Category: Reviews

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TIHATI BRINGS SPLENDOR TO MARRIOTT

With little fanfare, a splendid Polynesian show, “Pa‘ina Waikiki,” was launched June 2 at the Marriott Beach Waikiki Resort and Spa. It has all the fingerprints and finery that distinguish a Tihati Productions endeavor.

The luau show, in a reimagined open-air space beyond the third-floor swimming pool in what used to be the Hawaiian Regent Hotel decades ago, is everything you’d expect from a Tihati experience, meaning pageantry with mele and hula; tales of the Pacific specifically tailored to the Waikiki location of the Marriott; a fashion show of sorts since the costumes are bright, authentic and stylish; and pre-show hands-on arts and cultural lessons in lei-making and tattooing.

If that’s not enough, at the end of the production, visitors can go on stage to acquire quickie lessons in Samoan and Tahitian dancing, with attractive and handsome cast members as teachers. Out-of-towners are willing and wonderful in this concluding camaraderie of performers and patrons.

Because the site is smaller than most Tihati shows, the evening is a lot more intimate and thus very engaging for the spectators.

Count ‘em, if you will: this is the 12th Tihati show statewide overseen by company president Afatia Thompson and his sister Misty Thompson Tufono, who are the son and daughter, respectively, of legendary Jack and Cha Thompson, who turned over the business to the siblings while still serving as cultural mentors.

This show also is history in the making, marking a next-generation milestone, since children of Afa and Misty (and grandkids of the founders) are prominently and actively engaged in the delivery of the sweet Hawaiian mele and drumbeating exhibition of Samoan, Tahitian and Tonga songs and dances.

Tihati Thompson, 6, is the youngest fire knife dancer.

Afa’s and wife Nicole’s kids featured include hula girl Bella Thompson, notably on a hula about Kuhio Beach, and her brother Matagi Thompson, part of the lineup of male dancers;  at 6, Tihati Thompson – truly a cutie patootie – is the youngest cast member and the resident keiki fire knife dancer with an astonishing skill  and stage presence as he whirls and twirls his kid-size knife with flares on both ends.

Summer will herald more kinfolk. Misty’s daughter Mokihana Tufono will join the dancers when she returns from UCLA; her brother, Maninoa, also has joined the ranks.

Captains for the revue are Wallen Thompson Teo, son of Jack and Cha’s eldest daughter Ruana Thompson Teo, who is male captain; his wife, Lupe Tauiliili Teo, is female captain. Another male line dancer, expected this summer, is Ruana’s other son, Eli Thompson Teo.

The Tihati tradition requires that all performers, in lead roles or in ensembles, must learn the songs and dances for all of the company’s productions, so most troupers bounce from one show to another.

Brandon Mafua is a congenial, conversational emcee.

Brandan Mafua, an eight-year member of the Tihati troupe, is a likeable emcee, who not only is welcoming and congenial, but delivers historical factoids about why a song is embraced here, and the history surrounding the tune or environs; it’s all handily researched material scripted by Misty, company vice president, who clearly has a vault of knowledge blending entertaining motives and simultaneously embracing educational history. And Mafua’s easy-going conversational style is a plus.

Tihati hula sweetie , in pareu

Afa is resident choreographer and director of the spectacle. His moves, backed by a versatile house band, captures the flavors and tempos of the galaxy of Polynesian nations. The Tihati Serenaders, led by  percussionist Alex Galeia‘i, includes guitarists Travis Kaka and Josei  Alfonsi, and bassist Dennis Keohokalole, whose vocal harmonies and heartbeat drumming, exhibit the syncopation of  all the South Seas nations.

Makayla Arakaki is the wahine keiki solo dancer.

Makayla Arakaki is wahine keiki solo dancer, and Mika‘ele Oloa, five-time champion fire knife dancer, is one of the most seasoned of the breed. And he earns the hurrahs and applause with his fire knife dancing and fire-eating style, a stunning finale for the evening.

Mika‘ele Oloa is the adult fire knife dancer — and fire eater.

The spectrum of music entails tunes associated  with some of Hawaii’s alii, like Queen Kapiolani and Prince Kuhio, and links zones where they lived or partied. The show acknowledges a show from the past, Puka Puka Otea, once ensconced at nearby Queen’s Surf, and remembers R. Alex Anderson’s iconic hapa-haole composition, “Lovely Hula Hands,” and also pays homage to Hawaiian surfers, then and now.

Wahine dancers, in traditional ti-leaf skirts.

