NO SEASON 5 FOR ‘MAGNUM P.I.’

CBS finally let the cat out of the bag and the message was somewhat of a surprise: No more than four.

Alas, “Magnum P.I.” – waiting for weeks for a green light – was shown the red/stop light yesterday (May 11) that a fifth season, which would have launched filming this summer, is off the books.

Thus, the May 6 episode – with co-stars Jay Hernandez as Thomas Magnum and Perdita Weeks as Juliet Higgins, exchaging smitten  “I like you” sentiments after kissing each other – was the season’s finale and the series’ ending.

Perdita Weeks and Jay Hernandez of “Magnum P.I.”

The cast has reason to be disappointed, perhaps the viewing fan base more so. The reboot of the original Tom Selleck-led procedural was far more popular, sustaining a 8-year run in the height of Hollywood discovering and setting up anchor to film episodic shows that depicted the sun, surf, and lifestyle – plus the rampant crime in paradise – that viewers all over the world watched. The foundation then was set by the Jack Lord-era of “Hawaii Five-0,” the first episodic crime-in-paradise CBS shot here, which lasted for 12 seasons.

The “Magnum” reboot originally was a Monday night show but shifted to a better night Friday before the shutdown. Ratings were pretty good – not great— dipping down to 7.4 million viewers and a 0.7 demographics rating in season 4, a skosh below numbers during Season 3. In recent years, ratings and demos no longer seemed as important or relevant during earlier decades, when the demos, based on advertising rates – the higher the demo ranking, the more it would cost for primetime ads — mattered more.

CBS still has one other island show, “NCIS: Hawai‘i,” which completed its first year of production, and the show, led by Vanessa Lachey as lead agent Jane Tennant, recently earned its season 2 go-ahead, with filming set for this summer for the fall season. Thus, the NCIS brand apparently still has life and luster.

Robbie Magasiva

Other shows aiming cameras here include Disney* “Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.” starring Perton Elizabeth Lee. and Jason Scott Lee, with season 2 filming set this summer;  and  HBO Max’s “Kenui Road,” a lifeguard lifestyle drama written and directed by John Wells and set on the North Shore with principals Robbie Magasiva, Andrew Creer and Tessa de Josselin, which has  a pilot in the can with air date not yet set. …

And that’s Show Biz. …

RAINBOW REIGNS IN MVT’S ‘CAMBODIAN’

Note: Since this review was posted, Manoa ValleyTheatre has extended “Cambodian Rock Band” through May 22. See MVT website for specifics.’

For me, the best thing about “Cambodian Rock Band” – playing through Sunday (May 15) — is that eye-filling, stage-expanding atmospheric set, designed by Michelle A. Bisbee. It depicts arcs of many hues of a ‘bow  that dominates the stage, with ribbons of stripes enveloping the band to the right side of the stage, reaching out to the other side, and even spilling over onto the floor decor of the stage. Credit, too, to scenic artist/properties designer Willie Sabel for making the environment pop.

The scenics attract the selfie crowd and iPhoners who aim and shoot before the show, at intermission, and after the final curtain. When the set gets that kind of scrutiny, it evolves as a “character” in the storytelling.

A rainbow-highlighted scenic is at the heart of Manoa Valley Theatre’s “Cambodia Rock Band.”

It’s a beautifully bewildering statement that perhaps serves as a mindful reminder of the rays that depict the changing moods of the players. There’s a desk and a bit of furniture on the left side of the stage but there’s no denying: this trip to Cambodia will be remembered for this stellar rainbow.

The “Cambodia Rock Band” cast: front, Brenda Caban and Kelsey Bachrens; rear, Kevin Vann, Adrian Khactu, Jason Nomura, Miki Yamamoto and Michael “Mickey” DeLara.

Depending on what your expectations might be, “Cambodian Rock Band” is a tad challenging. It’s a little-known contemporary rock musical (it had an off-Broadway run, plus an indie film release) with historical and political implications of Cambodia in the 1970s, yielding questions that test your appreciation of non-traditional theater where the actors perform on instruments, too.

The play, by Lauren Yee, was bumped from MVT’s 2020 season due to the COVID pandemic, so it’s a bit tardy but provides a refreshing burst of invention. MVT is the first to stage the show in the islands.

