Author: Wayne Harada

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LISTEN UP: SOME WORDS ON ‘GREASE’

Even before it opens tonight (March 14) at Diamond Head Theatre, “Grease” will add three more performances on April 18, 19 and 20 at the tail end of the original run.

“Grease,” the stage musical, is about Rhydell High’s Class of 1959, with all the frills of the era, from hot rods to duck-tailed hair for the dudes and gum-chewing box-soxers doing the hand jive. A period piece, yes, laden with nostalgia

But some cautionary expectations, please, so listen up. The play is not the movie, and vice versa. So get famiiar with the boundaries.

The original stage show, which opened in 1972 on Broadway, should not be confused with the film version which opened during the summer of 1978. The movie surely cemented the popularity of  John Travolta  as Danny  and Olivia Newtown-John as Sandy. And put the show on the map.

The Rydell High teens in the stage musical, “Grease,” opening tonight at DHT>

The now familiar title song was not  in the score of the play. It was a priority special insert, by Barry Gibb and performed in the film score by Frankie Valli, and  the hit song fueled the catch phrase,“Grease is the word,” still uttered decades later.

Some shared tidbits about three other tunes added to the film – that you won’t hear on stage.

Three other titles, added to the film version, provided those romantic flurries and also a solid sliver of rock, which enriched the songscape of the movie soundtrack. You know ‘em well: “Hopelessly Devoted to You,” “You’re the One that I Want” (both written by John Farrar for the film and “Sandy” by Louis St. Louis and Scott Simon.

So, what’s in the stage score? A few titles you’ll recognize, including “Summer Nights,” “Greased Lightning,” “We Go Together,” “Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee.”  Oh, and that hand-clapper, “Born to Hand Jive.”

DHT’s cast features  Cameron Scot as Danny Zuko, Sophia Ysrael as Sandy Dumbrowski, Jody Bill as Betty Rizzo,  Alexandria Zinov as Marty, Parker Kilkenny as Frenchy,  Lainey Hicks as Jan,  Cate Labas as Patty Simcox, Jantzen Shinmoto as Kenickie,  Chad Navarro-Cortes as Doody,  Kevin Molina as Roger,  Jake Glasser as Sonny Latierri,  Pono Lundell as Eugene Florczyk,  Ryan Philips as Vince Fontaine, and Gabriel Ryan/Kern as Johny Casino.
The ensemble includes Emi Sampson, Jeff Andrews, Brianna Johnston, Victoria Chang, Kirra Baughn, Caris Leong, Jasmine Weldon, Maggie Ryan, Shane Nishimura, Drew Bright, Paul Garcia, Justin Garde and Sammy Houghtailing.

The artistic team includes  Michael Ng, director; Dwayne Sakaguchi,  choreographer; Darcie Yoshinaga,  musical director; DeAnne Kennedy, set designer; Kyle Conner,  props designer; Chris Gouveia, as lighting designer; Emily Lane, costume designer; Aiko Schick, hair and make -up designer; Kristen Kenney,  set painter; La Tanya Siliato,  sound designer;  and Trudi Melohn, stage manager.

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“Grease”

What: A musical about teens at Rydell High School, with book and music by Jim Jacobs,  and Warren Case, with a title tune by Barry Gibb

Where: Diamond Head Theatre

When: Performances at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays;  also, at 3 p.m. Saturdaysand 4 p.m. Sundays,  from March 14 through Aprill 20.

Tickets: $41 to $68, at www.diamondheadtheatre.com or (808) 733-0274

Broadway grosses, for the week ending March 9

For the second consecutive week, “Othello” has grosses $2.8 million, retaining the top spot on the The Top 10.

The  Top 10:

1—”Othello,” $2.818 million

2—“Wicked,” $2,435 million

3—” Hamilton,” $1.683 million

4—”The Lion King,”$1.543 million

5—”The Outsiders,” $1.306 million

6—”Gypsy,” $1.248 million

7—”MJ The Musical,” $1.202 million

8—”Aladdin,” $1.183 million

9—”Death Becomes Her,” $1.077 million

10—”Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club,” $1.061 million

The complete list, courtesy the Broadway Guild:

And that’s Show Biz…

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FINAL MAILING OF EASTER PINS

Finally, the Easter bunny delivered the final 2025 Easter pins. So: if you’ve not received yours, you’ll likely get ’em tomorrow or Saturday, in plenty of time to celebrate Easter.

Made, too, a limited number of Easter baskets with a pink rose attachment on the front.

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RELOCATED FRANK: NO DILEMMA

Comedian Frank DeLima now calls Las Vegas home, settling into his new digs, precise location I promised never to reveal.

“Still getting settled,” he said in a recent email, when I asked, “How you doing?
On this day, he was hanging pictures on the walls of his senior home, and deciding what goes where, like any other person moving into new quarters.

