Here’s an encouraging update, to our open letter to Henry Kapono, to see if he might get behind a “We Are the World”-type anthem, to kokua the folks affected by the tragic wildfires on Maui.
We thought, while watching the Lahaina and hundreds of homes go up in flames in real time, that only one man, the prolific and productive Henry, (pictured below, left) might use his creative juices, tap his army of music-industry colleagues, and his longstanding mission to support communities in time of needs to make this a reality.
His encouraging response, received this morning via email:
“Aloha Wayne: Hope you’re recovering well. Yes the Lahaina wildfire has been something unimaginable, and the response of our Hawaii people is just phenomenal. I have been
thinking of a song. ‘We Are The World,’ keeps coming up.
‘ I’m sure someone is working on it. I’m talking to people I trust and respect and we’re thinking of something that might be very interesting. I’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, take care of yourself. Friends, Henry.”
Henry’s wife, Lezlee, also said the Henry Kapono Foundation already is supporting efforts on the Valley Island to kokua Mauians during these devastating times, via the “We Are Friends Maui” program.
Henry remains an influential mover-and-shaker and logically, this sort of special needs should be within his realm of creativity. Hope a Maui tune or project that he’ll spearhead evolves over the next few months. . …
Rain is forecast
Crossing Rain, pictured below, Hawaii’s homegrown K-Pop boy band, will perform at 7 p.m. Oct. 28 at the Joseph Rider Farrington Auditorium at Farrington High School.
Also performing, B.E.T., and Augie T, an FHS grad. The event is a fundraiser for www. bravehawaii.com.
The event is part of the October celebration of NationalAnti-Bullying Month.
A fundraiser for www.bravehawaii October is National Anti-Bullying Month 100% will go to fund community and school programs as well scholarships.
Tickets: $30 VIP, including a meet and greet; $20 lower level and $15 upper level.
A hospital is a hotel for broken bodies, I’m discovering.
When you check in, you leave your attitudes and anxieties outside and forget about your worries and embarrassments! Toss out modesty, too~
And oh, no underwear allowed, too.
I’ve been in Queen’s Medical Center for a week, not by choice but necessity, and I’m blessed with having a team of 10 or so doctors monitoring my situation, with supported by a very devoted and helpful staff of nurses.
I was broken, and needed fixing.
The day I was wheeled in via an ER ambulance on Aug. 11, I didn’t realize the cause or seriousness of the health; the doctors helped solve the mystery through X-Rays and Cat scans. The problem:
I developed abscesses in my liver and gall bladder and the treatment included draining both gooey messes. Now, when I go home, I will still have drains next to my right rib cage. Surgery to remove the ball bladder might be an option, but will have to wait.
Patience and perseverance will be required, since treatment and healing have to best buddies to resolve this problem.
A hospital also is like an opera and a drama. There’s a lot or orchestrated treatments and roles, with blood drawn and tested, and a chorus of liquid drips, including antibiotics.
The roles are plentiful and varied, most performed by a corps of nurses, both male and female, who arouse you in the wee hours to dispense your meds, or bring you extra blankets amid frigid nocturnal corridors.
In theatrical terms, they are dressed in chic work uniforms in stunning hues, from black to baby blue, from purple to dark green, from hot pink to olive green, and more.
Last night, the hospital’s fire alarm screamed for an hour and 10 minutes, the second day for this fire drill faux pas to happen. Life moved on like nothing happened.
There was a fella down the hall, I could only hear, not see. Mostly during the evenings, he would moan a mantra probably only he could understand.
There are many house rules; you don’t get to decide what you’ll wear, so yep, the noble hospital gown, with backside open to show your derriere, is the only garment you wear. So you get used to it.
if you cannot walk normally, buzz for your needs. In my case, a therapist on my team mandates I use the walker to go to the bathroom, or move from bed to a chair for meals. I cannot eat meals in bed; the logic being, I need to regain my awareness of the need to re-evaluate my life at home.
On several mornings, he’d visit the room and we’d walk the walk in the corridors together, engraining in my mind how to properly navigate with the walker. The secret: with arms on both sides of the device, your legs and body must be close to the front of the walker, the best way to avoid a fall. He asked how many shows I saw in New York, and he couldn’t believe it.
