Category: Music

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EVE DEBUT FOR KAPONO’S LOUNGE

The indefatigable Henry Kapono, who already wears several hats, has been donning a new one and is ready for a formal launch on  New Year’s Eve.

Kapono, easily Hawaii’s most prolific working entertainer, already is involved with his Henry Kapono Foundation. But his new gig, Kapono’s at The Lounge in partnership with Island Sound Studios on the waterfront at the Hawaii Kai Shopping Center in East Oahu, could be his pinnacle. He envisions it as a cultural, work and social space.

Henry Kapono, center, at Island Sound Studios aka Kapono at The Lounge

“It’s amazing to see life come full circle,” said Kapono in a statement. “Twenty years after closing Kapono’s at Aloha Tower, we’re opening a new space that celebrates what Hawaii’s music is all about — connection, creativity, and community.”

“For decades, Island Sound Studios has been a creative home for chart-topping and Grammy-winning artists,” said Bryan and Kyle Spicer, co-owners of Island Sound and partners in the endeavor. “Kapono’s at The Lounge expands that legacy into a live venue and creative hub for Hawai‘i’s music community.”

Among the plans ahead:

Aloha Fridays – A pau hana event featuring live local music, pupu service, and signature cocktails. The resource of performing talent will be from the Henry Kapono Foundation‘s On The Rise artists, which staged regular gigs on Manoa Valley Theatre’s dark nights. Aloha Fridays will be  open to the public with no cover.

Saturday Night Live Concert Series – A ticketed, up-close concert experience showcasing Hawaii’s top talent alongside select national artists.

Sunday Brunch by the Water – A lively island brunch featuring food, live music, and community connection.

Additional Experiences — Various events are planned throughout 2026 at The Lounge, from livestream performances, to private events, from open mic nights, to special artist collaborations — designed as a place and space for creativity and connection, uniting artists and audiences, in celebration of Hawai‘i’s music culture.

The stars have aligned

The studio had been a creative hub where the likes of Beyoncé, John Legend, and Eminem have laid down tracks. Its private, quiet demeanor had been an attraction for “name” talent.
 

Part of the upstairs venue, in a makai wing of the Hawaii Kai Shopping Center, where Longs Drugs is located, previously was the site of Dolly Parton’s failed on-the-marina restaurant.

When it bows on New Year’s Eve, Kapono is turning the pages to elevate the recording studio as part of a three-pronged facility: headquarters for his Henry Kapono Foundation, redubbing a night life format as Kapono’s at the Lounge, and Island Sound Studios.

“This partnership is more than a venue launch,” said Lezlee Kaʻaihue,  executive director of the Henry Kapono Foundation, and spouse of the entertainer.  “It’s about creating a true home for Hawai‘i’s music — a place where artists and audiences can come together to celebrate, uplift, and inspire.”

The presence of a music and cultural venue in a Hawaii Kai shopping center is a rare breed of a merchant, in a community that has been struggling to welcome and retain new tenants. This particular shopping destination boasts a trio of popular destinations, Longs Drugs, Safeway and McDonald’s, and if nothing else, the musical activities surely will lure a younger audience and patrons after dark.

Costco, located across the marina, is located in the Hawaii Kai Towne Center, which also is home to Ross, Roy’s Restaurant, and City Mill. The Koko Marina Shopping Center, the area’s longest existing shopping center, lost its movie theater a few years ago, but has welcomed Heavenly, a popular restaurant, and its Zippy’s is only doing take-outs, since it shut down its dining room perhaps two years ago,

The dynamics of live music in a real night club coupled with a recording studio could fetch curious folks young and old. And Kapono, a Hawaii Kai resident, is a popular, visionary entertainer who is community-savvy,

 All about Eve – New Year’s outlook:

