Category: Show Biz

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CAZIMERO NO LONGER NEEDS MOON

It’s no longer called a Full Moon Concert event, when singer-pianist Robert Cazimero serenades at Chef Chai’s.

It’s now the Monthly Aloha Concert, minus the lunar theme, but the format and spirit remain. Who needs the moon?

Cazimero is the ideal host, offering chatter, wisdom, and a menu of familiar favorites, in Hawaiian for the most part. His pair of dancers, Sky Perkins Gora and Keola “Bully” Makaiau, assemble for designated hula.

Sky Perkins Goya

Last night’s (Sept. 28) event was casual, conversational and carefree, even with an unexpected guest singer. You just never know who or what will appear. Like, during the show, a peculiar soul strolled in, seemingly in hospital wear; he briefly watched the musical action, and even tried to sit in a vacant seat, but was led out of the restaurant by a waiter. After the performance, an ambulance with flashing lights was tending to his needs on Kapiolani Boulevard.

It’s also becoming quite a challenge to view the happenings. Where you’re sitting determines how much you’ll witness. I understand Chai Chaowasaree  is in Thailand, so a new restaurant manager is in charge. His absence is noticeable. I shoot iPhone photos, to share in this space, but the task is getting harder. Inventive cropping still can’t erase dark shadows of diners.

The dancers do their numbers in darkness, without overhead lighting; the diners/viewers make it a challenge to photograph from your assigned perch. Thus, it takes creativity to try to snap a performer or two.

Cazimero, left, called up guest crooner Kalal’ i Stern

Cazimero, of course, is tucked behind his grand piano in one corner of the restaurant. His guest crooner, Kala‘I Stern, joined him on the platform where the piano sits; his birthday-mom was thrilled, as he’s quite the trouper with an engaging voice.

Cazimero at the mike.

Cazimero provided a sentimental journey with a cluster of tunes includindg “Beyond the Reef,” “Home in the Islands,” “Drinking Champagne,” and “Aloha No.”  Surely, many memories accompany these tunes.

The champagne number comes with a sip of his favorite bubbly, provided by a supporter and delivered to his piano, assuring guaranteed joy, sip by sip.

He almost always sings “Wahine Ilikea,” which gives Goya the op to share her hula moves, with lovely hula hands telling the romantic theme.

On this evening, Cazimero also selected a which-is-your-favorite island motif, singing “Honolulu” and then visiting the other islands, from the Big Island (where his ‘ohana originated) and Kauai, enabling him of dust off  “Hanalei Moon.”

Of course, every song has its own story and beauty, and floral themes were notably fragrant, tapping pikake and tubarose.

John Rhoades with Cazimero,

A nice way to celebrate aloha, minus the moon. Got a thumbs-up from our grandnephew, Sgt. John Rhoades, now working at Schofield Barracks. He’s always a guest when we go see his Uncle Robert. “That kid has an amazing smile,” said Cazimero. They’ve become a mutual admiration society…

And that’s Show Biz…

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SHARI, MARY IN A YULE DELIGHT

Songstress buddies Shari Lynn and Mary Gutzi will co-star in a Christmas one-nighter Dec. 13 at The Actors Group (TAG).

The damsels,  who normally deliver ditties from Broadway and The Great American Songbook, will focus on holiday melodies, with a probability of a jazz title or two thrown in as a holiday gift.

Shar Lynn

The performance is dubbed “It’s Delightful, It’s DeLovely, It’s December.”

Showtimes will be at 4 and 7 p.m., at the Brad Powell Theatre, so you can’t  rightfully call this a one-nighter, since one show is a matinee, the finale is in the evening.

The notion of Shari and Mary doing something, someday, and some place together resulted in the forthcoming performances at TAG. Definitely, a debonair, dashing and dear deliverance.

Mary Gutzi

The reliable and responsible Jim Howard will provide the music on his keyboards.

A sell-out – or two sell-outs — is likely, though ticket sales have not yet begun. The Iwilei theater has 54 seats, so early reservations are suggested.

