Category: Show Biz

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THE CLUELESS CAN ENJOY ‘CLUE,’ TOO

I had no clue about “Clue,” a black comedy based on a Hasbro-Parker Bros. board game, now at Manoa Valley Theatre. Missed the 1985 movie, too, so this was a wholly mysterious endeavor for me.

It’s a whodunnit, set at the Tudor Mansion, on a stormy, dark night, where six mysterious guests are invited to a dinner party.

The arrivals are a motley crew with outrageous names and eccentricities who are greeted by an equally suspicious butler, Wadsworth (played by a woman, Emily Steward, superb with a British accent), and served by French maid Yvette (Presley A. Wheeler, convivial and agile).

Rob Duval, director, smartly maintains a brisk tempo, to keep the uncertainties bouncing like a ping pong ball.

Discomfort and suspicion rule, as the guests arrive, one by one, clueless about what will be in store. Their queasiness keeps the momentum going:

Professor Plum (Lee Nebe, a perfect off-kilter shrink).

Mr. Green (Malachi McSherry, a harried gay Republican).

Miss Scarlett (Shannon Winpenny, appropriately glorious and sexy).

Mrs. Peacock (Suzanne Green, hilarious as an alcoholic).

Mrs. White (Therese Olival, a multi-time divorcee).

Colonel Mustard (Mike Poblete, hilarious and somewhat of a dimwit).

Their host, Mr. Boddy (Ryan Phillips), is found dead when the lights go out.

Welcome to the quest to find out who the killer is. The ensemble of diners don’t bring appetites; they arrive with questions and doubts, seeking answers to bona fide questions. Are their Washington ties a clue to their unlikely invites?

Amid the fear and farcical mood, the cast consistently display skillful comedics, too. Antoinette Lilley as the cook shines and also turns in a memorable “Singing Telegram” delivery.

Since this is a farce, anything and everything can happen. Possible murder weapons appear (rope, pipe, candlestick), and the body count rises (hidden beneath a blanket on a couch, farcically become “props” in brisk living room poses).

Willie Sabel’s marvelous set gives breadth and breathing space—and allows many moments for manic running – with a full corridor on the second-tier wall of the theater — and lower pockets for communal chatter, races to and from secret and known doors. Notice the overhead chandelier, too, since it will have its moment of glory, too.

In a play with a blackout or two, Chris Gouveia’s lighting is spot-on bright, and coupled with Sarah Velaso’s sound design, the tech work shines, too.

Costumes by Maile Speetjens and hair and makeup by Lisa Ponce de Leon define the characters in the era of the Red Scare.

Paranoia prevails in the ranks; and perhaps in the audience, too. And even the clueless can enjoy the fun in “Clue.” I did.

Apparently, a few earlier productions of this work applied the “Edwin
Drood” element where the audiences help resolve the murderer. Not in this one, however.

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“Clue”

What: A whodunnit farce, inspired by the board game “Clue,” adapted by Sandy Rustin from Jonathan Lynn’s screenplay, with additional material by Hunter Foster and Eric Price.

Where: Manoa Valley Theatre.

When:  Opened Nov. 16; continues through Dec. 3; shows are at 7:30 p.m. weekdays and Saturday Dec. 2 and  3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays; includes extended playdates.

Tickets: $25 to $48, at https://ci.ovationtix.com/35307/production/1151704 or (808) 988-6131.

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IT’S PRIME TIME FOR KEALI’I REICHEL

Keali‘I Reichel, the Maui-based superstar of Hawaiian mele, chant and hula, made a triumphant return to the Blue Note Hawaii stage Thursday night (Nov. 16).

He’s doing five shows over four nights through Sunday (Nov. 19) at the Outrigger Waikiki resort venue, in whatr constitutes his annual Honolulu residency.

Reichel, who admits he is in the midst of being 61, is eager to hit 62, so he can start collecting Social Security. Or not. He likely will continue concertizing, if the opportunity is there.

His debut album, “Kawaipunahele,” is nearly 30 years old now, and it made him a prime force in island music and dance. As a concert act, he’s still very much in his prime, too, though the venues in Honolulu have become disturbingly scarce. Thus, the Blue Note is red hot for local and visiting acts.