  • The Lounge (downstairs) — An intimate, 50-seat waterfront venue with two open lanais, the sunset precedes two gourmet dinners and performances with Grammy-nominated, multi–Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winner Henry Kapono & His All-Star Band (5:00–7:30 p.m. and 8:00–10:30 p.m.); culminates with a Party Set T with Alx Kawakami and The Marksmen, carrying guests into the final moments before midnight.
The Velvet Monkey speakeasy, at Kapono at The Lounge,
  • The Velvet Monkey (upstairs) — A hidden, artfully designed speakeasy with just 17 seats and a private waterfront lanai, crafted by Hollywood set designers for a vintage-meets-chic atmosphere. Opening night features two exclusive performances by powerhouse musician Tavana (5 to 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 to 10:30 p.m.), paired with a gourmet dinner and a curated speakeasy experience.
  • Studio B (upstairs) — A rare opportunity to celebrate inside the same recording room that has welcomed global icons including Rihanna, Jay-Z, and Alicia Keys. Normally reserved for professional sessions, this storied studio opens only for select, extraordinary occasions. For New Year’s Eve, Studio B comes alive from 10:30 p.m. to midnight with electrifying jazz saxophonist Ambrose and his three-piece band in a rare after-hours experience found nowhere else in Hawaii.
  • VIP Party— 10:30 p.m. till closing. Secure an all-access pass to roam in The Lounge, The Velvet Monkey, and Studio B; with live bands, dancing, cocktails, and all the midnight magic. Tickets limited but necessary; details and reservations at www.KaponosAtTheLounge.com

And that’s Show Biz…

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WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE YULE TUNE?

Christmas crooners, from left, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Angela Lansbury and Willie K.

Do you have a favorite Christmas song?

With so many Christmas melodies recorded years ago but annually srevived and shared  on radio during the holiday season, the choices are varied and plentiful.

Just asking…

So I’ll start the ball rolling.

For a holly jolly mood, I love “J-I-N-G-L-E Bells,” an increasingly popular December number, was recorded by both Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra (separately, of course). Its jingle is easy to remember, adorable and charming, and it’s a contagious sing-along that’s hard to resist. In my book, it surpasses the traditional “Jingle Bells,” and the spelling version is a novelty spin-off of the original number.

For solemnity and a pause from the hectic holiday rhythm, I turn to Willie K’s “O Holy Night.”  Beats any other version available. No contest, hometown loyalty aside.

For the essence of the Christmas spirit, I vote for “We Need a Little Christmas,” performed by Angela Lansbury, in Jerry Herman’s hit Broadway musical, “Mame.”  The tune establishes the holiday mood in the play’s storytelling, and has since jumped out of the soundtrack with a life and identity of its own.

A close second in the mood-maker would be “Sleigh Ride,” by Johnny Mathis,  a legendary singer, with pipes had that ring-ting-jingling mood.

Sorry, Mariah Carey:  I love “All I Want for Christmas” and you dominate the pop charts this time of year, so congrats.

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A CHRISTMAS GIFT OF SONG

‘Twas a month before Christmas

At Blaisdell Concert Hall;

Honolulans were having

An early yuletide ball.

Bandmaster Clarke Bright

And his Royal Hawaiian Band

Were sharing a holiday show

With guests oh so grand.

Like Henry and Karen

Raiatea, Malia, Starr,

And Kamehameha choir youths

The eve’s best charmers, by far…

Royal Hawaiian Band’s Bandmaster Clarke Bright

OK, enough with the rhymes. The evening was themed “Kalikimaka Ho‘omau” (“It’s Christmas Every Day”), a freebie staged by the City and County of Honolulu as the town’s annual yule time community highlights.

It’s a marvelous gift of song and artistry for the citizenry, and most gratifying was to watch the ordinary folks parading down the aisles seeking seats. The elderly, many in wheelchairs or utilizing canes, were assisted by ‘ohana to secure the best viewing locations. Many brought in bentos, not a proper thing since food is not allowed in the Concert Hall, but didn’t see anyone getting questioned, though the aroma of kau kau (and this was no luau) was improper.

Kala‘i Stern, RHB Glee Club leader, emceed the program, which showcased island music, hula, and novelty and traditional Christmas favorites. For variety, the RHB Big Band as well as the ‘Ohana Jazz Trio with guest artists provided variety, while simultaneously showcasing the depth and versatility of our homegrown cultural asset.

Henry Kapono

Many came to hear and rally for Henry Kapono, perhaps the state’s must active artist who shared some of his signature tunes: “Home in the Islands,” “Jingle Bell Rock,” “I Wish Christmas Was Everyday” and “Merry Christmas To You.”