Tickets: $50; includes complimentary wine bar and snacks in the adjacent mall.

Information: TAG at (808) 722-6941…

‘Godot’  debuts at 3rd place

A revival of “Waiting for Godot,” co-starring Hawaii native Keanu Reeves and real-life friend Alex Winter, made its debut at third place in its first week at the Hudson Theatre on Broadway. “Clearly, celebrities mean great ticket sales. Not surprisingly, “Hamilton” held onto No. 1 for the week ending Sept. 21.

Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter, in “Waiting for Godot.”

The Top 10:

1—”Hamilton,” $3.598 million

2—”Wicked,” $2.005 million

3—” Waiting for Godot,” $1.820 million

4—”The Lion King, $1.777 million

5—”Mamma Mia!,” $1.608 million

6–“Death Becomes Her,” $1.387 million

7—”Just In Time,” $1.331 million

8—” Oh, Mary!,” $1.3000 million

9—“MJ the Musical,” $1.282 million

10—“Maybe Happy Ending,” $1.228  million

The full list of Broadway grosses, courtesy the Broadway League:

And that’s Show Biz…

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NICOLE SINGS FOR JERRY AT AULANI

Jerry Santos knew that Hawaii’s Nicole Scherzinger was a celebrity of note.

“Her performance and acceptance speech at (this year’s) Tony Awards really blew me away,” he said.

Imagine, then, when the star of London’s and Broadway’s “Sunset Boulevard,”  showed up on a recent Tuesday evening, when Santos and his partner in music, Kamuela Kimokeo, were doing their gig at Disney’s Aulani resort.

“Apparently, some of her ‘ohana work at the Aulani, and they were having a family gathering to celebrate her being home,” said Santos.

Kamuela Kimokeo, Nicole Scherzinger and Jerry Santos at Disney’s Aulani resort.

“Getting to meet her was an honor,” he said of the former leader of the Pussycat Dolls, now a certified global celebrity. “I was truly touched by what a sweet, humble spirit she is.”

Scherzinger acquiesced to her family’s urging to sing a song. ‘I was just hoping we could play for her,” he said.

Then the surprises unfolded, one by one.

“What a lovely surprise to find that she knew who I was (surprise No. 1) and said she’d like to sing my song (“E Kuu Home O Kahalu‘u,” surprise No. 2). “To hear my words coming to me from that beautiful voice was such a gift (surprise No. 3). “I can understand why people love her” (surprise No. 4, but come on, why?)

Scherzinger knew the lyrics to Santos’ trademark Olomana hit, which made him a household name, and perhaps another surprise might’ve been how he could play the melody, but why not? Most fans can sing the song by heart, and clearly, she has been a fan from way back, possibly before she became a stellar stage trouper.

The fact, too, that she would sing his song,  and not one of hers, was a certification of her generosity. After all, this was his gig, his turf, his own moment of celebrity.

What is astounding is that Santos and Kimokeo – who’ve been performing at the Disney resort since it opened in  2011 – deserve to play before local and visiting listeners  beyond the Mickey Mouse venue. But Waikiki properties are not known for hiring and supporting talent, like the bygone era when every major hotel had a showroom, and most gave island acts time and space to perform in lounges and in bars. Not so today.

So folks like Santos augment their livelihood with one-nighters, like the recent Henry Kapono Foundation’s fundraising gala, and Molokai’s Kulaia event this Saturday, a street festival for Na Wahine O Ke Kai,  plus an upcoming slack key festival Oct. 18 in Seattle.

“Just doing the fun stuff when they come,” he said of his show scheduling.

“I’m old; it’s more than enough,” Santos said. OK, he’s a senior citizen still possessing the gift of mele, and he should be in the limelight more regularly in venues frequented by locals. He had a secure Friday-Saturday gig at the Hilton Hawaiian Village for 25 years, but management changes put the skids on his casual kanikapila shows for locals and visitors…

Here, there, everywhere

Got to say hello, and renew ties, with retired Broadway conductor Bob Billig, at a performance of “Come From Away” at the Diamond Head Theatre. He has resettled in Hawaii again with husband Richard Vida, who is executive director Ballet Hawaii.

