Author: Wayne Harada

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UH’S ‘RENT’ HEADING TO KAUAI

“Rent,” a popular Broadway musical, is going on the road to Kauai in August.

It’s a first for the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning show, produced last year by the University of Hawaii’s Department of Theatre and Dance in a sold-out run at Kennedy Theatre. The show, with a 40-member cast and crew, will be performed Aug. 8 through 10 at the Kauai Community Colleges Performing Arts Center.

What a splendid notion and opportunity, to share the success of the UH presentation, directed by Joshua “Baba” Tavares an assistant professor of acting on the Manoa campus, who was a former cast member of the 20th anniversary national tour of “Rent,” an iconic creation by the late Jonathan Larson.

As part of the Kauai visitation, the company will stage a free acting workshop on Aug. , to share with and engage in the Garden Island’s community of artists and storytellers. Touring Broadway casts never present performances on the Neighbor Islands, with shows staged only at Blaisdell Concert Hall in Honolulu.

Joshu “Baba” Tavares

“We are so excited to take our show to Kauai and connect with our Kauai ‘ohana in this way”, said Tavares.

So it’s a win-win proposition.

The staging of a well-known production – “Rent” is a Tony-winning rock production, which speaks to a youthful audience – also was a rarity for Kennedy Theatre, customarily known for Japanese kabuki shows and Chinese Peking opera, art forms that address traditional and classic repertoires and have been widely lauded over decades. “Rent” was a breakthrough experiment that worked.

Tavares is opening new doors and avenues with “Rent,” discovering relevance in the process.. “Even though the show is set in a specific time, its challenges feel just as relevant today, especially here in Hawai,i” he said. “Homelessness, gentrification, mental health struggles and finding a way forward after a devastating disease––are we talking about the ’80s and ’90s, or are we talking about today?”

A scene from “Rent,” a Kennedy Theatre production, heading to Kauai in August.

The venue is the newly reopened Kauaʻi CC Performing Arts Center, which reopened in April 2024 after closing due to the pandemic. It boasts major upgrades to its lighting, sound and backstage systems. The venue is once again a a major cultural hub, enabling a Garde Island venue a shot at booking a Broadway production, under new faciity manager Gregory von Hausch.

Gregory von Hausch

Showtimes are from 7 to 9 p.m. Aug. 8 and 9, and from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Aug. 10. Tickets are $15 for students and teachers (any school) $25 general admission and $60 VIP seating; visit https://www.tixtree.com/e/rent-the-broadway-musical-9501aa6f5187

A workshop also is set for Aug. 9, but specifics have not yet been announced….

The 2025 Kalapana, from left: Konrad Kendrick. Alden Levi, Kenji Sano, Gaylord Holomalia, Todd Yukumoto, Ben Taaca, and Sean Thibodeaux.

Kalapana marks 50th anniversary

Kalapana, the legendary island band known for a vast catalogue of hit tunes,  will mark its 50th anniversary in a milestone concert Oct. 4 at the Tom Moffatt Waikiki Shell.

Tickets go on sale today (July 19) at the Neal Blaisdell Center box office at www.ticketmaster.com

While most original group members have gone to the heavenly stage, a retinue of singers-musicians, comprised of friends and contemporary fans, are carrying on the legacy of Kalapana and, of course, the traditional repertoire of classic hits reflecting the still-powerful sound.

Leading the parade are such fans and colleagues as Henry Kapono, the group Summer, and Jordan Kealoha-Yamanaka (formerly of the group, Crossing Rain)..

Founding group member Kirk Thompson will perform, along with Eie Atushi, who has recorded with Kalapana in his native Japan.

Kamasami Kong

Japan’s superstar deejay, Kamasami Kong, will emcee. Of course, islanders know him for his deejaying origins in Hawaii.

Tickets are $225 for limited VIP seats, which includes a meet-and-great with the performers plus a merchandise package. Reserved seats are $150, $75, and $55 and $35 for general admission lawn seats. Keiki 12 and under are free, limited to four kids per couple

A $1 fee will be added to each ticket, with the donation benefitting the Henry Kapono Foundation.

Kalapana’s music has been on radio playlists across the globe, from North and South America to Asia to Europe. In 2011, the group was awarded the Na Hoku Hanohano Lifetime Achievement from the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts.

The 2025 Kalapana group features Konrad Kendrick, Alden Levi, Kenji Sano, Gaylord Holomalia, Todd Yukumoto, Ben Taaca, and Sean Thibodeaux.

The concert is a presentation of Aloha Group International, headed by Barb Saito. She formerly worked with iconic promoter Tom Moffatt, of Tom Moffatt Productions…

And that’s Show Biz…

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QUEEN’S FOR A DAY: IT WENT WELL

Well, it went well.

Talking about my Same Day Surgery yesterday (July 17) at Queen’s Medical Center.

The visit was to replace an outdated Abbott neuromodulation device and replace it with a new, compatible  Boston Scientific version. It’s part of the therapy to control chronic lower back pain and soreness in my sciatic right leg.

Me wearing the hairnet

Some things haven’t changed,  when I last underwent this procedure:

  • I’m still a risk for falling. Soon as I checked in, I received the customary wrist band, which  boasts your name and birthdate. But because of my mobility issues and could fall,  I must wear a yellow band with a “Fall Risk” declaration. For safety’s sake.
  • Those silly hairnets still are issued. Necessary, I suppose, but no one looks great with this bonnet.

However, some things have changed:

  • Socks for the fall prospects are bright yellow like corn on the cobb. Yep, had to put them on, but they were comfy!
  • Those horrid open-back gowns are still donned openly but now there’s a bunch of snaps at both shoulders, to enable easier access for aides to paste body switches on your chest. Or check your heartbeat.
No denying, the Fall Risk wrist band is for safety’s sake.

There’s quite a village to get patients “fixed,” so it’s not a surprise to get a pre-op visit by your doctor (mine is Dr. Jeffrey Loh), plus a retinue of staff/nurses, like nurses, anesthesiologists, and others who buzz in to take blood pressure, temperature checks, and more.

I also had a pre-op visit, as well as a post-op visit, from Michael Chrysler, the Hawaii rep of Boston Scientific, who donned what looked like scrubs – but he wore a very special red head net. He regularly visits the hospital when a client/patient has a device implanted. I’ll have learned how to properly utilize the new acquisition. And medical insurance should cover the cost of $20,000.

So: I have a new device installed, and that means a wound on the mend. Dr. Loh had to oversee the removal of the old one and the installation of the new one. This involves a magnet that transmits signals to wires attached to the spine.

I’m on antibiotics for a week – pills must be taken once every six hours – and I have a follow-up office visit with Dr. Loh next Friday, where Chrysler will meet me and run through the how’s of operating a controller that will help me navigate the Boston model.

The downside of the surgery? I cannot shower for a week, nor can I wet and/or remove the bandage protecting the zone where the magnet was installed – on the left cheek of my butt. I had a request to Dr. Loh to be sure the magnet was attached deep enough to avoid the fate of the Abbott magnet, which was inserted with a bit of a tilt, which was awkward and a bit painful when I moved around when asleep.

Of course, my wife Vi continues to be an angel in these medical quests. She was bedside before and  after the procedure. Thanks, hon; that’s dedication.

A postscript: I didn’t miss it earlier but thought about it now.  For some reason, I wasn’t moved to a recovery room like in past procedures. I recall recovering patients were asked and served juice and a cracker when asked “are you thirsty” or “are you hungry?”   Must be an inflationary issue to cut back. —

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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…