His casual, conversational, and cordial “act” is Reichel at his best. Who else can admit he has hairy toes (he’s always barefooted on stage), and he drops local-style references periodically in his 90-minute show. From gala-gala and hanabata (to non-locals, he says it’s phlegm…and spells out the word), and he’s unashamedly honest to confess and admit he was a “bad boy” at Lahainaluna High School and couldn’t graduate in 1980 until he completed work on one credit during the summer.

This kind of patter reflects his local-boy demeanor. He is clearly a proud Mauian and his cache of songs and dances depict his life, likes and artistry.

He started off his serenades with “Ode to a House,” an homage to his earlier Valley Isle home, as he weaves name songs with place songs in his repertoire to share the joys of his life.

Most tunes are in the Hawaiian language, with a few with inserts in English, but he wisely provides brief descriptions of what he’ll perform, so he’s savvy about engaging his listeners who may not speak or understand the Hawaiian language.

And because he is kumu hula of Halau Ke’alaokamaile, his wahine dancers are joyful with precision galore, providing motion and mana’o to his compositions.

For instance, “Maunaleo,” with dancers in light blue costumes, was about a beloved mountain on Maui depicted as a source of inspiration with its majestic currents. Reichel wrote the tune for his mother, Lei.

 “Kawaiokalena,” another place song, assembled his corps of dancers — clad in black and blue gowns this time — who provided a poetic painting of Piiholo, a secluded area above Makawao on Maui where Reichel and his husband Fred Krauss, now live. Its elevation and wilderness are home to grazing wild boars, cows and deer, and clouds hug the forestry. “You have to have fur BVDs,” Reichel commented about the temps, adding “You have to have big dogs you can put your feet on (presumably, when seated), not chihuahua.”

“Maile’s Song” was a sentimental moment – a tribute to Doris Maile Krauss, the late mother of Fred Krauss – and it reflected the affection he had for her. It’s also a rare instance when English lyrics were lovingly woven into the precious Olelo Hawaii (Hawaiian language).

Of course, being a ‘Luna, he delivered a splendid  rendering of “Lahainaluna,” tossing in a footnote about supporting and devoting kokua to the effort to restore normalcy and restoration of Lahaina, the historic beachfront community ravished by the wildfires.

Reichel’s last tune, on a roster of 15 titles, was “E Ku‘u Home O Kahaluu,” the trademark song composed by Jerry Santos whose career with Olomana soared with this lovely, nostalgic tune engineered by the late Jim Linkner, an award-winning veteran sound engineer who championed Reichel’s career with his engineering savvy. Reichel’s entire discography was engineered by Linkner, so the tribute was genuine and real.

At last year’s Blue Note residency, Reichel played to sold-out houses but left the stage without programming his signature hit, “Kawaipunahele.”

At last night’s show, the audience howled “hana hou, hana hou,” and he returned to the stage to dutifully respond to the request. If you no ask, you no get “Kawaipunahele.”

Lest you don’t know, Reichel’s appeal and following continue to astound; at the table I sat, a visiting Los Angeles couple flew to Honolulu expressly to see Reichel in action and they used airline and hotel points to make the overnight visit. That’s loyalty, for sure – and an indication that Reichel still is in his prime.

And that’s Show Biz…

Keali‘I Reichel

Where: Blue Note Hawaii, at the Outrigger Waikiki resort

When: Opened last night (Nov. 16); remaining shows:

  • Nov. 17, 6:30 p.m.
  • Nov. 18, 6:30 and 9 p.m.
  • Nov. 19, 6:30 p.m

Tickets: $125 for premium seating, $85 for loge seating and the bar zone; available at www.bluenotehawaii.com. Doors open at 5 p.m. all nights and 8:30 p.m. for Saturday’s second show.

