Category: Show Biz

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CRAVALHO WILL VOICE ‘MOANA 2’

“Moana 2,” the animated sequel from Disney, will open in theaters on Nov. 27 this year.

The film originally was set to stream on Disney+, but the casting was vague  then,  mostly focusing on Dwayne Johnson repeating his role as Maui, the demi-god.

Auli‘i Cravalho,  the Kamehameha Schools student who voiced the original film when she was 14, earlier declined to continue as the titular character in the sequel, but ultimately returned to repeat the role that launched her film career.

Auli’i Cravalho, left, will recreate Moana’s voice, and will co-produce an upcoming live-action “Moana” film but won’t be in it.

“Moana 2” was directed by David G. Derek Jr., with music by Grammy winners Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, Grammy nominee Opetaia Foa’i and three-time Grammy winner Mark Mancina. 

Meanwhile, the  live action “Moana” also will emerge as a theatrical film, with the aforementioned Dwayne Johnson recreating his Maui role.

 A young actress has yet to be named to play Moana, since Cravalho would be too old now, to recreate her cartoon character. However, she will be an  exec producer of the live-action project, which will be directed by Thomas Kail, pictured left, of “Hamilton” fame, with casting still under way, and filming set from June to September in Atlanta . Johnson also will also earn co- producer credit.

 The live-action film is pegged to premiere June 27, 2025. …

Emme’s celebratory moment set for April 27

A Celebration of Life for Emme Tomimbang Burns is slated from 3 to 7 p.m. April 27 at the FilCom Center in Waipahu. Full details are still being finalized.

Tomimbang Burns died Feb. 19 at Queen’s Medical Center, while undergoing open heart surgery. She was 73 and a pioneering figure in the Filipino community, best known as a journalist and the producer, anchor and host of her TV magazine franchise, “Emme’s Island Moment”…

Broadway grosses, for week ending Feb. 25

“Wicked,” which has been bridesmaid to “The Lion King” for quite a spell, last week switched positions with the Disney show, claiming the No. 1 slot of top Broadway shows with grosses topping $2 million.

Here are the Top 10 grossing shows, courtesy The Broadway Guild:

1—”Wicked,” $2,017 million.

2—“The Lion King,” $2,004 million.

3—”Hamilton,” $1,876 million.

4—”Merrily We Roll Along,” $1,566 million.

5—”MJ The Musical,” $1,478 million.

6—”Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” $1,424 million.

7—”Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” $1,350 million.

8—”Aladdin,” $1,340 million.

9-“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” $1,298 million.

10—”& Juliet,” $1,137 million.

Here’s the full roster of the Broadway attractions:

And that’s Show Biz…

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 ‘JURASSIC WORLD IV’ TO FILM HERE

Watch out for roaring dinosaurs; they’ll soon  be roaming in Hawaii again.

“Jurassic World IV,” a Universal project, is in development and part of the film will be filmed in the islands again.

So, the terrorizing, chomping creatures will be before the cameras later this year.

The project will apparently be a total reboot of the franchise; it’s not a prequel, nor a sequel, but a newbie.

Thus, don’t expect to see familiar actors and actresses from previous casts and projects, unless there are flashbacks.

“Jurassic World IV” will be the seventh in the long-running franchise, following “Jurassic Park” (1993), “The Lost World: Jurassic Park” (1997), “Jurassic Park III” (2001), “Jurassic World “ (2015), “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” (2018), and “Jurassic World: Dominion” (2022).

Producers Frank Marshall and Patrick Cowley, who worked on the last three films, will return, but Steven Spielberg, still associated with the franchise since he directed the first “Jurassic Park” and “The Lost World,” will only be an executive producer. A director is not yet attached to the film…

More Bruno, with Silk Sonic, in Vegas

We posted recently that Hawaii’s Bruno Mars will do 12 shows this summer in Las Vegas.

But an update: He may also be involved, with  Anderson .Paak, his collaborator in R&B group, Silk Sonic, at the Dolby Live venue at the Park MGM Resort in Sin City.

“It’s happening!” Mars tweeted a few days back. “The sexiest party of the year! Them Silk Sonic Boyz are performing Live in Las Vegas!”

