthly film series for kupuna, “Rise & Shine,” with a free screening of “Bird of Paradise,” a 1951 flick partly filmed in Hawaii. A nostalgic gem!

But it’s coming up quickly: at 10 a.m. Tuesday (May 14) and reserved tickets are necessary for admission.

The film stars Debra Paget, Louis Jordan and Jeff Chandler, marque favorites in their time,  and I remember seeing it as a youngster at the now-gone Liliha Theatre.

The series is being presented by the Hawaii LGBT Legacy Foundation, in partnership with the Hawaii Theatre, providing Hawaii’s elder community a place to see an oldie in safe environs. A hosted coffee hour is included, and while there is no charge, donations – give what you can – will be accepted to cover costs of hosting the movie.

Doors open at 8:30 a.m. for the 10 a.m. screening.

If you have kupuna in your household, order seats for them, and order seats for yourself, too, and make it an unusual outing.

Tickets can be reserved at www.hawaiitheatre.com …

And that’s Show Biz…

David “Kawika” Talisman, a former Honolulu Police Department officer and a badge-carrying Private Investigator, died May 2 at his Waikiki condominium. He was 79.

Kawika, or “Kawiks,” as he often called himself, had a remarkably varied life.  He was a scriptwriter, a singer-composer, a lyricist,  a videographer,  a filmmaker, and website wizard.

Among his cherished  show biz credits was his involvement in “The Jeffersons Go to Hawaii,” a four-part CBS special filmed in Waikiki and aired in 1980, which also became a calling card for the former New Jersey native, who fell in love with Hawaii and relocated here.

“He had a strong personality, and he loved to make people laugh,” said his widow Kyoko Talisman. “He brought happiness to many people. Everywhere I go, people tell me, ‘I know your husband.’  Everybody called him Kawika; only me, I call him David.” (Kawika is the Hawaiian equivalent of David).

“He had so much pain,” said Kyoko, who  was married to Kawika for 28  years. Kawika had a multitude of health issues, including cancer.

He loved to tool around in his SUV, with its rear lift, for access to his mobile scooter, which gave him independence to drive hither and yon. Even with pain, Kawika had joy, meeting pals for breakfast or lunch.

All that changed, when his health worsened.

Kyoko was Kawika’s primary caregiver over the past few years. “Of course I had to be supportive and (caregiving) was something I had to do,” she said “But we had hospice help, too, and I also hired an aide for homecare every day. At the end, I was very, very tired.

“But he went peacefully. I played new Japanese music, and we liked to do stupid things, like dancing, if no one was there. In the end, with the music on, I realized that he was not breathing. He was gone, but he was smiling,” she said.

Ken Makuakane, a pastor at Kawaiahao Church, baptized Kawika and conducted the last rites at their home.

Kyoko said she met David through mutual friends. Dates were meaningful in their lives, so a Celebration of Life for Kawika will be held on June 30, their wedding anniversary date, at Borthwick Mortuary. A timetable is not yet set.

Kawika was adamant to create  his own video that would be shared at the Celebration of Life, but he was too ill to complete the project, but made the decision on what photographs and music would be included in the video.

“He was very good at producing video,” said comedian Frank DeLima, a longtime friend, who hired Kawika to produce “Best of DeLima,” a Betamax  release.

Kawika and DeLima customarily celebrated each other’s birthdays over dinners. “He was always fun to be with and we discussed aches and pain often. But toward the end, the pain was horrible,” said DeLima. “Now, he has no pain.”

In the mid-1990s, Kawika joined HPD and donned a police uniform to join the team of HPD Chief Michael Nakamura, headquartered at Ke Kula Makai, a HPD training facility, where Kawika spent four years producing video re-enactions of notable HPD shootings, a model still used now by HPD and also the FBI.

In 2000, Kawika was selected by the FBI Honolulu Division to help launch a chapter of InfraGard, a partnership between the FBI and the private sector including private businesses, academic institutions, and state and local law enforcement agencies, to share data and intelligence to prevent hostile acts against the U.S.

Kawika re-activated his P.I. credentials in 2009, as an adjunct to his IT operations. That’s when his buddies kidded him, being “Talisman, P.I.,” like in “Magnum, P.I.”

He designed and built complex websites that earned him awards; with more than 13 years of experience as senior engineer for NTTA/Verio Professional Service, he has worked in most web technologies.

In 2015,  Kawika received the prestigious FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award, bestowed by then FBI Director James. B. Comey in Virginia, for his contributions through services that made a lasting difference in the region.

Kawika was born on Nov. 24, 1944 in New Jersey, but was destined to settle in Hawaii, because he truly had a Hawaiian heart.

Knowing he eventually would pass, he bought an apartment for Kyoko, with no mortgage worries for her, and “large enough for a big dog,” said Kyoko, whose 75-lb. dog now has a place to romp.

The couple earlier owned a home at Hawaii Loa Ridge, relocated to a rental on the Koko Marina in Hawaii Kai, then moved to temporary quarters at a friend’s home in Manoa.

The Talismans bought a condo, where Kyoko now lives with her latest dog companion, a rescue pet from the Humane Society, because her earlier pet, a Labrador named Hanako died.. “I was so sad, I cried, cried, cried,” she revealed.

