Reviews Archives - wayneharada.com

May 17, 2026May 17, 2026

‘Yellow Face:’ A volley of vitriol

I’m old enough to remember the casting controversy of the Engineer role in “Miss Saigon,” a Cameron Macintosh hit in the 1990s. And this theatrical friction recurs in the current theatrical satire, “Yellow Face,” now at Manoa Valley Theatre.

Jonathon Pryce, a Welsh actor, was cast to play the Engineer in the Broadway launch of “Saigon,” which was an affront to the Asian community. Playwright David Henry Hwang, best known for scripting “M. Butterfly,” rightfully cast an Asian, B.D. Wong, to play the leading role. But Hwang was not silent about the “Miss Saigon” development.

Pryce, Wong and Hwang are smack dab in the middle of the casting conversation and its implications, in Hwang’s bold and “Yellow Face” production, which plays like a mockumentary with a volley of vitriol.

Reyn Afaga is DHH (as Hwang is called) and he leads a small army of Asian and part=Asian performers, who argue, agree, yell, shout and spew out opinions like bullets in this theatrical drama en route to becoming a social and satirical comedy. The players form a vigorous and vital animated ensemble, directed by Reiko Ho, herself a seasoned and savvy director of numerous Asian-content works in her career. “Yellow Face” easily could be the most explosive and controversial entry in her list of credits.

**Reyn Afaga, in yellow shirt, plays David Henry Hwang in “Yellow Face.”**

“Yellow Face” is easy to watch as it dismantles real-life drama and repurposes it into onstage comedy, examining and exploring the elements of farce, racial discrimination, cultural identity.

Nicholas Gianforti plays Marcus Gee, an actor cast as “The King” in “The King and I,” and mocked as a fraud, since he is not Asian but trying to legitimize the role popularized by Yul Brynner (who was part Asian).

Other players are Brandon Caban, who is the constant announcer in a wave of informational bursts of headlines and quips from newspapers like the New York Times and the Post; Sam Bui is Henry Yuah Hwang (NYH), the father of DHH who idolizes Frank Sinatra and “My Way;” Elizabeth Ung is Leah Ann Cho; Anastacia Narrajos is Jane Krakowski; Angeline Roselani Han is Carla Chang; and David Tang is Stuart Ostrow. All cast members take on numerous smaller roles and also actively move or remove furniture and set pieces as needed.

MTV’s recent series of in-the-round staging is over, as “Yellow Face” is staged in the more conventional proscenium format, though there’s no proscenium. Before there’s any stage action, the performance space is kind of blank canvas; Willie Sabel’s stage is all black but takes on different hues thanks to lighting; the open space enables romping by the entire cast, with selected props, and Janine Myers’ lighting and Sarah Velasco’s sound direction work their magic. Amber Lehua Baker’s costumes are suitable and functional and Kelly Belle’s props are comprised mostly of tables, chairs, and stools.

Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays; a matinee has been added at 3 p.m. May 23; and two performances also have been added at 7:30 p.m. May 30 and 3 p.m.. May 31.

Tickets: $25 to $47, at (808) 988-6131 or www.manoavalleytheatre.com

Around town

Hoku Zuttermeister has been performing at Roy’s in Hawaii Kai, doing informal sets on the lawn outside of Roy’s downstairs bar. According to Robbyn Shim, who does p.r. for Roy’s, the entertainment community has been stopping by the catch him in action. Among Zuttermeister’s pals tuning in: Nina Kealiiwahamana, Robert Cazimero, and Manu Boyd. Nothing like attracting celeb listeners…

With the extension of the “Ke Kilo Lani: Robert Uluwehionāpuaikawēkiuokalani Cazimero” exhibit till May 30, another panel discussion has been added to the series at Gallery ‘Iolani at Windward Community College, adjoining Paliku Theatre.

**Roland and Robert Cazimero, back in the day…**

Zachary Lum, a member of Keauhou and a Gent from Halau Na Kamalei, will moderate.

