Category: Show Biz

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SCHERZINGER SET FOR ‘SUNSET BLVD’

Hawaii actress-singer Nicole Scherzinger will be ready for her film closeup when she stars as Norma Desmond, a silent movie star struggling with the arrival of talkies, in a West End revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit musical, “Sunset Boulevard.”

Scherzinger, pictured below, is no stranger to Lloyd Webber productions. She earlier played Grizabella in a London version of the  musical, “Cats.”

The “Sunset Boulevard” reboot will open in September in the midst of the 30th anniversary of the show, to be staged at the Savoy Theatre in London, directed by Jamie Lloyd.

Lloyd Webber said of Scherzinger, “Nicole is one of the finest singers I have worked with, and I can’t wait to get started on this exciting show with her and the rest of this brilliant team.”

The Desmond role, echoing the life and times of silent movie star Gloria Swanson when she was facing the transition to movie talkies, has a storied past. Patti LuPone originated the role in London, Glenn Close starred in Los Angeles and later on Broadway in New York.

Scherzinger also played Grace in “Annie Live!,” a revival of “Annie,” and voiced the Sina character in Disney’s animated “Moana.”  She also starred in ABC’s update of “Dirty Dancing.” …

‘Bad’ news for Andrew Lloyd Webber

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Bad Cinderella,” an unlikely interpretation of the legendary fairytale, is shutting down June 4 at the Imperial Theatre in New York.

The closure, and a brief four-month run, is not surprising.

Lloyd Webber, pictured right, has had a golden run on Broadway for nearly 45 years of triumphs. Thus, his reign is over, since his biggie, “The Phantom of the Opera,” finally has left the building known as the Majestic Theatre. The grand master of British musical has had bad luck this year, when “Cinderella” ticket sales soured, and worse, the show earned zero Tony nominations but amassed mostly bad reviews.

Lloyd Webber’s storied success, which began with “Evita” in 1979, generated a tidal wave of British blockbusters transferred to Broadway from the West End, including his “Cats,” with humans as felines; “Starlight Express,” with actors as railroad cars; “Sunset Boulevard,” about the reclusive and wilting Hollywood silent-film actress battling the arrival of talkies; “Jesus Christ, Superstar,”  a rock opera about the religious icon; “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” with a hero with a multi-hued coat; and “School of Rock,” about  youngsters rocking it out with their school teacher.

A sequel to “Phantom,” with the masked one relocated at Coney Island, never made it to the Great White Way, but in Lloyd Webber’s prime, his stage successes also commanded more Brit imports from the West End to Broadway, including “Les Miserables” and “Miss Saigon.”

Ah, memories….

New g.m. at Chamber Music Hawaii

Christopher Cabrera is the new general manager of Chamber Music Hawaii. He is both a musician and an educator, serving as associate principal timpanist and section percussionist with the Hawaii Symphony orchestra, and serves as a community outreach instructor with the Hawaii Youth Symphony.

Additionally, Cabrera is a board member for the Musicians’ Association of Hawaii, Local 677, American Federation of Musicians and serves as chair of the symphony’s orchestra committee. …

And that’s Show Biz. …

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WRITERS’ STRIKE JEOPARDIZES TONYS

The 2023 Tony Awards, set for June 11 in New York, are in jeopardy.

Unless the Writers Guild of America strike is settled in the next few weeks, the planned telecast on CBS won’t happen.

The American Theatre Wing and Broadway League, two sponsors of the annual awards fest, are huddling about what to do.

They sought a waiver to enable the show to proceed, with no success. If the event is held without some agreement for a green-light, it’s likely that nominees and presenters would not attend, since that would be crossing the line.

No pact, no presence of keen participants. So talks evidently will continue.

The Tonys are Broadway’s biggest promotional opportunity.

So what are potential options and effects?

The strike settlement would mean business as usual.

The Tonys could be postponed till after the strike is over and writers go back…to writing. Delaying the show is nothing new; during the first year of the pandemic, the Tonys were shelved till later. The 2020 event was pushed back to the fall of 2021, after theaters reopened after the COVID crisis.

The Tonys are the Broadway community’s largest promotional tool. Winning shows would see a burst of  ticket sales. Winning actors and other aspects of play production would get a boost in popularity and likely a jump in salary.

New plays or musicals, in particular, need the exposure from the Tonys; without the show, the struggling productions would have to shut down.