Starr Kalahiki provided a sultry, sensational “J-I-N-G-L-E Bells,” and she was clad in a sleek red gown of renown. The tune, and arrangement, has ties with singer Frank Sinatra’s“Jingle Bells” recording, which has the clever spelling of “jingle” in the verse

Raiatea Helm

Raiatea Helm, who has a new Christmas album this year, rendered three tunes, “Hark the Herald Angels Sing,” “O Come All Ye Faithful” and a poignant “Ave Maria.” Her poufy top was an indescribably oversized creation in white/yellow, worn over a silvery and glittering bottom. And she chose to have a  lengthy pigtail  dangling over her left shoulder, and a large floral accessory over her left ear completed her holiday glam look

Karen Keawehawai’i

Karen Keawehawai‘i also was abloom, a reddish-pinkish garden of sorts in her first time on stage, singing “Ku’u Hoa” while dancers from Ka La “Onohi Mai o Ha‘eha‘e” did the hula.  And for “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,”  Keawehawai‘i  donned beaucoup yellow plumeria over her left ear. Festive and plentiful, which is her common trademark look.

Malia Ka’ai

Malia Ka‘ai chose white anthuriums, worn over her right ear, when she shared the hypnotic “O Holy Night,” with the Kamehameha Schools Children’s Chorus, conducted by Lynell Bright, offering backup vocals. She displayed power and range in her vocal dynamics.

The Kamehameha youths clearly were the evening’s favorite, thanks to their signature hit, “Hawaiian Rolle Coast Ride,” heard in this year’s box office hit, the live-action “Lilo & Stitch,” though the kiddie fave also has had a life outside film exposure. The chorus is a treasure and a treat.

The Kamehameha Schools Children’s Chorus, on screen and on stage.

The ‘Ohana Jazz Trio, guest artists, had the moves and the grooves to please the audience and blended well with the RHB. Noel Okimoto (drums), Dean Taba (bass) and Tommy James (piano) are also known as soloists.

Emcee Stern also is a solo singer, and demonstrated ease and efficiency in his “Christmas in Hawaii” number, augmented by hula dances Kanani Oliveira and Ku‘uei Hazlewood.

Bandmaster Bright continues to carry on the legacy of the Royal Hawaiian Band, whose roots to Hawaiian monarchy make it a unique organization in annals of performing arts. The band also boasts a number of star musicians and arrangers in the ranks, and the band’s link with a cultural ambassador, kumu Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, is yet another stitch of authenticity in the organization’s rich legacy…

And that’s Show Biz…

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CAZIMERO: THANKFUL AND HOPEFUL

As his slate of Christmas season concerts nears in December,  entertainer Robert Cazimero is thankful and hopeful that his shows at Chef Chai will proceed without incident.

He’s spoken with Pomaikai Shishido, new owner of the restaurant – Chef Chai – and is thankful that his dinner show performances Dec. 16 through 20 are on solid ground. A capacity crowd has reserved tables and there could be space, pending cancellations.

Cazimero also is hopeful that his performances will continue through 2026. “We had some talks with him (Shishido) about future dates next year,” he said.

Robert Cazimero

Cazimero did just one show, earlier this week, since chef Chai Chaowasaree exited the restaurant  to return to Thailand to be at the side of his fragile mother, 95, who was injured in a fall.

His fate – and the entertainment issue — had not been mentioned in earlier media reports about Chef Chai’s ownership status; the restaurant had been issued a “red” placard by the Hawaii Department of Health and was forced to close but an updated inspection resulted in a “green” placard to reopen and proceed with updated valid permits.

It’s still an open question, whether  Chaowasaree wants to return to Hawaii some day if possible, with due diligence; he could have the opportunity to possibly return in the future with proper immigration validation.

Cazimero had a brief phone chat with Chaowasaree from Thailand, and the chef said  “it’s not easy,” about his current status.

Cazimero’s  informal shows – he plays on a grand piano, a gift from Chaowasaee years ago – had  been earlier called Full Moon Concerts, with the playdates on or near full moon dates on the lunar calendar, but eventually the dates became fluid, depending on his availability and travel agenda, and some months he stages more than one concert. Like the December playdates.

In a bizarre atmosphere in Waikiki, where resort hotels have shuttered  nearly all showrooms and  essentially have minimized the hiring of notable entertainers like the old days, an entertainer like Cazimero has to think outside the box, and set anchor where there’s opportunity. Chaowasaree hired Cazimero to perform at Chai’s Island Bistro at Aloha Tower Marketplace, when he featured entertainment beside his popular cuisine. Before Chef Chai opened on Kapiolani Boulevard, Chaowasaree gifted Cazimero with a grand piano where it is housed in a corner of the restaurant. The theory was that Cazimero – who became a solo act, after his brother Roland died – would always have a home (and piano) where he could strut his stuff.