It took her eight weeks to finally decide on a replacement pet, which was a he, not a she, and he came with a peculiar name, Aladdin.
“I changed his name to Hachi, and he was born Nov. 8 and I adopted him Jan. 8,” she said. Eight is a prominent figure in her life  (it appears in some of her private codes), so Hachi — named after a famous real-life dog named Hachi, with legendary popularity — was the ideal name, since “hachi” is the number 8 in Japanese.

There’s a possibility that the Talisman name might pop up on a TV screen. Prior to his death, Kawika was co-writing, with a Los Angeles colleague, a one-hour pilot for a proposed season of shows, entitled “Cane Fire.” Their agent, Roger Strull, is shopping the show for a potential pick-up…

And that’s Show Biz…

The Honolulu Theatre for Youth, celebrating 70 years of producing shows for island youngsters and their families, will present  five world premieres and a selection of popular  HTY-commissioned Hawaii tales in its 2024-25 season starting this August.

The slate includes:

• “Winnie the Pooh and Bunraku Too,” Aug. 25, Sept. 1 and 14 — An adaptation of A.A. Milneʻs classic book performed using Bunraku, a Japanese puppet theatre that dates back to the 17th century. Original music, theatrical magic and audience interaction bring new life to the children’s classic.
• “The Great Race: The Story of the Chinese Zodiac,”  Sept. 29 and Oct. 5 –A  play by Reiko Ho, celebrating Chinese New Year and the Chinese Zodiac animals, in a Great Race that explores the folklore traditions augmented by Chinese music, Jijgiu and martial arts. A Neighbor Island tour will follow the Tenney Theatre residency.
•  “Pā Ka Makani,” Oct. 13, 20 and 26 – A play by Lokomaikaʻi Lipscomb and Annie Cusick Wood, exploring what the wind means here in Hawaii and beyond. A fresh breeze in storytelling, and a fusion of hula, oli and science.

• “Forest Flutters: A Bird-Day Party,”Nov. 10 and 16 — An interactive show about native birds by Danica Rosegren and the HTY Ensemble. A glimpse of forestry resonating with  a symphony of birds who inhabit the greenery, an environment  rich with smells, touch, movement and  music. A collaboration with Capitol Modern, formerly The Hawaii State Art Museum.
• “Christmas Talk Story,”  Dec. 8, 15 and 21 – Featuring a new collection of songs and tales by local writers and the HTY Ensemble, celebrating the joys of the holiday season. HTY is accepting submissions of new material from the community; visit www.htyweb.org.
• “The Musubi Man,”  Jan. 18 and 26 –An island interpretation of the ‘Gingerbread Man,’ by Lee Cataluna, adapted from the beloved book by local author Sandi Takayama.  A popular interactive production geared to the very young (2+) audience and a wonderful introduction to literature.

•  “The Paʻakai We Bring,” Feb. 9 and 15 – A play by Moses Goods and the HTY Ensemble, which exposes young audiences to Native Hawaiian ideas of balance and healing by exploring our relationship to pa‘akai (salt). Traditionally, pa‘akai is food, medicine, and sacrament, essential to  individual, communal, and environmental well-being. Through stories, songs, laughter, and audience participation, the ensemble joyously celebrates ancient and modern ways to restore and maintain balance.
• “Too Many Mangos and OtherStories,”  March 30, April 6, 13 and 26 – A world premiere of an original musical, adapted from the book by Tammy Pail.  Kama and Nani learn valuable lessons from their grandpa about generosity and kindness, teaches what it means to bring aloha to your family and your neighbors.
• “Joseph Kekuku and the Voice of the Steel Guitar,”  May 11, 18 and 25 – A world premiere of a play by Moses Goods and Noa Gardner, in collaboration with Kealakai Center for Pacific Strings. The tale, circa 1889, focuses on a student at Kamehameha Schools who  fabricated a steel bar in the school’s machine shop, slid it across the strings of his guitar and changed the sound and shape of the instrument forever. The grandson of a royal chanter, Joseph Kekuku played his steel guitar for royalty in Hawai‘i and across Europe, inspiring musicians around the world with the new “Hawaiian Sound.”

The five HTY premieres are “Winnie the Pooh,” “Pa Ka Makani,” “Forest Flutters,” “Too Many Mangos,” and “Joseph Kekuku.” The other shows are HTY-commissioned productions.

All performances will be at Tenney Theatre, at Saint Andrews Cathedral.  Curtain time is 4 p.m. Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. Dates listed here are public performances; HTY also stages matinees attended by island students.

Individual tickets: $30  for adults,  $25 for seniors and military, $15 for students and children . Family and patron membership plans available, which includes multiple tickets based on monthly plans. Information: www.htyweb.org.

Rozmiarek play at TAG

“Jake: The Yellow Bench,” a funny and touching play by Joseph T. Rozmiarek, will receive its world premiere May 24 to June 9 at The Actors’ Group’s Brad Powell Theatre at Dole Cannery in Iwilei.

The play is a humorous and knotty depiction of how we navigate through the daily routines of city life, focusing on an elderly man who invites a homeless student to live in his apartment. Rozmiarek’s storytelling skills explores the layers of intrigue and dynamics of their unusual relationship, with support of mood-setting music.

Betty Burdick is directing.

Rozmiarek is a former drama critic-reviewer for the Honolulu Advertiser.

Information: www.taghawaii.net or (808) 741-4699 or (808) 722-6941.

And that’s Show Biz….