The New York Times reports that four of the five nominees for Best New Musicals are not filling seats to cover the production costs each week, and  all nominees could get a jump in box office sales. Even a nominee that doesn’t win usually gets a boost if a production number performed live on the Tony show connects with viewers at home.

If the strike lingers, theaters would remain dark for the duration of the walk-out; the 2007 WGA strike lasted more than three months, resolved in 2008.

So the stakes are large, and producers are trying to figure out a path to success…or an end to the strike. …

Broadway grosses, week ending May 7

“Sweeney Todd, the Demon of Fleet Street” is moving on up; it’s now in the No. 2 slot of the week’s top-grossing shows.

Thus, the Top 7 rankings look like this:

1 – “The Lion King,” $1.961 million.

2 – “Sweeney Todd,” 1.826 million.

3—“Hamilton,” $1.778 million.

4 – “MJ, the Musical,” $1.653 million.

5 – “Wicked,” $1.484 million.

6 – “Funny Girl,”  $1.448 million.

7 – “Moulin Rouge,” $1.250 million.

The weekly list, courtesy The Broadway League:

And that’s Show Biz. …

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JIM LINKNER, RECORDING PIONEER, DIES

Jim Linkner, a prolific mover-and-shaker of Hawaii’s recording community, died May 6 in his sleep in his Kailua home. He was in his late 70s.

His son, Dylan Linkner, confirmed his dad’s passing on social media.

“On May 6, my dad peacefully went in his sleep and left us physically. But this man’s spirit will live on forever. (He was) Truly a legend in many aspects of his life, husband, father, grandfather, music producer, mentor, joke teller, storyteller, and friend,” Dylan stated, creating a tapestry of a beloved and versatile figure.

Jim Linkner, pictured above, was also a pioneering and influential behind-the-scenes force at a time five decades ago when Hawaiian music was bubbling in a renaissance in island culture, helping shape the islands with streams of joyous Hawaiian songs. If you check your aging vinyl LPs, 45s, and CDs, his name is likely to pop up amid the credits and define a spark of inspired genius.

Linkner was the right person for the right time, to boost and explore the mele of Hawaii. The artists benefitted, providing tracks for island radio, enabling emerging performers to break out  and find gigs at Waikiki hotels as the hospitality industry also was shaping its future.

Linkner’s  collaboration with Keali‘i Reichel, a Maui-based kumu hula who had a beautiful and undiscovered voice in the Hawaiian strain as well in selected pop tunes, perhaps was his most stunning achievement. Linkner produced and engineered such chart-topping albums like “Kawaipunahele,” “E O Mai,” “Ke’alaokamaile”  and “Melelana,” and helped make Reichel one of the most compelling island acts.

“Jim was our mentor, our business partner and our friend,” said Reichel and his life and business partner Fred Krause, in a joint statement. “Since tracking him down in 1994 to ask if heʻd record an unknown Kumu Hula from Maui, Jim has been at our side as an integral partner in Punahele Productions. Without Jimʻs experience and creativity as producer and engineer, we donʻt think anyone outside our families would have heard Kawaipunahele. We are grateful for his unwavering support, technical skill in the studio and his loving friendship. He was family and he will be missed dearly.”

His remarkable discography tapped a spectrum of other island talent, including Robert Cazimero, Ledward Kaapana, Irmgard Aluli and Puamana, Nina Keali‘iwahama and Charles K.L. Davis, Frank DeLima, Melveen Leed, The Krush, Karen Keawehawai‘i and scores more.

One of his treasures – a compilation disc,  entitled “Hawaii’s Greatest Contemporary Classics,” released in 1987 – had an all-star track list including Jerry Santos and Olomana, Cecilio and Kapono, Keola and Kapono Beamer, Gabby Pahinui and the Sons of Hawaii, Nohelani Cypriano, Jay Larrin, The Sunday Manoa featuring Robert and Roland Cazimero plus Peter Moon, and The Makaha Sons. The CD reflected the pulse of an artistic volcano, with a dynamite roster of troupers.

While his finger was mostly on the pulse of island songs, Linkner also had an earlier life as an event promoter, an active member of the Elks, and in more recent times, a former president of HARA, the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts, which produces the annual awards show. His work as a recording engineer and producer spanned the decades and earned him two fistfuls of Hoku awards – 17 at last count.

Circulation problems – he had his right leg amputated – curtailed his activities in recent years.