Bob Billig

Vida was in New York earlier this month and Billig – who conducted “Les Miserables” in early times on Broadway — was Mainland-bound, too, to oversee and supervise the music for the forthcoming Kander-Ebb musical,” “Chicago,” which will be at the Blaisdell Concert Hall Dec. 2 to 7.

I recall seeing Billig once when he was conducting “Chicago” on Broadway. The maestro and ork were positioned on stage rather than in the pit, for the revival that’s still running, and it’s been a great tactic since the evergreen became the new rage for singers, dancers and audiences alike.

Billig won’t be conducting “Chicago” here – the show is the finale in the Broadway in Hawaii series…

Trees trigger letter-writing

Poet Frances Kakugawa, formerly of Pahoa and Honolulu and now a Sacramento resident, is a prolific author and an occasional letter-to-the-editor writer.

“I’ve had three letters published,’ she said of her words, aligned in a poem, and recently printed in the New Your Times. Yes, thrice is nice.

Her submission dealt with a recent NYT feature story, by Dodai

Stewart (with photographs by Alex Kent),

about some of the magnificent, giant, angled, and aging specimens on New York’s fabled roster of trees.

Here’s her poem, accepted as a passionate response to the wonderful piece on the city’s greatest trees.

‘I SEE YOU’

I see you.

Put that saw away.

You will not use my sisters and brothers

To fill your bank account

With Real Estate towers.

I see you.

Put that saw down.

Look up at my glory,

Home to hundreds of life

More than you can accommodate

In your blue-printed home of destruction.

See me.

Before it is too late.

— FRANCES KAKUGAWA, SACRAMENTO

Tree-mendous submission, Fran!

And that’s Show Biz…

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FRED HONDA, HOTELIER, DIES AT 95

Fred Honda, veteran Hawaii hotelier who was general manager of the Halekulani Hotel, died Sept. 7 at Loveland, Colo. He was 95.

He was a popular fixture in the hospitality community here and known for his generosity and gentle manner.

Honda’s career began with the Sheraton Hotel, and he also was a prominent manager of the Oahu Country Club. He held positions at Amfac Hotels and Resorts and served as general manager of the Kapalua Bay Hotel on Maui.

Fred Honda

While at the Halekulani, he oversaw the hotel’s property renewal projects that included the Vera Wang Suite as well as SpaHalekulani, popular fixtures for the hotel’s upscale visitors. He retired from the Halekulani in 2005 and relocated to Loveland.

Fred met his wife Julia, at the time of the opening of the Sheraton Maui at Kaanapali, when he was the hotel’s controller. Julie worked at the front desk.

They were married on Oct. 8, 1965, on Maui, and they become a significant hotel industry team, relocating to several properties in such cities as Burlingame and San Francisco. The Hondas celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2015.

Julia and Fred Honda

He was quiet, generous and  genial; she was graceful, kind, and a self-styled socialite, and  they supported each other’s careers. He had the Halekulani and other properties earlier; she founded the Kona Coffee Festival and was its beacon for years.

A Celebration of Life event will be held at 11:30 a.m. Sept. 27 in Loveland.

Survivors include daughters Patti Hokulani Honda-Davis  and Lee Ann Doering (from Fred’s earlier marriage); adult son, Kyle Kalani Honda, of Honolulu; and two grandsons, Travis Kanekoa Davis and Garet Kealii Davis.

And that’s Show Biz…

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‘COME FROM AWAY’ EXTENDED AT DHT

What you’ll discover, when you befriend the Hawaii premiere of the Tony-winning “Come From Away” at Diamond Head Theatre, is the tsunami of niceness, humankind, and compassion that resonates from start to finish.

This musical – with Canadian origins — won’t bowl you over with melodies you can hum as you exit the theater.  (Just announced: two extended performances, at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 3 and 3 p.m. Oct. 4).

