Category: Show Biz

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‘RENT’ IS DUE AT KENNEDY THEATRE

“Rent,” the storied Jonathan Larson rock opera set in New York’s East Village and based on Puccini’s “La Boheme,” checks in on Friday (Feb. 28) at Kennedy Theatre at the University of Hawaii.

It’s a compelling exploration of crises and coping–talented young artists facing escalating cost of living, homelessness, displacement, mental health issues, and substance abuse. In short,  it’s a journey of self-discovery in the middle of the threat of  AIDS in the late 1980s and ‘90s.

“Rent” has been applauded for its ensemble traits, as depicted in the musical’s  charismatic anthem, “Seasons of Love.”

Expect timeless themes of love, loss, and friendship. “Rent” has been a Tony Award-winning show on Broadway and recipient of a Pulitzer Prize and also been transferred to the movie screen with its brand of  contagious vigor of Bohemian artists struggling to survive the ills of AIDS. The health issues then have parallels to the current challenges of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic that started in 2019 continues to change the world, culturally and economically.

The Kennedy cast features, in order of appearance:

  • Ikaika Mendez, as Roger Davis.
  • Jack Romans, as Mark Cohen.
  • Ka‘enaaloha Watson, as Mimi Marquez.
  • Casey Kekoa Lauti, as Angel Dumott Schunard.
  • Dea So‘oalom, as Benjamin “Benny” Coffin III.
  • Keanu Roe, as Tom Collins.
  • Ainsley Shearer, as Maureen Johnson.
  • Daniella Addeo-Corte, as Joanne Jefferson.

The ensemble: Nadia Gene Amian, Rori Ann Barchers, Edward John, Kainoa Bonsell, Laniakea Chun-Rivas, Pono Cummings, Dylan DeAsis, Vanessa Gould, Sara Imata, Kylie Kwak, Casey Kekoa Lauti, Bryce Linsangan, Jessy Marny Pascua, Breanna “Kaponianani” Purdy, Tyler Shimabukuro, Evie Sweet, Hollee Temple, Anneliese Wirsching

“Rent” was the dream project of the inspired Larson, a playwright, composer and lyricist, and it previewed and opened at the New York Theatre Workshop on Jan. 26, 1996, a day before the show’s formal opening night – timed to the 100th anniversary of Puccini’s opera. Its formal Broadway debut, at the Nederlander Theatre, was on April 29, 1996, so Larson never saw his beloved show, which embraced social and cultural issues, along with substance abuse, and homophobia.

Kevin McCollum

“Rent” has Hawaii ties; one of the show’s award-winning producers is Kevin McCollum, formerly of Honolulu, who continues to be a prolific Tony Award-winning Broadway producer, whose credits include “Avenue Q,” “In the Heights,” “Something Rotten,” “The Drowsy Chaperone.” His current Broadway titles include “Oh, Mary!” and “Six.”

Joshua “Baba” Tavares, an assistant professor of acting, is director of the production. He portrayed Angel in the 20th anniversary national tour of “Rent” (circa 2019-2020), so the show is close to his heart. That touring company had a run at Blaisdell Concert Hall, and included the former Big Islander now teaching at the UH’s Department of Theatre and Dance.

So, Baba’s memories are vivid and lasting. Of “Rent,” he said: “It’s about love, relationships, healing, passion, and figuring out who we are – things that never stop being relevant or important. It’s uplifting, heartbreaking, and hopeful. It’s  also a great show for students to learn and grow from”…

And that’s Show Biz…

‘Rent’

A musical by Jonathan Larson, playwright, composer, and lyricist

What: A rock-opera, based on the Puccini opera, “La Boheme,” which explores life and challenges of Bohemian youths, in New York City at the time of the height of the AIDS crisis

When: Opening at 7:30 p.m. Friday (Feb. 28); repeats at 7:30 p.m. Saturday (March 1)  and again at 7:30 p.m. March 7 and 8, and at 2 p.m. March 9; pre-show chats at 6:45 p.m. prior to Saturday shows

Tickets: $25, adults; $22, UH faculty and staff, military and seniors; $10, other discount groups; $15, non-UH Manoa students, youths; $8, UHM student with valid ID

Special ‘Throwback Saturday performance, March 1; $15, adults; $10, discount groups; $5, UHM students

Reservations: https://hawaiiathletics.evenue.net/events/KT2

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A CAZIMERO BENEFIT, A LIFE EXHIBIT

Robert Cazimero’s 76th birthday on March 20 will become part of a celebratory birthday week-long event … and a fundraiser for his Halau Na Kamalei O Lililehua.