 “Our family is okay and appreciates everyone’s condolences and prayers,” Dylan continued. “But knowing my dad, he would appreciate you not mourning his exit but sharing your best story/time with him. So, feel free to share. We love you dad and we know you are having fun up there in the heavens.” …

And that’s Show Biz. …

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‘KE NUI’ RETITLED ‘RESCUE: HI-SURF’

Same show, different title.

Fox has secured the rights to “Rescue: HI-Surf,” a straight-to-series drama about the lifeguard culture on Oahu’s North Shore, with Emmy-winning TV veteran John Wells (pictured below) producing for an anticipated 2023-24 debut.

It’s the same series earlier entitled “Ke Nui Road,”  the name of  that short stretch of beachfront road on Oahu, where dangerous but signature surfing meets have been held for decades. For the past year or so, HBO Max was scheduled to produce the show, albeit with a title that would be meaningless for viewers outside of Hawaii.

Mike Kester, who  was associated with “Animal Kingdom,” is riding the new wave of production, serving as writer, executive producer, and showrunner of “Rescue: HI-Surf.”  The show could become a cult favorite, with first-responding lifeguards pegged to recreate the treacherous high waves that challenge both surfers and  rescuers in the waters sometimes called Hawaii’s Seven Mile Miracle.

Wells, a six-time Emmy winner, will direct the first two episodes of “Rescue,’” which will mark his first series in more than a decade. He is well known for earlier directing NBC’s popular medical show, “ER.” “Rescue” will be his first series for Fox.

According to Fox, Kester has been a sometimes island resident. “I’ve lived on the North Shore of Oahu for most of my life, and these are our heroes, the most extraordinary extreme athletes anywhere,” said Kester. …

Miles is lone local Tony nominee

Ruthie Ann Miles (pictured left), a former Honolulan, is the lone local nominated for a 2023 Tony Award. Ceremonies will be held June 11 originating from a new venue, the United Palace theaterDe in New York’s Washington Heights, with CBS carrying it live.
Miles is nominated for Featured Actress in a Musical, for her role as the Beggar Woman in the revival of “Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of  Fleet Street.”

She previously earned a Tony in the same category for her portrayal of Lady Thiang in the 2015 revival of “The King and I.”

She is a graduate of Kaimuki High School. …

Bree Kale‘a Peters dies

Sorry to report the death of Bree Kale‘a Peters (pictured below right), also widely remembered as Bree Bumatai, who lost her battle with cancer a few days ago. Little has been said or shared at this point, but Manoa Valley Theatre, her last employer  in Honolulu before she relocated to the Big Island, posted this terse but fitting tribute on its Facebook page:

“The theatre is a ghost light. It never goes out. It burns brightly, illuminating the empty stage long after the actors have gone home.” Today Mānoa Valley Theatre mourns the loss of longtime ‘ohana member Bree Kale’a Peters. She was light. She was laughter. She was love. And we were all better for having known and loved and been inspired by her. Your legacy will live on through every actor and crew member who steps on our stage. And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.”

I met her years ago, and frequently wrote about her accomplishments, from the time she was  known as Karen Brilliande, then later as Karen Bumatai, before she became Bree. She was an active, prolific theatrical light, on stage and off, as an actress, a director, and an over-all theatrical advocate.

She was brave and inspirational, as her Facebook friends and theater colleagues will attest, openly sharing her ups and downs with chemo, and earned support and prayers with her endearing postings. Her last one said she was going into hospice care, anticipating her flight with the angels, always with a gentle breeze of hope. …

Broadway grosses, for week ending April 30

With “The Phantom of the Opera” now in the history books, it’s business as usual on Broadway, and the lion’s roar is at the pinnacle.

The Tony nominations are out, so it’s possible that the newbie shows will start appearing in the weekly summation, provided by The Broadway League. We only list The Lucky 7 each week, and the diehards rule. Only one new musical, “Parade,” managed to find a spot on the Top 10. At No. 10.

Here’s the lineup this week:

1 – “The Lion King,” $2.155 million.

2 – “Hamilton,” $1.809 million.

3 – “Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” $1.783 million.

4 – “Wicked,” $1.732 million.

5 – “MJ, the Musical,” $1.619 million.

6 – “Funny Girl,” $1.580 million.

7 – “Aladdin,” $1.461 million.

The full list:

And that’s Show Biz. …

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EXHILARATING LEI DAY FROM CAZIMERO

Lei Day is over, but the buzz remains.