My doctors clearly have bright minds and know how to put the puzzle together. You know the old adage but not being to read a legible doctor’s prescription? Kinda true; there’s a daily chalk board of sort lists the daily nurses attending to me; the docs scribble instructions in shorthand, I can’t fathom what’s what.
OK, this is a revelation. The hospital has no shower in the rooms, so nurses wipe you down, with brisk moves like they’re washing a car, from top to down there. I cringed a bit, the first I had this bath. Now, it’s part of my daily routine.
I’ve eaten more heart-healthy meals since becoming a patient. You can order breakfast for lunch or vice versa, but I highly recommend the Angus on a bun with lettuce and cheese, the chicken jook, the chicken salad sandwich, and the roast park. Fruit faves: watermelon and pineapple, and have not yet a veggie salad I like. Forget the bagel, bad! The waffles can be had with low-cal syrup, and the wedge of haupia is ono. But skip the so-called ice cream; like bad ice cakes on a stick, but an assortment jello and puddings fulfill a sweet tooth. You order in advance, but even with a late, you’ll get it anytime.
So an update; I’ve not crossed that bump in the read yet, so I’ll likely be bedding here for another two daysl Around here, you take one step at a time, one day at a time. There can’t be a tomorrow if there’s no today or yesterday. Every day matters…
The I’m a Bright Kid Foundation will commemorate the 60th anniversary of a true theatrical legend, the late Ronald Bright, with a special show at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 2 at the Ron Bright Theatre on the campus of Castle High School.
Bright was the beloved teacher-director, who not only instilled the love and tradition of the stage to hundreds of youthful actors with his productions, but broadened his popularity by building a loyal community of theater-goers, initially at the Castle gym, but later at the Castle Theatre now named after him.
The show be a musical jointly produced by IABKF and the Castle Performing Arts Center.
Bright, pictured below, was the founder of the arts center and director of all the musicals staged at Castle before he retired; 2023 would have been his 60th anniversary of mounting Castle shows.
The date is significant, too, coinciding with what will be Mr. B’s 90th birthday. He was born Sept. 2, 1933 and died at age 81 on July 7, 2015.
The nature and content of the production has not yet been revealed, but likely will include tributes linked with songs and dances from iconic musicals that helped shape Mr. B’s legacy. But surely, somebody — even the full ensemble – will render his trademark tune, “If You Believe” (from “The Wiz”) — which has been a powerful and perfect mantra to perpetuate his memory.
IABKF will also present “An Evening of Rodgers and Hammerstein Classics,” its fall musical attraction, at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 29 and 30 and 4 p.m. Oct. 1 at Paliku Theatre at Windward Community College. The venue is where Bright continued to direct musicals that were on his bucket list: “Les Miserables,” “The Phantom of the Opera,” and “Miss Saigon.”
Numbers from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s legacy shows, comprising “Sound of Music,” “Oklahoma!,” “South Pacific” and “The King and I,” will be featured in the Paliku show.
Tickets: For “Celebrate 60!,” $20 adults, $10 students; for “Rodgers and Hammerstein,” $17 to $32, at www.imabrightkid.org/tickets
‘Moana” star Cravalho tackles ‘Evita’
Auli‘i Cravalho, pictured below, the voice of Moana in Disney’s animated film “Moana,” just completed singing the title role of Eva Peron in“Evita” in a concert version of the hit musical, July 31 and Aug. 1 at London’s Royal Drury Lane.
It was her West End debut.
A concert version of a Broadway musical generally means a full cast performs the show, with minimal costumes and few sets, if any, but supported by a large orchestra to enhance the “concert” element.
The 30-piece London Musical Theatre Orchestra provided the music.
Her co-star as Che Guevara was Matt Rawle, who played the role in a London revival of the Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice musical. …
Broadway grosses, week ending July 30
The leaders of the Broadway pack still top the charts, as summer biz continues. And two shows posted more than. $2 million!
The Lucky 7:
1–“The Lion King,” $2.813 million.