The final panel discussion will be from 6 to 7 p.m. May 21, and the panelists will be members of Cazimero’s halau, the Gentlemen of Hālau Nā Kamalei o Lililehua, who will discuss their learnings and perspectives of the exhibition.

For tickets, register at https://www.waheafoundation.org/

Gail Mack, Lance Luke, Keith Hiraoka and Bobby Nishida will perform from 5 to 8 p.m. today (May 17) at Mango Street Grilll in Wahiawa. For reservations, call Daryl at (808) 627-5451. Same number, to preorder a prime rib dinner…

The musicians also perform from 6 to 8 p.m. May 29, at The Edge, at 31 N. Pauahi St. Reservations: (808) 888-3228; $5 cover prevails.

And that’s Show Biz…

May 2, 2026May 2, 2026

Fleeting memories, with isle icons

Two icons of Hawaii mele and ‘olelo – Robert Cazimero of Oahu and Keali‘i Reichel of Maui – convened in a rare Lei Day concert last night (May 1) ‘neath the huge white tent erected on the Great Lawn of Bishop Museum.

The gathering was more than a routine May Day spectacle, however, since Cazimero and Reichel shared illuminating chit-chat in pre-recorded video shown on screens. The commentary included fleeting memories from the past that will likely define and shape the future destination of Hawaiian music and dance.

Reichel opined that Cazimero was a visionary model in a trail of stardom. “Thanks for getting me out of the bushes to catch up,” said Reichel, who summed up his trailblazing buddy in a single word: “Gratitude.” Cazimero noted that there were instances where the roles were reversed. “I became a follower, too,” he said.

It was the first time that both kumu hula and their dancers and singers assembled in a lavish presentation yielding unexpected exchanges. Though the overall mission of both halau is to perpetuate island music, Cazimero’s two-time Merrie Monarch-winning Halau Na Kamalei O Lililehua (earlier known as Halau Na Kamalei O Likolehua) is comprised of gentlemen who elevated kane hula; the guys sing, dance, and play cultural instruments, committed to hula kahiko and hula auana, and expanding its horizons with Christmas productions that appeal to a wide base of fans. With hula as its foundation, Reichel’s Halau Ke‘alaokamaile perpetuates the Hawaiian culture and heritage through the arts, language and dance, with a connection to the ‘aina in its hula experience. He admitted hula was primary, before singing.

**Standing, from left: Zachary Lum, Jonah Solatario, and Nicolas Lum. At piano, Cazimero; in front of Solatario, Reichel.**

The first-time status also included the participation — again — of Keauhou, the Na Hoku Hanohano Award-winning trio comprised of Zachary Alakaʻi Lum, his brother Nicholas Kealiʻi Lum and Jonah Kahanuola Solatorio. Their roots in Hawaiian run deep, with Kamehameha Schools vintage. They support the three p’s of show biz, performance, preservation and perpetuation. Nick earned a PhD several months ago, Zack is a doctoral candidate, and has emerged as the game-changing producer of the May Day specials like last night’s. Zack and Cazimero were the ones who urged Reichel to join Lei Day.

**The gents of** Halau Na Kamalei O Lililehua share a kahiko hula.

This was a challenging production to review; I was situated in a midway table which made photographing the artists extremely difficult; in many shots, I captured wee images of Cazimero at his yellow plumeria-draped white piano, but mostly the camera focused on Kuana Torres Kahele’s head, beautifully displaying his beautiful hand-made lei po‘o.

There were notables all over the house; Kumu hula Vicky Holt Takamine, singer and Cazimero’s best friend, Kaipo Hale, longtime Cazimero manager and recording producer Jon de Mello, entertainment lawyer Mark Bernstein, restaurateur and chef Kelvin Ro. Sitting next to me: Fred Krause, Reichel’s manager and partner; and so on.

The music seemed to be hand-picked by both kumu stars and Keauhou, nicely paced but with somewhat abrupt and awkward TV commercial breaks (Hawaiian Airlines was title sponsor of the production, Hawaii News Now televised the show live). The concert will be aired on Mele.com this month.