The Silk Sonic residency started Sunday  (Feb. 25) and will continue through April 2. If you’re Vegas bound, you might inquire at the MGM about specific show times and dates…

Around town…

The Shari Lynn Trio will do a one-nighter March 2 at Medici’s at Manoa Marketplace. It’s a familiar venue for Shari, who will be reunited with Jim Howard, pianist, and John Kolivas, bassist.

Shari (pictured) is hoping that the booking – her first time there in a long time — will materialize into a monthly gig again;  Medici’s used to be one-a-month stop for her. As her fans know, her repertoire is chicken soup for the soul, relying on old school favorites from the Great American Songbook, the files of jazz greats,  and the catalogue of Broadway melodies.

I would normally try to be there, but I don’t do stairs anymore, since I have a walker following surgery and other health issues. There is an elevator nearby at the shopping center, but it does not service Medici’s.

Dinner is served at 6 p.m., entertainment is from 7:30 to 10 p.m.

Tickets: $49, includes a served meal. Call (808) 351-0901…

And that’s Show Biz…

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BRUNO ADDS 12 SHOWS IN VEGAS

Bruno Mars (pictured below left) has extended his Las Vegas residency at Dolby Live at the Park MGM with limited playdates – only 12 more performances — later this summer. You know he’ll dish out a lively show, which will embrace his “Uptown Funk” brand and more.

His add-on shows will be on June 7, 8, 12, 14 and 15, and Aug. 20, 23, 24, 27, 28 and 31, and Sept. 1.

Ticket sales begin today (Feb. 23) and a swift sellout is anticipated. MGM Rewards members had a head start to purchase tickets yesterday…

Nyle Hallman services set

Memorial services for the Nyle Hallman (pictured right)   who died Feb. 19 at age 95, will be held March 23 at the sanctuary at Central Union Church. She was the co-founder, with her late husband, Roy Hallman, of the esteemed Honolulu Boy Choir. Visitation will be at 2 p.m., followed by services at 3 p.m.

An alumni continent of the Boy Choir will perform…

Who’s news

May Day for Kalani Pe‘a (pictured left) will be on Hawaiian time this year – the Lei Day event at the Hawaii Theatre  will be held at 7 p.m. May 4, instead of the usual May 1 playdate.

Weldon Kekauhoa will be guest star and Mele Apana host. The show will feature three hula halau: Halau Kawai‘ulaokala, Halau Ka Lei Mokihana ‘O Leina‘ala, and Halau ‘O Napuala‘ikauika‘iu. Tickets:$55 to $250, at www.hawaiitheatre.com or (808) 528-0506…

Singer-actress Mary Gutzi is visiting again, after completing a run in “Sister Act” in South Korea. Next stop for the musical comedy will be in Japan in July, and Gutzi will be rejoining the cast…

Broadway grosses, for week ending Feb. 18

It’s somewhat status quo on the Broadway front, with Disney’s “The Lion King” leading again — the lone show grossing over $2 million.

Top 10 grossing shows:

1–“The Lion King,” $2,004 million.

2–“Hamilton,” $1,961 million.

 3—”Wicked,”$1,933 million.

4—”Merrily We Roll Along,” $1,613 million.

 5—”MJ The Musical,” $1.565million.

 6—”Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” $1,502 million.

 7—”Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” $1,494 million.

8—”Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” $1,479 million,

9—”Aladdin,” $1,438 million.

10—”Back to the Future: The Musical,” $1,325 million.

The complete tally for the week, courtesy The Broadway Guild:

And that’s Show Biz…

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EMME TOMIMBANG BURNS DIES AT 73

Emme Tomimbang Burns, a beacon in Hawaii’s broadcast landscape, died Monday (Feb. 19) night at Queen’s Medical Center, while undergoing open heart surgery. She was 73.

A proud graduate of Farrington High School and a prominent figure in the Filipino community, she was the widow of Judge James S. Burns, who preceded her in death.

Best known as the producer and host of “Emme’s Island Moments,” Emme (pictured) — full first name Emmeline — was queen of Hawaii TV’s version of what is dubbed a “magazine show,” assembling show biz celebrities and notables in all walks of life.

Her “Emme” brand has been televised on all network affiliates, including KITV, KHON and KGMB, with screenings also on KFVE. She produced the productions and served as interviewer on all episodes.

Her idol was Oprah Winfrey, and she was inspired to put her own imprint on that genre.

