Leave it to comedian Frank DeLima, to put a spin on the ongoing vog – volcanic fog, for those new to the pain it causes.
DeLima, who relocated to Las Vegas in January, citing retirement from the Honolulu comedy scene, has created the perfect lament to vog. He borrows John Paul Young’s sweet ballad, “Love Is in the Air,” and hits the right nerves, lyrically and vocally, in his parody of the gray skies loaded with volcanic fog from the ongoing Kilauea eruption.
Released today, “Vog” is the perfect tonic for those with teary eyes, sniffling noses and understandable discomfort for the common discomfort when Madame Pele is spewing smoke from the lava oozing on the Big Island. Kona wind is how the vog reaches Honolulu.
Looking and sounding good, DeLima is at his best with this one.
He writes and sings:
“Everywhere you turn around
“Vog stay in da air
“”Makes you squint makes you frown
“Stay outside running around is foolish
“Stay inside windows and doors shut is wise
“No mattah you gotta believe it
“Wen volcanoes erupt it’s da prize.”
Mixing just enough pidgin and expressing local-style grief, he offers reaction and effects of the vog.
“Make dull, the moon and sun.”
“The sky is grey, not blue.”
“Turn da sinus all brown.”
Enough pilikia, might as stay home and turn on the AC, if you have, yeah?
Will post this column for the Facebook crowd, and yep, he delivers the ditty with perfection. Can’t post video here, so visit https://www.facebook.com/wayne.harada.5
Resourceful radio stations should keep this one, for the current eruption phase, and future ones…
The Honolulu Jazz Quartet, led by bassist John Kolivas, will present a free concert at 7 p.m. Sunday (April 27) at the Musicians Assn. of Hawaii at. 949 Kapiolani Blvd.
The event, featuring guest guitarist Robert Shinoda, will be a tribute to Benny Golson, a jazz tenor saxophonist, composer and arranger, who died at age 95 on Sept. 21 2024 at his home in Manhattan.
Besides Kolivas, current HJQ members are Tim Tsukiyama, saxophones; Dan Del Negro, piano; and Noel Okimoto, drums.
Benny Golson, center, flanked by the Hooolulu Jazz Quartet, back in the day,
Golson is remembered for his contributions to the jazz canon, including such compositions as “I Remember Clifford,” “Whisper Not,” and “Killer Joe. He also embraced a second career, composing and arranging music for television shows. He also made a cameo appearance in the film, “The Terminal,” that starred Tom Hanks. Golaon’a ties with the HJQ date back to April, 2009, when he he joined the jazz quarter in a performance at the Doris Duke Theatre at the Honolulu Museum of Art.
The weekend concert will be at the Musician Assn.’s Studio 909.
A BYO beverage and food policy will be in effect.
Parking is free at the Music Assn.’s lot at 949 Kapiolani; entrance is through Waimanu St.
Avoid the ramp up leading to condo parking; if you park there, you will be towed.
Mack’s Mango jam coming up
Gail Mack
Singer-composer Gail Mack, who arranges periodic shows at Mango Street Grill in Wahiawa, has one coming up from 5 to 8 p.m. May 4.
Mack has corralled Lance Luke, Keith Hiraoka and Bobby Nishida for the show. Another gig will be held at the same time on June 8.
Reservations are necessary by calling Daryl at (808) 627-5451,
On the move
Two island news personalities are leaving local stations:
Eddie Dowd of Hawaii News Now (KHON, KGMB) is relocating to Massachusetts. The reason: to be close to his aging parents who are 91 and 75. No word yet if he’ll be doing news reporting on a Massachusetts station.
And Lia Kamana is ending her three-year stint with KITV (ABC here) to join a Fox News affiiliate, KPTV, in Portland, OR…
Bollywood and more
An evening of Indian song and dance will be held at 7 p.m. today (April 26) at the Doris Duke Theatre at the Honolulu Museum of Art.
The cultural event will feature a range of Indian artistry including classical, folk, and Bollywood dance and vocals. The performers are Sai Bhatawadekar and her team, augmented by guest artists from the University of Hawaii.
Spectators can join the performers by singing along, clapping and dancing.
For tickets, visit https://honolulumuseum.org/events/360//kahani
Even with the ol’ adage, “The show must go on,” the show couldn’t continue for Hawaii’s Nicole Scherzinger on Broadway this past Wednesday (April 23) afternoon.
At a matinee performance of her “Sunset Blvd.” hit at the St. James Theatre on Broadway, a technical mishap forced the cancellation of the show.
Nicole Scherzinger sings “With One Look,” relying on a bullhorn.
Frustrating, yes, but inventive Scherzinger – starring as Norma Desmond in “Sunset” – didn’t allow her audience to be totally disappointed. With her co-star, Tom Francis (he plays Joe Gillis in the show), she took to the stage to announce the cancellation, by grabbing a bullhorn from backstage to make lemonade from a lemon of a situation.
With the support of a backstage track, Scherzinger sang “With One Look,” a tune her Desmond character sings, which at least gave disappointed show-goers to have something to talk about after vacating the theater.
Magician Giancarlo Bernini, in the audience, captured the singer with her bullhorn in an Instagram post, and the show continued as usual for the evening performance…
Show breezes
Coming up:
Boys II Men, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday (April 26), at the Tom Moffatt Waikiki Shell. Ticket prices vary, depending on seat location.
Jefferson Starship, at 8 p.m. June 7, at the Hawaii Theatre. Tickets: $72 to $262.