2– “Wicked,” $2.139 million.
3 — “Hamilton,” $1.873 million.
4 — “Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” $1.774 million.
5 — “Funny Girl,”: $1.672 million,
6 — “Aladdin,” $1.619 milliion.
7 — “MJ, the Michael Jackson Musical,” $1.598 million.
“This Is Me,” an I’m a Bright Kid Foundation (IABKF) youth-centric musical, is a declaration of incandescence, featuring teens who spent several weeks learning the essence of the theatrical experience.
Playing four times only – Friday night, Saturday afternoon and evening, and at 2 p.m. Sunday (July 30) at the Paliku Theatre at the Windward Community College — “This Is Me” is profoundly and personally a reflection of growing up, mixing appropriate tunes mirroring each kid’s take on the why’s and how’s of crossing the bridge from kid to teens, while simultaneously shaping a live show in a legitimate performance space.
Mentored by a dedicate corps of teachers, the kids express their “me” in the mentoring process, singing, dancing, and enacting what ultimately is a memorable shared experience in the making of a show.
The I’m a Bright Kid Foundation’s youthful cast : all shapes and sizes.
Oh, what charm and fun. There is no single star in this shimmering galaxy; all lads and lasses are equals and bring singular bursts of joy in declaring their individual “me.” The 40-plus in the ensemble come in all ages and sizes, with varying degrees of experience on stage, and it’s exhilarating when the entire troupers are whirling, kicking, dancing with cyclonic strength, bodies moving in circles of energy.
Diversity is an undercurrent, with a mixed plate of voices and faces – white, black, Asian and surely hapa-this or that — which distinguishes the show’s sheen and style.
Led by artistic director Jade Stice, herself an accomplished stage professional and backed by a team of musical (David James Boyd), vocal (Moku Durant, Sarahlea Kekuna) and choreographic (Lisa Herlinger-Thompson, Annie Yoshida) adult directors, the show is an IABKF trademark.
Youthful participants in grades 3 to 12 interpret a number of known and not-so-famous tunes with kaleidoscopic vigor, yielding a genuine, heart-tugging reflection of growing up amid the angst and aspirations of finding their place in life’s journey.
Some kids are terrific singers, others not so accomplished, but certainly eager to share and try, best exhibited in Colbie Callait’s “Try,” fueled with wistful wonderment. The tone is try, but don’t overdo the effort; do the best you can.
“Landslide,” the Fleetwood Mac entry, features a trio of older girls (Faith Morrow, Zoe Naso, Moana Simmons) taking turns with a trio of younger girls (Alana French, Aria Kuboyama, Kamren Neste) synchronizing voices and perspectives about girlhood.
“I’ll Stand by You,” a song by The Pretenders, is a joyous buddy number, delivered with powerful sense of loyalty, by Ezekiel Kekuna and Ezra Kekuna, with Oziah Wurlitzer on keyboard.
One of the hysterically funny numbers is a rap/hip-hop take on Eminem’s “Lose Yourself,” with Noe Kaimu loa, the Kekuna brothers, Damian Mendez and keyboarder Wurlitzer gyrating with obvious joy and intensity.
Similarly, the kids are in vogue with a mashup of “Express Yourself” and “Born This Way,” putting their youthful harmonies and movements to the Madonna and Lady Gaga signatures.
“Me” matters in “This Is Me.” This is a rehearsal shot. (Courtesy IABKF)
A series of “I Am” monologues interspersed within the larger production numbers, with single or group revelations about hope, fear, loves, hates and other challenging idiosyncrasies of teenhood.
The show’s title tune – the soul-moving, self-assuring song popularized by local girl Keala Settle in the Hugh Jackson musical film, “The Greatest Show,” is the perfect vehicle to bring out the best of the cast. Every “me” matters. The concept of the summer musical is the seventh in the IABKF series, led by Allan Lau, a dedicated fulltime teacher and the theater group’s current president. David James Boyd, the morning program director, helped shape the daytime sessions with the youngsters that evolved into the cast now doing the show. Ligaya Stice, sister of Jade, is the IABKF executive director, who continues to run the office and makes certain the spirit and inspiration of the late Ron Bright continue to be the lightning rod for developing future theater talent ….