She also was a philanthropist, supporting JABSOM, the James A. Burns School of Medicine, , named after  Gov. John A. Burns, her father-in-law.

Memorial services are pending…

Sneak peek at MVT’s new season

Manoa Valley Theatre has let the chat out of the bag.

Season ticket owners have learned that MVT’s 2024-2025 season will include three theatrical treasures:

  • “Parade,” a Tony Award-winning musical Alfred Uhry (book) and music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown. The show, fresh from a Broadway run earlier this year, starred Ben Platt. “Parade” is a true story about a dramatization of the 1913 trial and imprisonment, and 1915 lynching, of Jewish American Leo Frank in Georgia.
  • “Kim’s Convenience,” a comedy by Ins Choi,  about a Korean family operating a grocery store in Toronto’s Regent Park neighborhood.
  • “Side by Side by Sondheim,” a Stephen Sondheim musical which honors and celebrates the lyrical and tuneful artistry of the iconic Broadway composer, a favorite of the acting community.

Details of the complete new season will be forthcoming…

And that’s Show Biz…

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VIDA NEW BALLET HAWAII LEADER

Richard Vida, a veteran Broadway luminary, has been named as the new executive director of Ballet Hawaii.

A frequent visitor to Hawaii who has lived on Oahu briefly, Vida previously taught tap dance and musical theater at Ballet Hawaii.

“We have known Richard for many years and could not be luckier that he agreed to join our team,” said Susie Schull of Ballet Hawaii. “His background on Broadway and the performing arts is vast and covers every type of dance.”

Vida and his husband Bob Billig have called New York City their home where both have been active for decades (Billig is a musical conductor), and they have traveled extensively and had relocated to Connecticut. 

Vida, pictured, has had a diverse career,  not just as an actor, singer and dancer in theater, on TV and in films, and boasts credentials a guest artist, teacher, producer, and director…

Show breezes

Several popular island performers will be on the Hawaii Theatre stage in the weeks ahead.

The Hawaii Symphony Orchestra’s Hapa Symphony series will feature these acts:

  • Singer Paula Fuga, pictured, appears at 7:30 p.m. March 9.
  • Singer Robert Cazimero performs at 7:30 pm. April 20.
  • Ukulele artist  Jake Shimabukuro performs at 7:30 pm. May 18.

Tickets are priced from $10:50 to $99, at hawaiitheatre.com or (808) 528-0506…

Michael Weatherly (DiNozzo) and Mark Harmon (Leroy Jethro Gibbs) on “NCIS.”

Will DiNozzo and ‘NCIS’ regulars return?

The internet is a-buzz with a possible return of Michael Weatherly, the beloved  Tony DiNozzo from the original “NCIS” universe, which made him a star and producing director-producer Mark Harmon a legend as Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

Ten years since Weatherly departed the CBS procedural, he’s ready to return to the franchise for his last hurrah. Performers including Harmon likely will also return to the show (he’s been off the show for a couple of seasons) and possibly Ziva, played by Cote de Paulo, who exited the same time Weatherly did, could return.

Weatherly may have been the one to trigger the rumors, after he posted on X/Twitter his notion to reprise DiNozzo.

“There will be more DiNozzo someday because he is the one character that felt unfinished,” he said on X.

The NCIS franchise continues to expand via a Leroy Jethro Gibbs prequel series, which will feature familiar faces and potentially a few more.

“NCIS” is in the midst of its 21st season now. So it makes sense that the alums return to the show now.

First, Weatherly’s DiNozzo had unbeatable chemistry with Gibbs, and was the favorite of the NCIS leader, to target DiNozzo, with a slap on the head.

Second, Weatherly also had sizzle with agent Ziva and their relationship was hugely popular with viewers.

Third, now is the time for NCIS characters from the past, returning to pay homage and respect to David McCallum, who played Donald “Ducky” Mallard. who died last September. He played the chief medical examiner and the current series plans a tribute to Ducky, and it’s a smart way – and a ratings boost – that past colleagues return to say goodbye.

Surely, even Abby Sciuto, the forensic scientist  enacted by Pauley Perrette, would be a likely returnee, too.

CBS has remained mum about the return of any ex-cast members– for the goodbye to Ducky or for a cameo in the last season for the franchise’s mother ship original. The time is right for that elusive reunion…

And that’s Show Biz…