And if Robert Cazimero, the eminent kumu hula, singer, composer, and pianist, is at the helm, exhilaration is part of his game plan.

The May Day concert, on May 1 at the Bishop Museum lawn, was staged in a mammoth tent/structure capped with a stage depicting triangular swaths of white fabric evocative of boat sails. The concept included dining tables and chairs for the VIP crowd, with exterior grass seating on the lawn and on the slopes of grass, like the old days.

Robert Cazimero, at his piano draped with plumeria lei.

Surely, folks in attendance today are talking about the grand, newish workspace that is temporary but looks permanent. On a plain, this gizmo could be godsend, with open-air charm.

So, the evening was a superb blend of hula kahiko and auana, with Cazimero as the skipper and Keauhou (Zachary Lum,  his brother Nicholas Lum and  fellow Kamehameha and University of Hawaii grad Kahanuola Solatorio ) as the house band, occasionally steel guitarist Jeff Au Hoy sitting in.

Na Kamalei gents render a hypnotic homage to The Mountain.

Nuggets from the awesome cultural evening:

  • Cazimero’s hula company, Halau Na Kamalei o Lililehua, continues to impress; they’re the rare kane halau which not only dances, but sings. Thus, the gents – often in full force of about 20 – provide vivid interpretations of the comedic (“I Want to Go Back to My Little Grass Shack,” with a wink to the hapa haole genre) to the hypnotic (“The Beauty of Mauna Kea,” with the lads dressed in black skirts from waist to feet, with a sliver of ti leaf as a simple necklace, in a showstopper homage to address the controversy about The Mountain).
  • With soloists Nina Keali‘iwahamana (pictured right), the beloved soprano with roots in the prolific Vickie I‘i Rodrigues family, and Jerry Santos (pictured below left), the endearing singer-guitarist-composer, in the house, a “first” was logged, with Cazimero, Keali‘iwahamana and Santos sharing their first-ever tune singing together on “E Kuu Sweet Lei Poina Ole.”  Naturally, the two kupuna vocalists also had a moment to render their own hit songs so Keali‘iwahamana  updated her “Silhouette Hula” and Santos his signature classic, “E Kuu Home O Kahaluu.”

Thus, it’s always a plus to have the positive and prolific vibes of the veterans of Hawaiian entertainers.

  • Agnes Renee Leihiwahiwaikapolionāmakua Thronas Brown (pictured, below right), 2023’s Miss Aloha Hula, was a guest soloist fresh from her Merrie Monarch Festival triumph, bringing not only her sleek, expressive style, but an aura of royalty to the evening, adding Lei Day Queen to her laurels, at least for this evening. And her reign, post Merrie Monarch, is off to a grand start with this credit.

Never will you every see strands and strands of yellow plumeria lei, which were draped on Cazimero’s white piano; yellow plumeria lei showed  up to accessorize several hula numbers. Cazimero wore his favorite lei, pikake, a generous assembly of strands galore, with the scent fueling his aloha.

Zachary Lum of Keauhou also has evolved as a savvy host and a genial commentator throughout the evening, expressing his and the brotherhood of the Lei Day cast’s desire to bring Lei Day beyond the shores of Hawaii. Like, there will be a belated Lei Day trek, with an abbreviated cast, to Japan this month.

Keauhou’s Zachary Lum, Kahanuola Solatorio and Nicholas Lum.

Cazimero’s dance soloists from the Royal Dance Company, and members of Hālau Ka Lehua Tuahine directed by kumu hula Ka‘ilihiwa Vaughn Darval, also performed.

Sponsorship is key to staging this kind of spectacle. Thus, mahalo to Hawaiian Airlines, for its title support and Kilohana for preserving and presenting Lei Day with focus on cultural traditions.  The nonprolific group, Kāhuli Leo Leʻa and its director Zachary Lum,  have demonstrated meaningful vision to shape and perpetuate Lei Day for future generations to come.  Cazimero (as The Brothers Cazimero, with the late Roland Cazimero) previously staged concerts inside the museum and did one outdoor Lei Day, without the tenting. It’s wonderful that he’s returned to presenting a true museum piece. 

Debbie Nakanelua-Richards and Billy V co-hosted, not just for the local crowd; the show was beamed locally and streamed for a global audience. Let the magic continue beyond the reefs of Hawaii …

And that’s Show Biz. …