Reichel’s best treats were “Kawaiokalani” and “Ode to a House” (but no “Kawaipunahele”). Cazimero was effectively reflective on “Downtown Honolulu” (his favored composition) and “Lei Onaona.” Keauhou’s “Ka Uluwehi O Ke Kai” was an op for hula dancers to strut their thing between the rows of diners. And a grand slam-dunk finale choice, “Hanohano Ka Lei Pikake” included rotating verses by Reichel, Cazimero and Keauhou.

‘Twas precisely the kind of robust, energetic and soul-touching moment – fleeting memories attendees could savor, cherish and take home to enjoy till the reflections fade.

P.S.: Reichel created an unintended memory, slipping in the mud (it rained earlier in the day) en route to the stage, and a brown smudge on his white pants at his left knee was prominent. He couldn’t change clothes because his spare clothing was back at the hotel. “It’s like a pimple on your face,” he surmised…

And that’s Show Biz…

April 29, 2026April 29, 2026

‘Thriller’ defines ‘Michael’ biopic

In “Michael,” the biopic with Michael Jackson’s real-life nephew, Jaafar Jackson as the centerpiece, there’s authentic movie magic. Jermaine Jackson’s son is launching a film career, and yep, it’s a stunning mix of emotional acting and enticing impersonation. By end of the flick, you may feel Jaafar isn’t a copycat here; after all, he’s got that DNA to vocalize and dance.

Here are 10 take-aways:

1—“Thriller,” MJ’s iconic Halloween-y vocal/dance, is the No. 1 in the roster rock from the King of Pop’s catalogue. So the precision and enactment of the famous MTV video depended on the dancers learning and reimagining the moves and grooves for the big screen. So yes, “Thriller” is a killer!

**Jaafar Jackson, as Michael Jackson: : “Thriller” defines his moves and grooves.**

2—“Billie Jean” is a super duper second-placer. Again, the recreation chills because of the energy and power delivered.

3 – The single-glove lives and shines. Supposedly worn, to shield scars of a developing skin condition. What happened is that the glove became an iconic element of his presence.

**Jaafar Jackson, Michael’s cousin as MJ: A star is born.**

4 – The moonwalks are plentiful and Jaafar didn’t create them, but he perfected the glides and bouncing to and fro, and his uncle must be proud that the crown has been sort of unofficially turned over.

5—Colman Domingo— as Joseph “Joe” Jackson, MJ’s real-life father — is perfection as the meanie patriarch who belt-whipped the kid in his mentorship of Michael and the Jackson 5. It’s the film’s toughest and most challenging and complex character – a bad dad – with personal greed in his veins with demonic demands. However, he could earn an Oscar nomination next year.

6 –MJ’s link to Peter Pan and Neverland was real; it explains a lot why he wanted to be forever young.

7 – His at-home zoo was strangely real; peacocks, a giraffe, a snake, a llama and the adorable chimp named Bubbles were among his animal pals depicted. And toys – MJ was a boy-man who loved stuffed figures including Mickey Mouse. And ‘twas cute, when he taught Bubbles how to navigate the Twister gameboard.

8 – As painful it must’ve been in real life, that horrid accident of MJ’s misfortune – his hair caught on fire during the filming of a Pepsi commercial – was a moment of terrifying winching. Yet he persevered, and this misfortune changed him into a humanitarian supporting hospital burn units.

8 – Missing in action: Janet Jackson. Pourquoi? Marvelous in action: child actor Juliano Valdi(aka Juliano Krue Valdi) as Young Michael at 12: he fibs, saying he’s 8, at one point of the film. Mystiful.

9—Gasping, screaming, fainting girls are part of the shrieking and adoring fan ship. Happens quite often in rock shows, dating back to Elvis Presley, but the hysteria was vital, providing raw energy.