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STREETLIGHT: BRIGHTER THAN EVER

Streetlight Cadence, the alt-rock band Hawaii adores, is brighter than ever with unparalleled artistic fervor. The expanded group of 10 — assembled in what was described as a reunion gig —  returned to Blue Note Hawaii Friday night (Nov. 3) delivering an astounding one-nighter, attracting a nearly full house which saw a stunning performance that ran for 2 hours and 10 minutes and even included a couple of hana hou treats. Whew!

Streetlight has been known for its busking on the sidewalks and its “Will Work for Food” motto to gain free meals and perhaps a couch for a night’s sleep.

Jonathan Franklin, on violin, and Jesse Shiroma, on accordion.

Well, the group –  currently a small trio – is led by Jonathan Franklin whose calls to former mates  to reunite succeeded. Franklin developed a production worthy of showrooms not sidewalks.

Ten take-aways from the one-nighter:

1 — Franklin is an indefatigable emcee. He is a genial host and a wonderful storyteller, and he plays an electric violin, often shelving the bow and plucking and strumming his instrument like an ukulele. How cool is that?

2 – The assembled instruments included the violin, along with two cellos, an accordion, two guitars, a bass, a drum, a banjo and a piano. Impressive!

3 – Two women – Clara Stegall on guitar and vocals and Maia Wolfe on cello – bring a rich warmth to the show. Hooray!

Usually a trio now, Streelight Cadence had 10 musicians for its first reunion show at Blue Note Hawaii. Pictured from left, Mariconda, Wolfe, Shiroma, Webb, Franklin, Stegall, Chai, Arashiro and Umamoto.

4 – The gents are all over the place: The players include Jesse Shiroma on accordion, Ben Chai on banjo, Brian Webb on cello, Chaz Umamoto on bass, Matt Mariconda on piano, and Evan Arashiro on drums. They jump, twirl, leap, demonstrating energy and mobility, and on one tune, two dudes – think they were Chai and Umamoto – were lying, back-to-back on the stage floor, and singing. Jiminy Cricket!

5 –Every tune delivered was an original, mostly composed by Franklin (with Stegall serving up one of her songs). There are no “covers” on the Streetlight jukebox!

6—However, a few songs are somewhat structurally repetitive, beginning with calm, and building up to a furious storm…but there’s no lack of communication and interplay when the troupers jam and get the juice flowing, with constant interplay, like partnering in cadence.

7—It’s not easy to categorize the Streetlighters’ music. Yes, primarily, alt-rockers, but flavored with a savory mix of folk, country, hard rock, and in one tune, rap. The mood is like a jam, a hootenanny, a contagious crossover of many genres of music.

8— Franklin opened up a window to his soul and heart; clearly, he’s had issues, which are resolved in a song, notably about his longtime conflict with a sister in Japan, reflected in an honest, revealing, and soulful apologetic letter of sorts, on “Learn to Love.” Sounded like a diary admission of making up to heal wounds.

9—The audience was a peculiar but homogenous mix of young, old, mostly locals; they are not always fully familiar to the Streetlight repertoire (me included) but they’re loyal and addictive to the party on stage, perhaps attracted to the  personalities, happily clapping along and offering an impromptu standing ovation at the end, and yes, howling “hana hou,” not fully satisfied with the earlier non-stop 2-hour-plus music fest. Geez!

10– With this kind of performance – pure, revealing, engaging – Blue Note ought to book the band again, which means Franklin will have to start convincing the ex-members to come back to Hawaii for a second annual reunion. Hana hou!

And that’s Show Biz. …

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DUVAL NEW MVT ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Rob Duval (pictured below) has been named artistic director at Manoa Valley Theatre, following the recent resignation of executive director Kip Wilborn.

The position is somewhat new to MVT, where Duval has been serving as production manager.

Attorney Jeff Portnoy, a veteran MVT board member and many times the group’s board chair, said, “For some time, Mānoa Valley Theatre has been considering the appointment of an artistic director. With the hiring of Rob Duval, that decision was easy. He brings decades of theater experience in this community, as an actor, director, teacher, administrator, and producer, and working hand in hand with our new executive director, Kathleen Young, this team is ready to take MVT to new heights.”