Tihati costumes continue to project bright, festive, and fun motifs – from ti leaf skirts to grass skirts, from surf wear to area-specific costumes in more colors than a rainbow, from reds to greens, from purple to blue, with detailed accents from head to toe (lei, shell necklaces, lauhala hats, etc.). Well, footwear are not ever utilized here; dancers always perform barefoot, but ankles sometimes display trinkets.

Male dancers, in modern surfing shorts.

Actually, there are two shows – one preview prior to dinner in daylight,  the other the formal revue with appropriate nightlife lighting – so arrive early so you don’t miss anything.

Kudos to Jerry Gibson, veteran hotelier, and a Marriott executive who has been a pioneering supporter of island shows large and small. His valued leadership has provided time and space for many shows, informal and formal, to keep the pulse of Hawaii and Polynesia alive. Where most hotels have abandoned shows – remember when all major Waikiki hotels all had showrooms as a venue for performers and an amenity for visitors? – and perhaps this is a post-pandemic jump start for more newbies to enter the race and pace of keeping Hawaii Hawaiian.

Yes, this is Tihati’s 12th endeavor in Hawaii – but shhhhh.  Two more projects are in the works. If you build it, they will come.

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“Pa‘ina Waikiki”

A Polynesian spectacle and lu’au,  staged by Tihati Productions

Where: Third floor of the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa

When: 5:15 to 8 p.m. Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Cost: $110-$170, general seating; $150 to $200, VIP seating. Buffet dinner included.

Reservations: www.painawaikiki.com

And that’s Show Biz …

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EXHILARATING LEI DAY FROM CAZIMERO

Lei Day is over, but the buzz remains.

And if Robert Cazimero, the eminent kumu hula, singer, composer, and pianist, is at the helm, exhilaration is part of his game plan.

The May Day concert, on May 1 at the Bishop Museum lawn, was staged in a mammoth tent/structure capped with a stage depicting triangular swaths of white fabric evocative of boat sails. The concept included dining tables and chairs for the VIP crowd, with exterior grass seating on the lawn and on the slopes of grass, like the old days.

Robert Cazimero, at his piano draped with plumeria lei.

Surely, folks in attendance today are talking about the grand, newish workspace that is temporary but looks permanent. On a plain, this gizmo could be godsend, with open-air charm.

So, the evening was a superb blend of hula kahiko and auana, with Cazimero as the skipper and Keauhou (Zachary Lum,  his brother Nicholas Lum and  fellow Kamehameha and University of Hawaii grad Kahanuola Solatorio ) as the house band, occasionally steel guitarist Jeff Au Hoy sitting in.

Na Kamalei gents render a hypnotic homage to The Mountain.

Nuggets from the awesome cultural evening:

  • Cazimero’s hula company, Halau Na Kamalei o Lililehua, continues to impress; they’re the rare kane halau which not only dances, but sings. Thus, the gents – often in full force of about 20 – provide vivid interpretations of the comedic (“I Want to Go Back to My Little Grass Shack,” with a wink to the hapa haole genre) to the hypnotic (“The Beauty of Mauna Kea,” with the lads dressed in black skirts from waist to feet, with a sliver of ti leaf as a simple necklace, in a showstopper homage to address the controversy about The Mountain).
  • With soloists Nina Keali‘iwahamana (pictured right), the beloved soprano with roots in the prolific Vickie I‘i Rodrigues family, and Jerry Santos (pictured below left), the endearing singer-guitarist-composer, in the house, a “first” was logged, with Cazimero, Keali‘iwahamana and Santos sharing their first-ever tune singing together on “E Kuu Sweet Lei Poina Ole.”  Naturally, the two kupuna vocalists also had a moment to render their own hit songs so Keali‘iwahamana  updated her “Silhouette Hula” and Santos his signature classic, “E Kuu Home O Kahaluu.”

Thus, it’s always a plus to have the positive and prolific vibes of the veterans of Hawaiian entertainers.

  • Agnes Renee Leihiwahiwaikapolionāmakua Thronas Brown (pictured, below right), 2023’s Miss Aloha Hula, was a guest soloist fresh from her Merrie Monarch Festival triumph, bringing not only her sleek, expressive style, but an aura of royalty to the evening, adding Lei Day Queen to her laurels, at least for this evening. And her reign, post Merrie Monarch, is off to a grand start with this credit.

Never will you every see strands and strands of yellow plumeria lei, which were draped on Cazimero’s white piano; yellow plumeria lei showed  up to accessorize several hula numbers. Cazimero wore his favorite lei, pikake, a generous assembly of strands galore, with the scent fueling his aloha.