And that’s Show Biz. …
‘This is Me’
A presentation of the I’m A Bright Kid Foundation, to perpetuate the legacy of the beloved teacher-director, Ron Bright
When: final performance at 2 p.m. today (July 30)
Where: Paliku Theatre, at the Windward Community College
Consolidated Theatre’s abrupt announcement that it was shutting down the multi-plex at the Koko Marina Shopping Center is disheartening but not surprising.
The facility opened on July 6, 1984, as a twin theater but evolved into an eight-screen suburban film house on Oct. 1, 1999.
I saw “Oppenheimer” last Sunday and “Barbie” last night.
Business was scanty, but let’s face it: Koko Marina merchants have been making a quick exit.
There were clear hints that a shutdown was coming:
The concession stand has not been restocking candy; last night, when I got that free combo pack of a small soda, small popcorn, and a choice of a box of sweets, there was no choice but Raisenets. I liked Goobers best, but that’s not been an option for months. And the Butterfingers also was out.
Last Sunday, three or four of the smaller screen theaters had broken air-conditions, with a warning posted at the ticket desk.
Last night, there were four or five urinals in the men’s restroom that were covered with plastic and signage that said they were broken.
The theater has not utilized its usual box office for ticketing; when the indoor door was open, I could see piles of boxes and debris galore. It’s simpler, I guess, to do biz from that concession space.
Koko Marina Theatres’ closure not surprising.
Clearly, Consolidated has let the theaters deteriorate over time. Koko Marina was not part of the re-imaging of the cinema experience, with lounge seating. Costly, for sure, but an indicator that East Oahu has not been a priority. Even the nameplate outside was not functioning for quite a while (the lights were out for the numeral 8) but repaired recently.
So, the closure on Sunday is sad but part of the reality at Koko Marina.
Assaggio also closes its doors Sunday. Zippy’s beat ‘em to the punch, eliminating the dining room and only doing take-out. Ben Franklin pulled out several doors down from the theater, and a game room biz tried to make a go there but couldn’t.
A string of tenants, from Al Phillips and around the corner to the UPS store (it’s still open), had leak and mold issues, so are history.
I’ve been doing my community best to patronize merchants at the center – dined at the Kona Brewing Company last night and Harbor Village, the Chinese-food restaurant tucked away on the unseen side of Koko Marina last Tuesday – since it’s important to support your area merchants. The still-in-construction restaurant next to Assaggio faces a dismal future, with many dark spots, like Fatboys across the way. Moena Café seems to be holding out, with its niche audience.
Roy’s following is steady, and its 35-year run down the street at the Hawaii Kai Towne Center is admirable. Scratch, at the former Outback Steakhouse site, is struggling with a menu that is not appealing and pricey.
But the big blow is the shuttering of the movie theater. Consolidated is offering $7 tickets and free popcorn Friday through Sunday’s closing, but it’s too little too late.
Will the Sunday church services be pau after the shutdown? Could Consolidated do what Zippy’s did, and operate only certain screening rooms? What do you do with a space with lots of seats but broken toilets? Will other businesses open and tap the space for other purposes?
Perhaps theater groups – stage attractions – can find a way to build stages and dressing rooms to do live musicals and plays, with rentals based on use?
Just wondering and hoping the space doesn’t just sit and wait for the destruction…
HJQ performing at Beerworks
John Kolivas (pictured right) and his HonoluluJazz Quartet will perform from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Aug. 7 at the Honolulu Beerworks, at 328 Cooke Street in Kakaako
The group will be celebrating its recent Na Hoku Hanohano Award for Jazz Album of the Year.
There is no cover charge or minimum but seating is limited. …
Broadway + four-part harmonies
The Sounds of Aloha, the barbershop quart group, will stage “Broadway Over the Years,” at 7:33 p.m. Aug.12 at the Hawaii Theatre.
Guest star Shari Lynn (pictured left) will be a featured attraction, opening the second act of the program.
After Hours, an international award-winning barbershop quartet, also will be on the roster.