Lee Ann Rimes, at 6:30 p.m. July 12, at Blaisdell Arena. Ticket prices vary, depending on seat location.
Jayna Elise is Tina in “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical” now at Blaisdell Concert Hall.
“Tina: The Tina Turner Musical” is a powerful eruption of explosive, energetic and expressive songs and dances, probing the ascent and survival of the queen of rock amid a climate of sex abuse and domestic violence.
In the title role, Jayna Elise is luminous and fiery and delivers most of the tunes in the score.( Meagan Dawson plays Tina in some performances).
The show opened last night (April 22) at Blaisdell Concert Hall and continues its short week’s run through Sunday (April 27).
Act I is a painful history of how Tina – formally named Anna-Mae Bullock — became infatuated with music and stardom, despite a relationship with a dominating and abusive beau/husband, Ike Turner (Sterling Baker McClary), who is perfectly unlikeable. He smacks her repeatedly and it is painful to endure.
Act II is where Tina validates her reign and delivers simply the best of her ditties – with the splendid support of the Ikettes (Mya Bryant, Daniya Jazel, Morgan Lewis and Aiyana Smash, back-uppers who possess pizzazz. ).
Jayna Elise as Tina: Luminous and fiery…and delivers a punch!
Elise/Tina received the loudest support (applause, cheers, hoots) in the moment that she stopped being Ike’s punching bag, and delivered a pivotal return punch (yeah, right where it hurts the most!) in an unexpected response to halt being a victim.
“Tina” has everything you’d expect:
A parade of juke box hits (“What’s Love Got to Do With It,” “Private Dancer,” “River Deep, Mountain High,” “We Don’t Need Another Hero,””(Simply) The Best”).
Shimmering gowns, some fringed.
That one costumed piece that became a Tina trademark: a blue jean jacket worn with a dress.
Infectious and demanding choreography (by Anthony Van Laast).
An array of background projections and scenic (by Jeff Sugg).
Because of the adult themes, the show is not suitable for young children; perhaps age 15-16 and up could attend. Further, the dialogue contains some swear words, and the N word is uttered several times.
While the score should rightfully relate to Ike and Tina, the usage is occasionally awkward. So, the overview is like a patchwork blanket with random pieces that suit the eye or color motif.
The 10-member orchestra often is too loud, drowning stage vocals; a bit of toning down might be in order, even though this is a rock/pop act performance. Or the alternative might be considered: those with soft voices might amp up a skosh.
Elise has quickly picked up the local spirit, shouting “Aloha, Hawaii” at the final curtain, before launching a couple of hana hou selections; no, she’s not yet acclimated to the island shout-out for an encore. Surely, she’ll know the terminology and turf by the end of the run.
————————–
“Tina: the Tina Turner Musical”
What: A musical biography of the queen of rock, with book by Katori Hall, with Frank Ketelaar and Kees Prince, with music by various composers
Where: Blaisdell Concert Hall
When: 7:30 p.m. April 23 and 24, 8 p.m. April 25, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. April 26; and 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. April 27
Tickets: Varies, depending on date and seat locations; visit www.Broadway inHawaii.com
Running time: 2 hours 45 minutes.
———————————–
Three Broadway shows in $3 million club
And then there were three: “Wicked,” in the No. 2 slot on this week’s roster of Broadway grosses, outpaced “Othello,” which slid to No.3. George Clooney’s “Good Night, and Good Luck” remained No.1.
It was the first time ever that three productions surpassed $3 million in the weekly recaps.
The Top 10:
1—”Good Night, And Good Luck,” $3.882 million
2—” Wicked,” $3.333 million
3—”Othello,” $3.123 million
4—”The Lion King,” $2.940 million
5—”Glengarry Glen Ross,” $2.362 million
6— “Hamilton,” $2.164 million
7—” Aladdin,” $2.027 million
8—”MJ the Musical,” $1.719 million
9—” Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” $1.612 million
Hammond’s Gourmet Ice Cream is anticipating a summer opening at the Koko Marina Shopping Center.
Hammond’s is targeting a June 7 debut – date subject to change – and will occupy the site vacated by Moena Sweets.
Hammond’s is noted for 32 ice cream flavors, alternating 20 daily, and boasts some enchanting flavors and names, like Kitty Kitty Bang Bang, a cheesecake flavor. The brand has some dairy-free, egg-free and nut-free options, too.
It also is known for the Hammond Flights, where patrons can take flight to try six flavors in mini cones. A yummy idea to get familiar with Hammond’s…
Maple Garden is shutting down
Maple Garden, the Chinese restaurant in Moiliili, is closing – likely at the end of the month—after decades of serving fans of Chinese cuisine.
Like numerous restaurants with decades of residency, Maple Gardens has been faced with a multitude of challenges – dwindling business, high prices, a fickle economy, and a shortage of staff. Two chefs are in the kitchen and struggling to keep the doors open and serving food, too. Owning a restaurant is a constant task; you welcome the guests, take orders, prepare and serve the food, and after meal service there are dishes to wash.
In earlier times, there were throngs celebrating birthdays and anniversaries, retirement parties, and more. Owner Richard Lam now is thinking of closure, though he’s not yet set a firm date…
A tasty snack
My latest fave snack is something sweet but healthy.
It’s called Yoggies, and it’s a shred of strawberry, coated with creamy yogurt. It’s somewhat like Raisinets, the raisin candy cloaked with chocolate.
Got it in a large bag, from Costco, and it’s perfect for a quick snack, since Yoggies comes in 7-oz packets and that’s enough for a single serving.