Other options could materialize for Cazimero; his former employer, Kelvin Ro (formerly of Kahala Moon, where Cazimero serenaded, and now proprietor of Diamond Head Market and Grill) recently hired a new partner, Jason Peel, to create menu specials and develop a new weekend option, a brunch show on Saturdays and Sundays from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m.

The deal is so new, there’s no ink on a contract yet, but guess who they’re gunning for, to provide the brunch music. Shhhh. It’s still a secret…

Odom’s return to ‘Hamilton’ fuels grosses

“Hamilton” continues to sit atop the weekly Broadway grosses, with $3.8 million earned for the week ending Nov. 16. The performance is fueled by Leslie Odom Jr.’s limited 12-week return to the cast in his Tony-winning Aaron Burr role.

“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” zoomed to No. 2, toppling “Wicked” to No. 3:

The Top 10:

1 – “Hamilton,” $3.852 million

2 –- “Harry Potter and the Cursed- Child,” $2.594 million

3 –- “Wicked,” $2.389 million

4 –- “Chess,” $1.779 million

5 — “The Lion King,” $1.760 million

6 –- “Mamma Mia!,” $1.582 million

7 –- “Waiting for Godot,” $1.539 million

8 –- “ART,” $1.535 million

9 — “Just in Time,” $1.426 million

10 –- “Death Becomes Her,” $1.286 million

The complete list for the week, courtesy the Broadway League:

And that’s Show Biz…

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CAZIMERO PREPS FOR ‘MELE’ TIME

Robert Cazimero’s Christmas concerts at Chef Chai’s, Dec. 16 through 20, will proceed as planned.

Dinner service begins at 5:30 p.m., with Cazimero at the piano from 6:30 p.m., with his usual chatter and serenades.

 Because of the looming Mele Kalikimaka season, he and his two dancers – Sky Perkins Gora and Keola “Bully” Makaiau  —–  likely will be the ones engaging  in periodic hula, on Hawaiian classics and Christmas selections, befitting the Dec. 25 holiday.

Robert Cazimero

There was a brief closure of the restaurant, due to licensing issues, that threatened the possible cancellation of the Cazimero shows, but issues have been resolved. Or, as Cazimero said the other day, “I’m going to work.”

Chef Chai has been given the green light to reopen after obtaining the proper permit following a change in ownership, according to state officials.

The Hawaii Department of Health had earlier issued the award-winning restaurant a “red” placard for operating without a valid food establishment permit.

New owner Pomaikai Shishido, doing business as Pomaikai Culinary Group, applied for and obtained a permit, DOH said, and now has a green “pass” placard. However, chef Chai Chaowasaree, the original owner, apparently still is a part of the operation, though has no presence on site.

Cost for the Christmas show and dinner is $125 per person, with appetizers and array of regular entrée choices. For reservations availability, call (808) 330-0279 …

Aweau Christmas concert in Wahiawa

Nathan Aweau

Nathan Aweau will be featured in “A Special Christmas” buffet dinner and concert Dec. 20 at the Mango Street Grill, located at 130 Mango St. in Wahiawa.

Gail Mack and Gordon Kim will be the opening act.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m., with buffet service from 5:45 to 7 p.m. Cost is $78 for adults, $39 for youths 3 to 9  and free for keiki 2 and younger.

Call (808) 627-5451 for pre-sale reservations through Dec. 17…

Las Vegas holiday revue features Richmond, DeLima

Branscombe Richmond

Branscombe Richmond, island actor and singer, tops a roster of island performers for a show Dec. 20 at the Primm Valley Casino & Resort in Las Vegas.

Others taking the stage include Sistah Robi Kahakalau, Frank DeLima,  Kimo Kahoana, Janoe Kalawa, Shawn Ishimoto, Sione Vainku and the Hot Lava Dancers. Comedian DeLima is making his first appearance in Vegas since leaving Honolulu and relocating in a senior residence in “the ninth island.”For admission details, call the resort at (702) 386-7867 …

And that’s Show Biz…