10 –This is Part One of the MJ story; Part Two is coming — unnecessary, since No. 1 showed and glowed with the MF the world cherished. The sequel will downplay the magic of his music and deal with MJ’s dark side as a pedophile, with a tangle of accusations and court issues, for sure. This is not “Wicked.” …

One is a Lonely Number

And there was only one again, in the challenging and elistis $2 Million Club. And that’s
“Harry Potter,” again and again and again.

The Top 10:

1—”Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,”$2.31 million

2—“Hamilton,” $1.94 million

3—“The Lion King,” $1.89 million

4–Every Brilliant Thing,” $1.65 million

5—“Death of a Salesman,”$1.47 million

6—“Chicago,” $1.59 million

7—“MJ the Musical,” $1.35 million

8—“Moulin Rouge,” $2.64 million

9—“Ragtime,” $1.17 million

10—“Stranger Things: The First Shadow,” $1.00 million

The entire list, courtesy of the Broadway League:

March 20, 2026March 20, 2026

ROBERT: BIRTHDAY, WALLET, SELL-0UT

Robert Cazimero, the accomplished do-all island entertainer, turns 77 today (March 20). Happy da kine.

He celebrated his birthday last night (March 19), in one of his usual gigs at Chef Chai’s. But he’s been celebrating throughout the month of March, which is the timetable he advocates.

It’s been a banner month for him, and he works (hard) for his money, like the Donna Summer mantra song from yesteryear Consider:

He’s been rehearsing like crazy, for a two-show gig at 2 and 6 p.m. Sunday (March 22) at Paliku Theatre at Windward Community Theatre. It’s a fund-raiser for his Na Kamalei O Lililehua hula halau. The first show is sold out, and the finale likely will follow suit.
He’s had a bit of a setback last week, followed by a good luck streak last week. He dined at the Kam Bowl Restaurant in Kalihi, and his wallet – with driver’s license, credit cards, and cash – slipped out of his rain jacket and unknowingly fell under a table. He discovered the loss only when he was at a Safeway, unable to pay for his purchase, so headed home, when he noticed his phone was a-buzz with messages. His friends saw a Facebook post by the restaurant, and they were trying to alert him. He ultimately secured his belongings, with contents intact, but he was a bit concerned that his driver’s license was exposed on Facebook. However, he was able to retrieve all his stuff, without the need to replace all the valuable cards in his wallet. Honesty was on his side, for which he was thankful. Perhaps his birthday angel was monitoring his fate.

**Kuana Torres Kahalem , on electric bass.**

His birthday show at Chai’s was afloat, so to speak, thanks to the continuous flow of “water,” in actuality his favorite champagne. The performance ran nearly two hours, underscored by the vast support of entertainment pals and hula colleagues. Kuana Torres Kahale, his Hawaiiana buddy, flew in from Hilo, to join Cazimero in concert, playing electric bass, singing harmony and frequently lead, in a stunning demonstration of developing brotherhood, in a sense replacing the void and loss of bro Roland Cazimero.

**Kumu Vicky Holt Takamine, doing a hula.**

Hula dancers Sky Perkins Gora and Keola “Buddy” Makaiau did perhaps two solo dances, because of the volley of peer stylists tapped to share periodic hula in the aisles. These included impressive halau dancers, male and female, including legendary kumu Vicky Holt Takamine who rendered several lead dances. Singer Marlene Sai was a notable spectator. The bottom line: there was much love and loyalty and artistry in the ranks…

Manoa Valley’s ‘Spring Awakening’ opens

Mānoa Valley Theatre “Spring Awakening” opened last night (March 19) for a run through April 5.^.

The gritty rock musical, set in late 19th century Germany, explores the turbulent journey of adolescent sexuality and self-discovery. The adult themes suggest this is not for young audiences,

A group of teenagers navigate their inherent desires amid strict social pressures and a lack of adult guidance, resulting in powerful, often dark, coming-of-age themes. Mature subject matter prevails, including depictions of suicide, sexual assault, domestic violence, abortion, and sexuality.

A contemporary rock score features music by Duncan Sheik, and the show is based on the play by Frank Wedekind, with book and lyrics by Steven Sater.