Duval is a veteran director and actor, with credits at MVT and Diamond Head Theatre. He helmed such MVT hits as “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” “The Rocky Horror Show,” “The Who’s Tommy,” “The 39 Steps” and “Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery.” At DHT, he directed “Guys and Dolls,” “Lend Me a Tenor,” “Noises Off,” “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” and “The Mousetrap.”

As an actor,  he starred in “To Kill a Mockingbird” at DHT, “The House of Blue Leaves” at Hawaii Pacific University, and “The Elephant Man” at MVT.

He’ll be seen as a Snobby Tourist in Disney+’s live action feature, “Lilo & Stitch,” based on the popular animated series.

He also has been a teacher at Iolani School. …

Readers Theatre nestles at TAG

The Windward Readers Theatre has found a comfy city home – TAG, aka The Actors group at Dole Cannery in Iwilei — for its ongoing series of shows.

Next up: “About Time,” a warm dissertation of aging between a couple struggling with life and love as they face mortality,  at 7:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday (Nov. 27, 28, 29).

The piece, by Tom Cole, will be directed by stage veteran Vanita Rae Smith, who has tapped a pair of theatrical vets —  retirees Dwight Martin and Joyce Maltby (pictured here) –to portray the couple facing challenges of aging.

Performances are in the Brad Powell Theatre.

Tickets: $20, available at https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/tag/items/486451/calendar/2023/11/ …

On the road again…

Entrepreneur Jack Cione (pictured below) is on the road again. Well, on the high seas again.

He’s leaving today (Thursday, Nov. 2) on a 25-day Norwegian cruise, initially taking another ‘round the neighbor islands trek, with Tahiti and the South Seas as his final destination.

Cione, an Arcadia resident, will utilize the journey to tweak his script entitled, “Sweet Leilani,”

hoping to eventually find a venue for the show.

“I have to get away,” he said of his frequent ocean vacations, because he no longer can fly on long trips without a stopover.

He also has logged a string of staycations, monitoring Waikiki room rates. The last was at the Kahala Resort. …

Broadway grosses for week ending Oct. 22

It was pretty much a replay of last week: the leaders still lead. The lion still is king of the Broadway jungle, but the witchery of “Wicked” – celebrating its 20th anniversary – could join the million dollar club next week.

The Top 10:

1 –“The Lion King,” $2,064 million.

2—“Wicked,” $1,922 million.

3—“Merrily, We Roll Along,” $1,840 million.

4—“Hamilton,” $1,767 million.

5—“Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” $1,583 million.

6—“MJ the Musical,” $1,579 million.

7—“Aladdin,” $1,264 million.

8—“Moulin Rouge: the Musical,” $1,118 million.

9—“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” $1,113 million.

10 –“Back to the Future the Musical,”$1,055 million.

The full list, courtesy the Broadway League:

And that’s Show Biz. …

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JESSE SHIROMA: NEW CADENCE

Nearly three years ago, Jesse Shiroma left Streetlight Cadence and put aside his accordion to begin a new chapter in his career path, becoming a degree candidate in the University of Hawaii’s Library and Information Science program.

He is graduating this fall but this weekend, he rejoins his Streetlight musicians in a one-night reunion at 7 p.m. Friday (Nov. 3) at Blue Note Hawaii.

Even before he graduates, he already has a job. “I count myself incredibly lucky to have fallen into a steady and secure position as an archivist at the Hawaii State Archives where I am helping to lead the build-out of our new Hawaiian Music Collection,” said Shiroma. “This entails the handling, indexing and digitization of over 15,000 individual phonodiscs from three collections, including (the collection of) the legendary Harry B. Soria Jr. of ‘Territorial Airwaves’ fame.”

Long story short, Shiroma said he feels blessed to “still play with music on a regular basis, ha-ha.”

As an archivist, Shiroma is tasked with the broad responsibilities of assisting patrons who may have a range of inquiries with genealogical, land rights, and historical  consideration.

