SEE ‘STITCH,’ THEN BUY THE MERCH

Disney’s live-action “Lilo & Stitch,” now in the multi-plex theaters over the Memorial Day weekend, is anticipated to break box office records by Monday, a holiday.

The Hawaii-filmed project is surely to draw a family audience, whose patronage will probably boost the film with a $175 to $180 million gross, besting the Paramount-Tom Cruise “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning” summertime powerhouse.

“Lilo & Stitch” will be driven by the popularity of the naughty-but-nice blue alien, who is the lone cartoonish character in the film, and an obvious scene-stealer. And sorry, Lilo, the most popular figure from the movie.

You know a film is hot, hot, hot, when it is accompanied by a swarm of merchandise to accompany the buzz from the movie. And while Lilo has a few entries in the buyables, Stitch is going to be the character to fuel the jingling cash registers.

Parents, get your charge cards ready. The merch looks wonderful, and the kid on the block to be the first to get one of the items will be the king or queen of the summer. But several items are for adults, so parents won’t be left out. But because of the prices of the products, moms and dads mahy prefer to save the purchases as Christmas gifts. But knowing Disney, there will be more stuff later that Santa will deliver to the young ones.

Since Disney Stores have vanished in Hawaii, the easiest way to buy merch will be via online. So let me share a preview, with prices, of some of the best gifts available while stocks are plentiful.

The cool finds:

A basic Stitch “talking” plush, $39,99.His eyes light up and shows many moods.

An oversized vinyl Stitch, $24.99.
A puppetronic Stitch plush, $49.99. A hand inserted into a cutout on the back of Stitch’s head makes the doll’s mouth open to “talk.”

A Lego house, presumably where Stitch lives with Lilo, $89.99.
An adult sweatshirt, with ‘Ohana lettering on the back, $79.99.
A canvas tote, depicting a surfing Stitch, $19.99.

An adult blue pair of Cros, festooned with Stitch images, $64.99

Go to www.disneystore.com to purchase and see more official Stitch buyables. Other sites, like Etsy and Target, may carry some of these items, or variations thereof.

Of course, you know that the cast includes many local actors, including:

Maia Kealoha, as Lilo.
Kaipo Dudoit, as David Kawena.
Jason Scott Lee, as the luau manager.
Sydney Agudong, as Nani Kelekai.
Amy Hill, as Tutu.
Tia Carrere, as Mrs. Kekoa.
Celia Kaleialoha Kenney, as AJ.

Another local notable, with an esteemed credit: Chris Kekaniokalani Bright, one of the screenplay writers for “Lilo & Stitch.”

And that’s Show Biz…

April 15, 2025April 15, 2025

NYC’S TISCH SCH00L SALUTES KIM

Actor-producer-writer Daniel Dae Kim, the “Lost” and “Hawaii Five-O” actor who’s a sometime resident of Honolulu, recently was honored at the NYU Tisch School for Arts.

Winnie Holzman, an American playwright, screenwriter, and producer, also was an honoree. A Tisch grad like Kim, she wrote the book of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical “Wicked,”” and also co-wrote the screenplays for the movie version of “Wicked” and next year’s Part Two, “Wicked for Good.”

Kim earned his MFA in Tisch School’s Graduate Acting Program in 1996. His son Jackson also is an NYU grad.

**Like Father, Like Son: Dad Daniel Dae Kim. left, with son Jackson, right.**

Kim’s a man for all seasons, and an entertainment icon for all reasons. He’s become a prolific and pertinent Asian resource in recent years, widening his savvy and significance in everything, on camera and off.

Kim is a powerhouse TV figure: He’s completed three TV series with more than 100 episodes – the Hawaii-originated “Lost” on ABC and “Five-0” on CBS, and he appeared in and also produced “The Good Doctor” on ABC.

He’s big in voicing: In season one of Netflix’s “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” Kim voiced General Fong in one episode, but in season two, he’s playing Fire Lord Ozai in the live-action adaptation. He voiced seven episodes as Hiroshi Sato in “The Legend of Korra,” an animated series.

He sings — when going theatrical: He’s successfully conquered the musical stage, starring as the The King of Siam in “The King and I” at London’s Robert Albert Hall and on Broadway at Lincoln Center. Last year, he also starred in a comedy, “Yellow Face,” at the Todd Haimes Theatre. But no vocalizing here.

Next up: Kim is producing and will star in a spy series, “Butterfly,” already filmed in South Korea, where he was born (in Busan). It is his first multi-season scripted series where he plays the lead role. Amazon has not set a release date.

Still simmering: “Makawalu,” a feature film initiated by the Hawaii International Film Festival, which he has agreed to executive-produce. The ambitious project will be co-directed by eight Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) filmmakers, the first of its kind in the islands

He’s got the spirit: Yes, he lives in Hawaii as often as feasible, traveling to wherever and whenever a project beckons. He also has residences in New York and Los Angeles, but for Kim, it’s Hawaii No Ka Oi. It’s all about the aloha spirit…

And that’s Show Biz…

April 3, 2025April 3, 2025

‘MERRILY’ READIED FOR CINEMATIC RUN

“Merrily We Roll Along,” the uncanny 2024 Tony Award winner for Best Revival of a Musical,
will be rolling out sometime soon as a motion picture to be released by Sony Pictures Classics.