The MVT cast features isaiah Gunderman Graham (Melchior), Amy K. Sullivan (Adult Woman), Mathias Maas (Adult Man), Ainsley Shearer (Wendla), Nikki Bagaw (Martha), Marie Chiyo Staples (Thea), Gina Miyazaki (Anna), Myla Pellegrini (Ilse), Casey Lauti (Ernst), Maya Joyce (Georg,) Chad Navarro (Otto/Rupert) Andrew Cheng (ensemble/Bobby/Reinhold), Kevin Molina (ensemble/Ulbrecht), Victoria Chang (ensemble/Marianna), Juliette Moody (ensemble/Frieda), and Cayden Park (ensemble/Liesel). I

The production team includes Lurana Donnels O’Malley (director),Jenny Shiroma (music director), Jonathan Clarke Sypert (choregrapher/inimacy coordinator), Stacey Pulmano (assistant director), Erich Sableinwandt-Gudoy ( stage manager), Aly Sutton (assistant stage manager), Teia O’Malley (set designer), Willie Sabel (technical director/scenic artist), Janine Myers (lighting designer/master electrician), Tim Manamtam and Sarah Velasco (sound designers), Ka‘iukapu Baker (costume designer), Lisa Ponce de Leon (hair and makeup designer)r (Kelley Belle (props designer), Rehearsal Assistant – Denise-Aiko Chinen (rehearsal assistant), and– Amber Lehua Baker (costume shop supervisor).

Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, at 3 p.m. Sundays, with a special 3 p.m. matinee on March 28.

Tickets are $25 to $47, available via phone at (808) 988-6131, or online at manoavalleytheatre.com.

And that’s Show Biz…

February 14, 2026February 14, 2026

ONCE MORE FOR KEVIN’S ‘ONE’

OK, the cat’s out of the bag. So to speak.

Singer Kevin I. released today – Valentine’s Day, his birthday – a new studio version of his early, early yesteryear hit, “One in Love.”

The timing is essential here. Kevin earlier updated his beloved catalogue of music which had been on the shelf for four decades, and his “My Continuum” EP was released last February. It found a receptive audience that adored his romantic sound.

I wondered out loud to him: “Too bad you couldn’t release it on Valentine’s Day, to celebrate your birthday.”

Interestingly, his recordings intersect with his life. No other singer I know jump-starts a career 40 years after turning off the mike; however, Kevin’s journey has had a marvelous turnaround. His vintage melodies caught the ears and hearts of Spotify fans, who discovered this retired vocalist who still had limited love songs in stock. Kevin always focused on romantic tunes, since he’s got the voice to deliver ‘em, and that’s what connects with his audience.

His newest update is “One in Love,” is a melody he performed at the Tokyo Music Festival years ago, earning the Grand Prize laurels. So something old is new again.

He’s chatted about this tune, I’ve written about it, so his fan base is no stranger to his work.

“This song has always been deeply special to me. It validated me professionally, solidified my reputation as a vocalist, and honestly changed the course of my life. Fast forward to today, and Lance Jyo stepped way outside his comfort zone by producing a song he didn’t compose.”

Kevin’s big on yesteryear tunes; his collection of ‘80s songs triggered a new life and fueled a base of loyalists who want more.

“One in Love” is the ideal Valentine’s Day tune, so its release today globally is timely marketing. It has a past, but certainly will enjoy a new future, too.

I commend Kevin’s decision to finally open up his well-oiled pipes – his voice, silly – and go into the studio to update “One in Love,” which has uncharted magic and potential to connect with those who’ve been streaming his music. To his current fan base, this is a new, fresh commodity.

Kevin knows his way around a love song; he enhances lyrics, adding his own warmth and vibes. In this particular case, he’s caressing and embracing an old friend from the past. He’s wanted to give “One in Life” new life, so yep, he can finally check this one off his bucket list.

He’s had a grand career in the business community, and is not likely to return to live singing. (I could be wrong! But he’s not likely to go live)…

And that’s Show Biz…