On a more intriguing and cultural note, Shiroma may have left the ranks of the popular recording and busking band, Streetlight Cadence (whose motto in earlier years was, “Will play for Food,” which evolved into a TV series), but has brought his skills and his accordion to the ranks of the four-piece Uchinaanchu band, Yuttai  Kwattai, performing and perpetuating original and traditional Ryukyuan folk music, in the indigenous language of Okinawa.

“We are a four-piece (group) including Brandon Ufugusuku Ing (led vox and guitar), Derek Fujio (sanshin, flute, oboe and saxophone), Noah Kutaka (bass) and myself on accordion,” said Shiroma.

The group has a widening following, with its fresh, contemporary arrangements of Ryukyuan folk tunes, performed in the native tongue at the local Okinawan Festival, bon dances, and private events.

“Our goal is to increase the visibility of our native tongue and inspire Okinawans in Hawaii and elsewhere to embrace their heritage whether through the creative arts or otherwise.”

Shiroma is eager to reunite with his colleagues, who have experienced numerous membership changes in recent months. “If it’s feasible, we’ve definitely entertained the idea of an annual get-together to make a bunch of noise with the entire gang,” he said. In recent months, membership has been steady with three, compared with four, in the recent heyday of Streetlight success.

“I love how the sound of the band never got ‘better’ or ‘worse,’ but rather gracefully changed in texture and tone as members came and went,” he said. “That said, it’s going to be a blast with Jonathan (Franklin), Ben (Chai), Clara (Stegall)  Brian (Webb) Chaz (Umamoto), Maia (Wolfe), Matt (Mariconda), and two Evans (surnames not available) and myself on stage all at once.”

Once an accordionist, always an accordionist, for Shiroma. “Busking is a blast and I still occasionally find myself hitting the streets if I feel the need to bother others with some accordion tunes, ba-ha-ha. That said, I couldn’t be surer that this decision to further my academic career was the right call. The balance it has brought to my life has invigorated my spirit and even encouraged greater creative work in my art!”

He treasures the memories with Streetlight Cadence “and will always wish them well. While I do not foresee myself rejoining for any significant period of time, I hope we continue to find these little sparks of reunion where we can enjoy the love of music and adventure that initially brought us together.”…

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Streetlight Cadence

When: 7 p.m. Friday (Nov. 3)

Where: Blue Note Hawaii at the Outrigger Waikiki resort

Tickets: $25 and $35, at www.bluenotehawaii.com or (808) 777-4890

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Watch for Zare Anguay’s shaka

Zare Anguay (pictured), a former Bright Kid, is in the midst of his Broadway debut, as a swing actor in Disney’s “Aladdin,” at the New Amsterdam Theatre. Swing actors understudy several ensemble roles, so if you attend a performance, you may not easily spot him in the cast.

But in the final curtain bow, you just might spot Anguay as the audiences shout and cheer.

You’ll need to have sharp eyes because he likely will be in the same Arabic costumes with his fellow actors. So look for the actor, flashing a quick shaka sign. Local performers often do this, as part of their hometime pride. …

Yemun Chung celebration of life Nov. 13

A Celebration of Life for the late Yemun Chung (pictured), best known as the manager of The Krush, will be held at 7 p.m. Nov. 13 at the New Hope Sanctuary at Sand Island. Doors open at 5:45 p.m.

He died at age 78 of an apparent heart attack on Sept. 11 at a Las Vegas hospital.

Chung was a popular talent manager and an entrepreneur extraordinaire. He was engaged in a myriad of projects, including recording production, show promotion, and

Chung and his wife Gloria were former Honolulans who migrated to Las Vegas 13 ½ years ago, to help raise her grandchildren.

Thus, he had to abandon a legacy of celebrity management, recording production, and show production, in an era when managers often had p.r. appeal.

Chung was a reporter and producer in the 1970s at KGO Radio in San Francisco, but ventured to make his mark in Hawaii, rubbing shoulders and elbows with some of Hawaii’s celebrity managers and recording icons beginning in the 1980s and eventually evolved into one of the most active talent-touting managers  himself through the early 2000s.

Following his gig with The Krush, Chung collaborated with such show biz icons as Tom Moffatt and Jack Cione, before relocating to Las Vegas. …

And that’s Show Biz…