Zachary Lum of Keauhou also has evolved as a savvy host and a genial commentator throughout the evening, expressing his and the brotherhood of the Lei Day cast’s desire to bring Lei Day beyond the shores of Hawaii. Like, there will be a belated Lei Day trek, with an abbreviated cast, to Japan this month.

Keauhou’s Zachary Lum, Kahanuola Solatorio and Nicholas Lum.

Cazimero’s dance soloists from the Royal Dance Company, and members of Hālau Ka Lehua Tuahine directed by kumu hula Ka‘ilihiwa Vaughn Darval, also performed.

Sponsorship is key to staging this kind of spectacle. Thus, mahalo to Hawaiian Airlines, for its title support and Kilohana for preserving and presenting Lei Day with focus on cultural traditions.  The nonprolific group, Kāhuli Leo Leʻa and its director Zachary Lum,  have demonstrated meaningful vision to shape and perpetuate Lei Day for future generations to come.  Cazimero (as The Brothers Cazimero, with the late Roland Cazimero) previously staged concerts inside the museum and did one outdoor Lei Day, without the tenting. It’s wonderful that he’s returned to presenting a true museum piece. 

Debbie Nakanelua-Richards and Billy V co-hosted, not just for the local crowd; the show was beamed locally and streamed for a global audience. Let the magic continue beyond the reefs of Hawaii …

And that’s Show Biz. …

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A HALAU OF A (CAZIMERO) SHOW

It was halau of a show –artistically stunning, emotionally celebratory — proudly championed and shaped by the incomparable Robert Uluwehi Cazimero.

For kumu hula Cazimero and his hula disciples from Na Kamalei O Lililehua, yesterday’s sold-out performance at Leeward Community College Theatre was a benchmark event, a prelude to a likely series of performances leading up to Na Kamalei’s 50th anniversary in two years.

Cazimero and his two dozen gents have been popular attractions on the hula horizon, though like everyone everywhere else, took a break during the stifling three-year pandemic hiatus.

So the long overdue fund-raising hoike of sorts was a much-anticipated cultural event. So many hula types and A-list Hawaiian entertainers were among the crowd.

Sometimes, the gents sing…

For the dancers – the “then” group and the current crop – it was a major outing, like those long-gone Cazimero May Day and Christmas events.

For the audience – who have followed and witnessed Na Kamalei’s success – this was a continuation of a shared journey. The intermission was ripe with whopping howdy-dos, hugs and kisses, long-time-no-see expressions, and catch-up-and-talk story reunion. The spectators brought lei and sweets for the king of ho’olaulea, and leadership and fellowship were evident.

Quick recap:

— This is one heck of a halau; the fellas generally sing while dancing, adding modernity to some of the fun stuff. Yep, there are kahiko and ‘auona moments, but humor and joy are ingredients in the choice of material and execution.

— The lads are always immaculately and stylishly costumed, whether it’s ti leaf motif, aloha shirts and jeans, dress shirt with tie. The looks matter, and the hues are coordinated.

— Almost always, fresh lei adorn the dancers’ necks. Sometimes, nut and shell leis rule.

Robert Cazimero at the piano, best-buddy Kaipo Hale sharing memories.

— There are selective surprises. The return of prolific Kaipo Hale (Cazimero’s best buddy) to reflect on what it’s like being in the halau ranks, circa 1975 in the awkward but savvy launch of the group, was a joyous revelation of lessons learned, never forgotten, and the links of brotherhood camaraderie gained.

More often, the gents hula

— Cazimero attempted to theme his playlist, beginning with a projection of his personal desk at home, where his brainstorming and theories evolve.  The mele here began with a casual “War Chant,” and familiar fare featuring hula soloist  U‘ilani Lum on “Kuamo ‘o,” Ki Quilloy singing and Kaohi Daniels dancing on “Destiny,” and Zach Lum sharing his falsetto tones on “Ahulili.” A Travel Desk segment uncorked a splendid Big Island medley of “Ho’ea,” “Keawa ‘iki,” “Kona Kai Opua,” and “Mahai‘ula,” and a rhapsodic Punahele Moleta treatment of “Ikona” with hula by Sky Perkins. And dancer  Parker Spencer had his moment of glory, with swishing arms, on the ensemble hula to “Little Grass Shack.”

— After intermission, “Hula Guys” with the dancers also vocalizing, reflected the kind of sustenance within the halau.

— Further, the gents’ trademark “Teve Teve,” choreographed by Cazimero in the salad days of Na Kamalei, was a positive remembrance of song/style fusion, with an element of double-entendre naughtiness, that has characterized the brotherhood’s legacy.