However, you’ll likely be overwhelmed by the giving, the sharing, the caring and the unconditional hospitality of the folks in Gander, Newfoundland, who welcome and host and embrace a bunch of travelers in need. Their flights have been routed to the little Canadian community, at the height of the tragedy and terrorism of the devastation of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center  in New York City, in what history will never forget and still vividly remember the trauma of 9/11.

The show is a creation of Canadians Irene Sankoff and David Hein, who collaborated on the book, music and lyrics, so naturally embraces Canadian, Irish and other nationalities and traditions. Like fish; wait for the scene.

The Ganderian greeters simply were opening their hearts and homes for the “come-from- aways,” the lingo for those “outsiders” stranded because air traffic was halted and airliners had to find airports where the planes could land. In retrospect, 38 carriers transporting nearly 7,000 travelers who were airborne when “it” – the devastation of Sept. 11, 2001 – happened.

In Hawaii, this giving generosity might be termed “the aloha spirit.”  Chelsea LeValley, making her DHT debut as director and choreographer, has previously mounted “Come From Away,” and her grace, imagination and savvy are on display. She weaves together emotion and motion, creating a touching and emotional lei that reflects the nature of nurturing feelings through this remarkable story of humanity.  

Oh, she’s also one of the cast principals—Beverly. And all actors have an “& others” tag in the playbill, meaning they tackle multiple roles.

So the company includes Bob (Jarren Amian) Claude (Howard Bishop), Bonnie (Marisa Noelle Capalbo), Oz (Andrew Erwin), Kevin T. (Isaiah Gundermann Graham), Nick (Kalani Hicks), Hannah (Lelea‘e “Buffy” Kahalepuna-Wong), Beulah (Vanessa Manuel-Mazzullo), Janice (Ainsley Shearer), Kevin J. (Samuel Tafolo), and Diane (Courtney Watabe).

The company of 12, playing multi-roles, in “Come From Away.” DHT photo by Brandon Miyagi.

The ensemble members are Adam Allison, Landon Ballesteros, Caitlin Bright, David Hurley, Gina Miyazaki, and Juliette Moody.

Casting was important in this specific outing, where there’s a lot of intersecting moments and movements and overlapping spirts. Trevor Tamashiro, executive director of DHT, tells me that all cast members need to know each other’s roles, in the instance that there are multiple needs to replace an actor.

It’s a tad econfusing for spectators when actors play both airline crews and passengers and visitors and locals, but the operative word here is storytelling. This company is highly versatile; it could easily win ensemble of the year laurels for the constant transformation of roles.

Howard Bishop (as Claude), hoists the codfish to kiss. DHT photo by Brandon Miyagi.

I’m not privy to the kiss-the-cod tradition that welcome newcomers as honorary locals. It adds humor to the Twin Tower loss and the fish is kissed with a shot of traditional Screech rum.

I recall the minimalist staging – tables and chairs in the midst of a grove of faux trees – in the Broadway original I saw several seasons ago. Here, Brian Sullivan’s clever set design reinterprets this non-intrusive scene with multiple tree trunks – something like 15 of ‘em – towering towards the sky and reaching out into the audience, Wooden planks form a back wall that stretches from stage left to stage right and stage floor to airspace above .

Brian Sullivan’s set includes trees, with plenty of room for a hootenanny, DHT photo,

This framework still allows for multiple effects – actors move airplane seats that double as café chairs; there’s ample space for hootenanny vocals, soul-shaking hand-clapping and foot-stomping dancing.  Even the orchestra’s in the shadows of the stage setting.

A few things you should know:

  • The show runs 100 minutes.
  • There is no intermission.
  • There are hints of prejudice, with resolution, about Muslims and gays.
  • Celine Dion makes two brief aural appearances, via her “Titanic” hit tune, “My Heart Will Go On.” Anticipate the karaoke rendering!

And that’s Show Biz…

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‘Come From Away’

What: A musical by Irene Sankoff ad David Hein

Where: Diamond Head Theatre

When: Regular run, through Sept. 28; isolated seats available; two extended playdates, at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 3 and 3 p.m. Oct. 4

Tickets: $43 to $70; call (808) 733-0274