Thus, the Stephen Sondheim-George Furth show — once a failure in 1981 before becoming a box office hit after it opened in October 2023 till its closing in July 2024 — has been preserved for the ages. The music and lyrics are Sondheim’s; Furth did the book.

This is the show, if you recall, that was initially a box office dud in 1981, when it ran for 14 previews and 44 performances. “Merrily” was then mothballed until its first-ever revival in 2022, leading up to its phenomenal sell-out fave in 2023 through 2024.

And the reverse storyelling chronology – the show biz tale unfolds at the ending and works toward the beginning — will give the production a new life as a cinematic release. Fans who couldn’t score tickets in its run at the Hudson Theatre will finally have an opportunity to see what the buzz was all about.

“Merrily” examines the friendship, the friction, and possible erosion of workplace best friends, whose lives intersect with highs and lows, with some alienation and many challenges.

**Daniel Radliffe, Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez in “Merrily We Roll Along.” Photo by Matthew Murphy.**

Jonathan Groff portrays Frank Shepard, an ambitious composer who wants to be a producer, who thrives alongside his longtime friends, lyricist Charley Kringas (played by Daniel Radcliffe) and writer Mary Flynn (enacted by Lindsay Mendez). Groff and Radcliffe earned Tonys, with a third Tony bestowed on Jonathan Tunick for orchestrations.

Maria Friedman directed the show and was a Tony nominee, and her illuminating vision made her characters come alive with vitality and vigor, drawing in the spectators.

Can’t wait from the transformation from stage to screen; imagine there will be a DVD release, too. Since this was my favorite Broadway show last year, I’d buy the DVD…

Clooney’s ‘Good Night’ still tops Broadway grosses

The rankings haven’t changed on Broadway. The pair earning more than $3 million last week, dominated again this week. Translation: George Clooney reigns as the top grossing actor via his “Good Night, and Good Luck;” and Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal maintain their second place slot with “Othello.”

The Top 10, for the week ending March 30:

1—“Good Night, and Good Luck,” $3.282 million.

2—“Othello,” $3.150 million.

3—“Wicked,” $$2.561 million.

4—“Hamilton,” $2.123 millon.

5—“The Lion King,” $2.114 million.

6—“Glengarry Glen Ross,” $2.110 million.

7—“Cabaret,”$1.521 million.

8—“The Outsiders,” $1.459 million.

9—“Gypsy,” $1.386 million.

10—“Aladdin,” $1.355 million.

The complete list, courtesy the Broadway League:

And that’s Show Biz…

March 2, 2025March 2, 2025

OSCARS: NAIL-BITING SEASON

Without exaggeration, this year’s Academy Awards season has been a bust. And if you’re an annual fan, making predictions who or what will win, it’s an ugly challenge.

So, watching the Oscarcast today (March 2) on ABC (2 p.m. live Hawaii time, repeating at 6:30 p.m.) will be a nail-biter.

Unlike last year’s top competitors, where there were two front-runners — “Oppenheimer” (which won big) and “Barbie” – who led the pack in guesstimation.

This season has been weird, dominated by foreign entries, with titles only briefly screened in movie theaters and, in certain cases, streaming on cable TV. Methinks if a film is not shown in a regular movie theater, where folks can attend and buy tickets, it ought not to be eligible for contention for an Oscar, the prime movie prize. Showing it on TV is a cop-out.

There now are 10 nominees for Best Picture. To predict which one will win, when access to watch ‘em is highly limited, is a real challenge. Of the 10 in contention, I saw only five this year, four in theaters, one via streaming on TV.

One certainty: “Wicked” has been the biggest box office hit, grossing more than $700 million so far. But aside from technical rewards, don’t expect it to win Best Picture laurels or acting honors. It’s clearly this year’s monetary champ.

So my predictions are shamefully flawed, largely based on what I’ve read, not seen. Hunches shouldn’t count, but what the heck…I’ll take my chances in the key categories.

So stay with me. Please.

Best Picture

Nominees

Anora”
“The Brutalist”
“A Complete Unknown”
“Conclave”
“Dune: Part II”
“Emilia Pérez”
“I’m Still Here”
“Nickel Boys”
“The Substance”
“Wicked”

Prediction: “Conclave.” Sticking with a traditional Hollywood film, a fascinating ritual on how a Pope is selected. This, as a real life Pope’s health is in jeopardy

Favored: “Anora.”

Best Director

Nominees:
Sean Baker, “Anora”
Brady Corbet, “The Brutalist”
James Mangold, “A Complete Unknown”
Jacques Audiard, “Emilia Pérez”
Coralie Fargeat, “The Substance”

Prediction: Sean Baker, “Anora.” (A certainty, since Edgar Berger, who directed “Conclave,” is absent among the nominees).