His special performances will be from March 19 to 23 at Chef Chai’s on Kapiolani Boulevard, with the usual mix of Hawaiian music, hula and fine dining.

Robert Cazimero: An extended halau benefit at Chai’s, a life exhibit at WCC..

Also in the works: an art exhibit at Gallery ‘Iolani, in the modest gallery next to Paliku Theatre at Windward Community College, which will salute and verify the kumu hula and entertainer’s life achievements and impact in local music and culture. As a recording artist, kumu hula, and nightlife entertainer in venues large and small, he has created – with his brother Roland, in The Brothers Cazimero –a personal and specific brand in island mele and hula. I’m told that there will be a piano on site, which possibly means if Cazimero’s present, he just might burst into a serenade. Watch for the gallery’s Caz viewing dates.

But back to the Chai’s event: Normally, Cazimero would stage a Full Moon Concert once a month, but for his birthday, once is not enough. Hence, the weeklong party. And yes, the champagne will be flowing.

Dinner service is at 5:30 p.m. Chef Chai Chaowasaree’s signature dishes are always featured, comprising an array of appetizers, sumptuous entrees, and savory desserts.

The show begins at 6:30 p.m. and tends to expand beyond the hour-long performance. Usually, Cazimero enlists Sky Perkins Gora and Bully Keola Makaiau to render specific hula. Typically, Cazimero marks his birthday throughout the month of March; since his calendar is chockful of b-day gatherings.

Because the Chai evenings will benefit Cazimero’s halau of singers-dancers, you can expect various gents appearing and joining kumu on the different nights.  The fund-raiser will support, among other things, Na Kamalei’s participation in this year’s Merrie Monarch Festival from April 20 to 26  in Hilo.

Tickets: $159 a person, available at chefchai@outlook.com or (808) 585-0011…

And that’s Show Biz…

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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 20th 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

Lee Cataluna

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…

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SUPERSTAR DUETS THAT CLICK

Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga are superstars alone. So, when they sing together, they’re dynamite.

The occasion was Sunday’s Grammy Awards, held in Los Angeles. Lots of fresh talent, mostly acts that rely on spectacle of troops.

So I was glad that Mars and Gaga earned — and owned — one categorial win during the event. The Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, for their soulful, sensational  “Die With a Smile” that hit the charts and playlists last August, and continues to be a sizzler.

Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars make “California Dreamin'” click.

Gaga and Mars co-wrote the tune, with further collaboration with Ernst “D’Mile” Emile II and Andrew Watt, with additional input by James Fauntleroy.

So, who got the trophy? Only one was brought to the stage as the award was named, and Gaga clutched it. But worry not, Mars eventually got his own gramophone, too.

And the other Grammy victors were remarkable and refreshing, a few were occasionally wearying. They sing and prance, wail and wiggle with corps and corps of dancers and backup voices, so it’s always a joy when Mars wins a trophy; commonly, it’s him and the Hooligans who can knock the ball out of the park, as they did when they headlined a Super Bowl halftime show.

As superstar soloists, Gaga and Mars are savvy pros; with their own duet magic, performing “California Dreamin’,” the Mamas and the Papas hit from yesteryear. It was a fitting tribute to the victims and first responders of the astonishing Los Angeles wildfires, just two of ’em, focusing on the mission to salute the Californians who, sigh, need to recoil and rebuild their dreams. Methinks the Mars-Gaga dual charmer should be released as a single, and proceeds could further benefit those who lost their home, their memories, their livelihood in the blaze.

