Lei Day is not quite over for Robert Cazimero, Hawaiʻi’s beloved Hawaiian song and dance luminary. Following his glorious May Day concert May 1 at the Bishop Museum, the Merrie Monarch Festival-winning kumu hula, singer, songwriter, and entertainer will next stage his brand of Hawaiian artistry at 7 p.m. May 17 at Kahilu Theatre in Waimea on the Big Island.
Cazimero , kumu hula of Halau Na Kamalei O Lililehua, is in the midst celebrating his 50th anniversary of his hula instruction and performances. And sharing his music beyond the reef is a wonderful gift for fans.
The Big Isle show will be his 39th annual appearance at the Kahilu venue, a tradition anticipated by area residents and folks from Kailua-Kona. Tickets are $40 and $70 at https://kahilu.org/events/robert-cazimero/#checkdates
Cazimero will feature Keauhou, the trio comprised of Kamehameha School classmates Zachary Lum, Nicolas Lum and Kahanuola Solatorio. Keauhou is a 19-time Na Hoku Hanohano Award-winning group that has emerged as Cazimero’s regular mele and hula group, providing vibrant support in his major Hawaiian shows. The Lum brothers also are members of Na Kamalei.
Cazimero is expected to feature mele, storytelling and both ‘auana and kahiko hula. Obviously, the traveling cast will be downsized.
The cast also will journey to Japan for a May 24 performance 24 at Showa Joshi Daigaku, Hitomi Kinen Kodo. So, the aloha spirit and the Hawaiian vibes will make Nippon hula enthusiasts happy…
Electra Gailas dies at 103
Sorry to report the death of veteran actress Electra Gailas on May 3. She was born in Portland OR and was age 103.
Gailas, formerly married to Dick Fair, was a veteran TV and stage actress, who appeared in seven episodes of the Jack Lord “Hawaii Five-0,” in the 1970s, and also in “Fantasy Island.”
As a couple, Electra and Dick were notable for their performance in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf,” directed by the late Dave Donnelly, the columnist, at the Oumansky Magic Ring Theatre, operated by Alexander and Peggy Oumansky, at the now-gone Terrace Lanai at the Hilton. The Oumanskys staged selective theater productions on weekends in the 1960s and ‘70s.
Electra hadn’t done theater for a while. She lived in Kailua with daughter Dietra, but I hadn’t seen her since she was in her late 90s. She was generous and cheerful whenever I saw her or chatted on the phone, and she always baked a Greek-style dessert bread on my birthday. If she was traveling, she’d deliver the goodie belatedly; she would insist on delivering the treat to my home or we’d meet up at sites like Costco. That’s the kind of soul she was…genuinely special. Prayers and condolences to her ‘ohana…
And that’s Show Biz…