— Cazimero was unusually chatty throughout the show, though his miking could have used a bit more juice to make him properly heard. He seemed a bit uneasy to launch an In Memoriam segment – should he or shoudn’t he? – and he did, with visuals of about two-dozen former gents who have gone to the giant halau in the sky over the nearly five decades of operations.

— I wondered if “Waika,” a classic staple in the repertoire, might be revived, and surely, it wound up as the finale number, with Robert singing with his gents from  at his usual keyboard perch, then walking to the front of the stage to convert the vocal into an a cappella specialty to close the show, with other previous gents and hula soloist Lahela Ka‘aihue joining in. …

And that’s Show Biz. …

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2ND SHOWING FOR ‘DEFINING COURAGE’

It began with the posting the flags, by the 100th/442nd Infantry Regiment Honor Guard, followed by the singing of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Initially, the sell-out audience stood, but the voices were scanty, building up as more joined  the chorus of folks proudly singing and demonstrating their patriotism.

This was at the Hawaii Theatre last night (March 18), at a “Defining Courage” screening that saluted and glorified the Nisei soldiers – largely from Hawaii – during World War II.

For those who missed it, a second screening will be held in April. So secure tickets, pronto, to avoid disappointment. On many levels, “Courage” is a winner.

The immersive program was a unique first — part documentary, part lecture with visuals, part history lesson, part musical concert,  part salute to unsung heroes.

And wholly emotional, engaging and enlightening.

With Emmy-winning Los Angeles co-producers David Ono (who served as narrator) and Jeff MacIntyre (who handled behind-the-scenes needs as show director), “Defining Courage” was a celebration of the legacy of American wartime heroes, in vintage footage with more recently site visitations that demonstrated the valor and diligence of AJAs (Americans and Japanese Ancestry), in battles in France, Germany, Italy, Okinawa and Hawaii, who were instrumental in turning the pages of history to win the war.

It’s still a work in progress, and each performance in different cities,  will vary. Actress Tamiyn Tomita, who introduced the film, was right on target when she ID’d the screening here as “Defining Courage, Aloha Edition.” Aloha was plentiful on screen, and in the theater.
Among the hundreds of spectators were families and relatives, whose grandfathers and fathers, served in the Army in the era depicted. The movie was a time for joy and tears, and loads of hurrahs and aloha.

Without a cheat sheet, to properly ID the luminaries on screen, I regrettably won’t chance it in fear of misspelling the names of GIs and battles depicted.

So, some random observations instead:

  • The indominable spirit of the Nisei soldiers light up the screen; the scenes of their desire to serve and carry on the torch to victory, are emotional and incredible.
  • A few soldiers kept journals, with sketches, that inspired and shaped the documentary; there are shared notebooks with hand-written, first-hand memories that should be shared with future generations.
  • A small band of musicians, led by pianist-conductor Chris Wade (with Ericka Bar-David on violin, Kamuela Kahoano on guitar and ukulele, and Sibora Miloradovic on cello) performed periodically during the film, with alternating vocals by choir members (Jody Bill, Michael Covert, Andy Degan, Barrie Kealoha, Lauren Hanako Kincaide, Landon Lee and Emi Sampson) singing solo and/or as an ensemble. The newly minted numbers provided a new dimension to the visuals, with touching lyrics performed by powerful voices, but titles and composers were not properly identified in a hand-out program flyer.
  • One of the on-screen heroes known throughout the world: the late Daniel K. Inouye, who served in the war, where he lost an arm, and as a civilian he served as Hawaii’s senior Congressman for decades.
  • Two current icons – volunteers Jane Kurahara and Betsy Young, from the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii — are depicted in a brief segment regarding the efforts to establish and restore Honouliuli as a national park and historical site, for its wartime internment camp in the Ewa plains.
  • Journalist Ono several times mentioned that the history books should be rewritten to include precious details and stories that recognize the valor and service of 100th 442nd soldiers who gave their lives. It might be prudent, too, to remember the 442nd battle cry, “Go for Broke,” which was not remembered or uttered in the program. And the 100th already has a nickname, 1-puka-puka, for its zeroes. Perhaps the 442nd “Broke” slogan could be properly recognized in the second presentation at 7 p.m. April 23, again at the Hawaii Theatre. Tickets: $25 to $50, on sale at www.hawaiitheatre.com or  text (808) 528-0506. …

And that’s Show Biz. …

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THREES MATTER IN ‘TICK, TICK BOOM!’

Good things come in threes, so the saying goes, and in Manoa Valley Theatre’s Hawaii premiere of “Tick, Tick…BOOM!,” the little off-Broadway musical with genuine appeal, threes matter. A lot.