And while Mars continues to record duets with other women troupers, like Rose in “APT.,” his personal romantic edge has been diminished. You might have noticed he was dateless, sitting at a table with Gaga and her fiancé, Michael Polansky. Rumor is that Mars and his longtime girlfriend, Jessica Caban, have parted ways. She posted something on social media, which was quickly yanked, and Mars is smartly mum…

Janel Parrish at Blue Note

Janel Parrish, whose career in show biz began in Hawaii and Broadway, is a singer, actress, philanthropist, with triumphs in TV and films, too. She’s making her Blue Note Hawaii debut tomorrow (Feb. 5) and Thursday (Feb. 5).

Janel Parrish

As a child, she portrayed Little Cosette, in “Les Miserables,” the timeless Broadway musical. She won an audition here to land the role and producers cast her and whisked her to the Great White Way.

As an adult, she was a finalist on both “Dancing with the Stars” and “Masked Singer,” and Janel’s music has been featured in four motion pictures.

She portrayed Mona in TV’s “Pretty Little Liars,” and featured roles in “Bratz”, “Fired Up”, “Celeste & Jess Forever.” Other credits include “Magnum P.I..”“The Bernie Mac Show,” “The O.C.,” “Heroes” and “Hawaii Five-0.”

On stage, she was in national tours of “Les Miz” and “To Kill a Mockingbird”

At Blue Note, she’s putting on her singing hat and showing off her vocal chops.

Show times are at 6:30 and 9 p.m. both days. Doors open at 5 p.m. for the early show and  8 p.m. for the second show, for food and beverage service.

Tickets are $40 to $55, on sale at www.bluenotehawaii.com and (808) 777-4890…

Early Valentine’s show

The Hulaville Rhythm Aces will present an early Valentine’s dinner show, at 6 p.m. Saturday (Feb. 8) at Medici’s at Manoa Marketplace. Showtime will be at 7:30 p.m.

The group includes:

 Kelsea Armstrong,  vocals.
Joshua Kaye, keyboards
Rocky Holmes, woodwinds
 Sonny Silva ,guitars

The dinner precedes and continues through the performance, priced at three levels:

Adults, $72.13.

Students, $51.29 with ID.

Children, $40.84.

Seating is limited, so reservations are suggested at https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/musicatmedicis/5142  …

And that’s Show Biz…

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BRIGHT KIDS SECURES ‘GYPSY’ MUSICAL

“Gypsy,’ one of Broadway’s storied musicals, will be the I’m a Bright Kid Foundation’s summer attraction at Paliku Theatre at Windward Community College.

The show,  currently in a hit Broadway revival starring Audra McDonald, is a monumental theatrical creation, with book by Arthur Laurents, music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. It is considered the mother of all musicals about mothers. It is a fable loosely based on the memoirs of striptease performer Gypsy Rose Lee, about her mother Rose, who aspires to help her daughters become stars. Clearly, the term “stage mother,” refers to Rose’s unbridled quest to bring the fame and stardom that eluded her to her daughters.

“Gypsy” boasts such legendary hits including “Everything’s Coming Up Roses,”  “You Gotta Get a Gimmick,” “Let Me Entertain You,” “Some People” and “Together,” as it glorifies the struggles of seeking the American dream.

Ahnya Chang, who choreographed IABK’s hit musical “Newsies” last year, will direct and choreograph this stage classic. Clarke Bright will be musical director and others on the creative team will be announced later.

The musical will run Aug. 8 to 24, with performances on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Ticket sales will begin June 1, with further details to be announced.

Online auditions begin May 1, with tryouts set for Aug. 9 and 10 at Paliku Theatre.

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In other news, IABK will again present its cornerstone Summer Musical Theatre Arts Education Program  this summer, from June  16 to July 20 at Paliku Theatre. The program provides a supportive environment for students in grades 3 to 12 to gain confidence in performing arts techniques, learn vital teamwork and communication skills.

Registration is under way online at https://imabrightkid.org/summer-program/

The culmination of the program will be a show, “Junie B. Jones Jr.: The Musical,”  set for 7 p.m. July 25 and  2 p.m. July 26 and 27.

And that’s Show Biz…