**Timothee Chalamet, in “A Complete Unknown.”**

Best Actor

Nominees:
Adrien Brody, “The Brutalist”
Timothée Chalamet, “A Complete Unknown”
Colman Domingo, “Sing Sing”
Ralph Fiennes, “Conclave”
Sebastian Stan, “The Apprentice”

Prediction: Timothée Chalamet, “A Complete Unknown”

Favored: Adrien Brody

Best Actress

Nominees:
Cynthia Erivo, “Wicked”
Mikey Madison, “Anora”
Demi Moore, “The Substance”
Karla Sofía Gascón, “Emilia Pérez”
Fernanda Torres, “I’m Still Here”

Prediction: Karla Sofía Gascón, “Emilia Pérez”
Favored: Demi Moore

Best Supporting Actor

Nominees:
Yura Borisov, “Anora”
Kieran Culkin, “A Real Pain”
Edward Norton, “A Complete Unknown”
Guy Pearce, “The Brutalist”
Jeremy Strong, “The Apprentice”

Prediction: Kieran Culkin, “A Real Pain”

Favored: Kieran Culkin

Best Supporting Actress

Nominees:
Monica Barbaro, “A Complete Unknown”
Ariana Grande, “Wicked”
Felicity Jones, “The Brutalist”
Isabella Rossellini, “Conclave”
Zoe Saldaña, “Emilia Pérez”

Prediction: Zoe Saldaña, “Emilia Pérez”

Favored: Zoe Saldaña,

Best Song

Nominees:
“El Mal” from “Emilia Pérez”
“The Journey” from “The Six Triple Eight”
“Like a Bird” from “Sing Sing”
“Mi Camino” from “Emilia Pérez”
“Never Too Late” from “Elton John: Never Too Late”

Prediction: “El Mal” from “Emilia Pérez”

Favored: “El Mal” from “Emilia Pérez”

And that’s Show Biz…

February 22, 2025February 22, 2025

SCORSESE MOB FILM TO SHOOT HERE

A not-yet-titled Martin Scorsese crime drama, expected to be a $200 million project set in Hawaii, has been involved in a bidding war, with Netflix poised to land the movie.

According to Deadline, high bidders apparently have included Amazon, Apple, Warner Bros. and another unnamed studio, but why not? Besides director Scorsese, the film’s cast boasts Leonardo DiCaprio, Emily Blunt and Hawaii’s Dwayne Johnson. The story –set in Hawaii of the 1960s and ‘70s — is about a mob boss (Johnson) who battles rival competitors for control of the shady underworld of Hawaii crime.

As Deadline described it, “The thumbnail description: Imagine Robert De Niro’s Jimmy the gent from ‘Goodfellas,’ but as a ruthless Hawaiian crime boss, based on a real figure, who battled encroaching rivals for control of organized crime in Hawaii.”

**Martin Scorsese, director, with his mob film actors Leonardo DiCaprio, Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt.**

Scorsese has enlisted Nick Bilton, a Vanity Fair journalist and documentary filmmaker, to write the screenplay. If based on truth, the crime boss has not yet been identified but it’s possible that the character may be fictionized.

The film is targeting a shooting date in 2026 – and if it’s a set-in-Hawaii film, it makes sense it would be shot here, wholly or partially – but timing will be a critical issue. DiCaprio is committed to do Damien Chazelle’s “Evel Knievel on Tour,” a Paramount biopic on the stuntman, this summer, as well as another Scorsese project, “Devil in the White City” for 20^th Century Studios.

The mobster to be portrayed by Johnson was formidable and powerful, who formulated the islands’ most notorious criminal empire, which launched warfare with mainland syndications, while fighting to preserve and fortify his ancestral cultural turf.

Alliances abound among the movers-and-shakers in the looming project. Scorsese and DiCaprio worked recently in their Best Picture nominee, “Killers of the Flower Moon” and earlier pics included “The Aviator,” “The Gangs of New York,” and the “Wolf of Wall Street.” Johnson and Blunt worked opposite each other in “Jungle Cruise” and will team up again in the forthcoming “Smashing Machine.”

The production team will include Scorsese, Johnson, Blunt, DiCaprio, Bilton, Dany Garcia, Lisa Frechette and Rick Yorn…

Season outlook

Manoa Valley Theatre has done the unthinkable; it’s announced — to season ticket subscribers for now — half the production titles in its 2025-26 season.

Three shows are being announced now, to season ticket holders, with the final three TBA when the full slate is unveiled, The teasers: one is a local-style comedy by Lee Cataluna, popular in earlier stagings at Kumu Kahua, but the first time at MVT. A major musical will make its Hawaii debut at Manoa, and the third entry is a satire that played on Broadway last year.

Over at Diamond Head Theatre, there’s no leak or pre-announcements of its 2025-26 slate. There will be an invitational unveiling, March 2, with snippets of the future shared in a brief announcement program….

And that’s Show Biz…