First: the title is comprised of three words.

Second: there are three in the cast.  Jon (short for Jonathan Larson) is portrayed by Taj Gutierrez;  Michael, Jon’s buddy and roommate, is enacted by Kimo Kaona; and Susan, Jon’s girlfriend, is played by Emily North. I saw these three last Saturday (March 11), but the three roles are double-cast with three  other actors (Moku Durant, Ian Severino and Bianca Tubolino, in selected performances, (March 17 and 19, plus all Saturday matinees).

Third: the performers hop to and from three staging zones — stage left, stage right, and right in the middle. The central floor displays three rugs, for no particular reason. But  see, good things come in threes.

Jon is struggling to complete his first show, by the time he’s 30. And the clock is ticking. The angst is mounting. The frustration is elevating stress.

Kimo Kaona as Michael, Taj Guitierrez as Jon, and Emily North as Susan, in “Tick, Tick…BOOM!”

Gutierrez is a revelation, with charismatic presence, a bold and sustaining voice, and an appealing conversational stance – especially in monologues, like he’s taking straight to you. But Guitierrez’ agility also is astounding, as he prances and dances from one staging area to another, never breathless, always in character. Catch him if you can; he makes you a believer that he is a thespian with ambition and hope.

Michael is threatening to move out to a better space, and does, and he has a BMW that reflects his success and lifestyle. He’s got a more sensible analysis of life, so exits the zone of the beleaguered stage wannabe and makes the leap into the business world. Kaona, however, is the kind of a dependable HIV buddy who is loyal to the core, and can still provide a shoulder for his script-writing pal, and puts his dreams of a normal life with wife and family on the back burner.

Meanwhile, Susan wants Jon to move in with her, to eliminate the commute (two subways and a bus trek) and she  yearns to get married , relocated to Cape Cod, and stands by her convictions and challenges Jon to make firm decisions.

Set in 1990 in New York, “Tick, Tick…BOOM! Is personal, precise, minimalist and autobiographical, a portrait of a cliched Broadway wannabe, with that dire goal to finish a show by his 30th birthday. The dream  puts more pressure on himself that undermines his day-to-day doings. Jon waits tables  at a diner; his role model of efficiency and success is Stephen Sondheim, the prolific and legendary songwriter, whose name Jon only “mouths,” not utters, and SS commits to come to the workshop if and when Jon completes his play.

Jon is abundantly disappointed, when workshop attendees don’t include a producer or two who might take a chance on staging the show, but at Jon’s birthday party thrown by Susan, he gets a phone call and message from Sondheim that he doesn’t respond to. Part of Sondheim’s wisdom: Jon’s finished his first play, but he should immediately engage in his second. Argh!

Elyse Takashige’s set design strips the shoebox theater into a one-scene “open” space, with no second-level acting space, with four musicians, including pianist-musical director Jenny Shiroma, who are literally part of the action, like a studio unit  with the three principal “band” instruments of bass, guitar and drums. There are stand-up mikes that augment the body mikes of the performers, resembling a recording studio.

Director-choreographer Mathais Maas is tasked with more direction than dancing, maintaining a balance of staging his principals in the trio of  work spaces.

An off-Broadway production featured Lin-Manuel Miranda as Jon, who had his own dreams and bouts with creativity without the binding deadlines. Miranda directed last year’s film version of “Tick, Tick…BOOM!” starring Andrew Garfield as Jon, in an expanded screenplay and a delicious roster of real-life Broadway luminaries in splendid cameos.

In this stage telling, as in the film, Jon’s debt to Sondheim is reflected in the song, “Sunday,”  which is a tribute Sondheim’s trademark “Sunday in the Park With George.”  It is one of two stellar contributions in the score; the other is the profound “Larger Than Words,” delivered by all three actors as a “company” number that brings down the final curtain.

A footnote: Jon did complete a second production, “Rent,” which would become his signaaure show. On the eve of its debut, he died from an aortic aneurysm,  so ironically, he never got to live or enjoy the riches of hurrahs and successes (like the Tony Awards) that tick-tick-boomed in his soul.

In the end, Jonathan Larson’s plays numbered three – “Siberbia,” “Tick, Tick … BOOM!” and “Rent.”

See, threes matter. ..

And that’s Show Biz. …

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“Tick, Tick…BOOM!”

A pop-rock musical by Jonathan Larson

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, through

Where: Manoa Valley Theatre

Tickets: $24 to $44, fees included; discounts available for seniors and youths, at https://www.manoavalleytheatre.com/shows-tickets