“Putting stuff in their proper places,” he added.

Frank DeLima

What he learned, when he was ensconced in a Maikiki apartment for decades before his retirement this past year, is get room gear like shelving on wheels, for easier movement.

So, his shelves are on rollers, along with his chest of drawers. With back and hip issues, the easier it is to shuttle and shuffle stuff, the better.

DeLima also engaged in a new regimen – regular exercise – at his new senior facility.

“Every morning, I do two-hour therapy,” he revealed. “Neck, back, leg. Music makes it easier,” so he has his own brand of health-targeted disco.

“The hallways are so long, I walk indoors for exercise, for half an hour,” he said.

DeLima is fortunate to have friends in Vegas, who help him on shopping outings.  “But I’m slowly learning about home delivery,” he noted.

Generally speaking, DeLima has no dilemma about his retirement move.

On new turf, he’s also had to secure new  health services. “I got a new primary care physician,” he said. “And cardiologist, orthopedist, neurologist, dentist, physical therapist.”

All the vital “ists” in his quest for wellness are in place.

While he doesn’t have much hair to address, he nonetheless also has found a barber.

Health coverage is helping him to curb costs.“My insurance takes care of my transportation, round trip, to my appointments.,” said DeLima.

“I no more car, but my family and friends take me when I need to go shopping. And eating.”

He’s been scheduling lunches at least once a week, a comfortable rhythm and pace for all he’s been doing.

Further, he’s discovered a Catholic church a mile away, for Sunday worship.

“My sister  (who has been a Vegas resident for a while) picks me up and we attend (church). Then go eat.”

 He’s truly done all the proper  homework, to adjust to his new senior life in the desert. He’s located restaurants in all directions of his residence, offering quite a range of choice: Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, Korea, Jewish and even “a place called Island Style, with Hawaiian favorites on the menu,,” he said..

DeLima also has figured out the locations of a CVS Pharmacy, Sam’s Club, Wal-Mart, Target and a Smith’s Supermarket perhaps three miles away.

He’s been a Zippy’s advocate in Honolulu, but he hasn’t revealed if he’s visited the first Zippy’s on the Ninth Island or where a second eatery is coming up soon.

Frank DeLima, with a fan, at his last show Dec. 15 at Blue Note Hawaii.

If you recall, DeLima’s final gig in Honolulu before heading for Vegas, was a Dec, 15, 2024, Christmas show at Blue Note Hawaii, complete with his array of comedic vignettes. Because of the holidays he staged his “Filipino Christmas” complete with his tree costume with lights. Diehard fans showed up at the mid-day finale.

Next up, possibly later than sooner, DeLima is eager to test the waters of doing limited shows for the constant Hawaii delegations who convene to Vegas for birthday or wedding receptions and the plethora of high school reunions which adore the climate of  seeing old school pals and the lure  of trying to win the big jackpot on the slots before catching a flight home …

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And that’s Show Biz…

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KAL BI AND SUNDAE …JUST HEAVENLY

There’s a reason why they call it Heavenly, with its sofa seating with coffee tables, facing the marina at the Koko Marina center in Hawaii Kai.

It was a heavenly meal, as far as I was concerned, when I ordered the kal bi special which arrived on a sizzling cast-iron plate, the meat-with-the-bone hiding a mound of rice, sharing a cozy bed atop corn. Remove the decorative greens atop the kal bi, and whoa, there’s ample to enjoy.

The kal bi plate: lots of meat, sitting on a mound of rice in a cast-iron platter,

Because the kal bi is grilled in the kitchen, you don’t really smell like you’ve been in a Korean restaurant. Besides, this is a Japanese-owned eatery, anyway, so gomen (sorry) if I  offended anyone. Had munched on half of the entrée, so enjoyed the leftovers for lunch. Only then did I realize that the sauce seemed slightly over-salted, but it was still a joy.

Our party of five sat in one of those roomy, U-shaped booth seating inside the restaurant, a first for me. The booths were reminders from the past, with retro lamps shaped like palms overhead, and glassy art on the walls. Remembered the tiny battery-operated copper candle on the table, from earlier visits, and this zone of tables is a wholly different experience than the sofa and living room sector facing the waterfront. And likely more comfy, for those with aging back aches, Me, included.

For dessert, a bountiful fruit sundae with custard and ice cream, too.

Tried, too,  for the first time, Heavenly’s sundae dessert, a compilation of custard cream topped with a cherry, a mini scoop of  vanilla ice cream on the side, surrounded by a sea of fruits: banana, Mandarin orange slices, a wedge of fresh strawberry, thinly sliced apples…all arranged like ikebana in an old-fashioned fountain sundae dish. Yummy.