The drama-with-music is a melange of different tiers, from a family drama to a staged rock concert, from a possibly tormenting drama about genocide to a dose of Dengue Fever (not the ailment but the rock band). This is foreign history put into words and lyrics that enhance a hip tempo. But a “Hamilton” it’s not.

Yee’s work is frequently wavering, with periodic disturbing turns, about a fictional band running afoul of the Khmer Rouge and potential demise, and tosses political bones with the reliance of prevailing surf-rock California vibes aired on Cambodian radio, with some tunes in the native tongue.

Yet the show is a rarity, with all but one of the seven-member cast singing and acting while performing on instruments and four actors have dual roles. Because several tunes are rock-oriented, be aware that the volume is occasionally loud.

The ensemble sashays in alternating time warps from the mid-70s to 2008 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and the pearls are in the retrospective past, with costumer Kimmerie H.H. Jones fine-tuning the garb to reflect the era.

Neary (Kelsey Bachrens, attractive and agile) is a motivated American lawyer, who is a lead singer who delivers the Cambodian repertoire with authority; she is the daughter of Chum (Adrian Khactu, impressive as dad and a lead voice ), a Cambodian native, accused of being a spy and sent to prison.  Not surprisingly, they are at odds with generational viewpoints.

Pou (Micki Yamamoto, sweetly fragile ) also tackles vocal leads, with bandsmen Ted (Michael “Mickey” Delara, dependable and comforting), Leng (Kevin Yann, fashionably young-spirited) and Rom (Jason Nomura, versatile) is the reigning musical director).

Duch (Brandon Caban, effective and sardonic) is the narrator/antagonist with a powerful grin.

This isn’t a production where you’ll be humming a tune as you head home, but a whimsical “Old Pot Still Cooks Good Rice” and “Champa Battambang” might be titles you’ll cheer. And a Bob Dylan tune also is tucked into the soundtrack.

There are a few ironic twists as the denouement sheds light on relationships, so be aware.

 Remaining shows: 7:30 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday, May 12) and Friday (May 13), 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday (May 14) and 3:30 p.m. Sunday (May 15).

Tickets: $22 to $40

Reservations: (808) 988-6131) or www.manoavalleytheatre.com

And that’s Show Biz. …

LONE TONY NOMINEE FROM HAWAII

Kevin McCollum, a former Honolulan and a veteran Broadway producer, is the lone Tony nominee with Hawaii ties competing as a producer of “Six – The Musical,” which is vying in eight categories this year.

McCollum also is a producer of “Mrs. Doubtfire,” the new musical nominated for one award  – –Rob McClure, for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. McCollum’s previous Tony wins include such hits as “Rent,” “Avenue Q” and “In the Heights.”

Kevin McCollum

By nomination numbers, “A Strange Loop” leads the pack with 11 nods, followed by “MJ” and “Paradise Square” with 10, “Company” with nine, and “The Lehman Trilogy” and “Six” with eight.

The Tony Awards will be staged June 12, in two parts: the main three-hour broadcast, live via CBS from Radio City Music Hall, will be preceded by an awards special hour via Paramount+.

Since most Hawaii folks are not frequent Broadway visitors who might be acclimated to nominated shows or talent, we thought a rundown of the 2022 nominees might be a helpful guide.

The complete list of the 2022 Tony nominees:

Best New Musical

“Girl From the North Country”

“MJ”

“Six — The Musical” has an Islander among the producers.

“Mr. Saturday Night”

“Paradise Square”

“Six: The Musical”

“A Strange Loop”

Best Musical Revival

“Caroline, or Change”

“Company”

“The Music Man”

Best New Play

“Clyde’s”

“Hangmen”

“The Lehman Trilogy”

“The Minutes”

“Skeleton Crew”

Best Play Revival

“American Buffalo”

“For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/ When the Rainbow Is Enuf”

“How I Learned to Drive”

“Take Me Out”

“Trouble in Mind”

Best Book of a Musical

Christina Anderson, Craig Lucas and Larry Kirwan, “Paradise Square”

Billy Crystal, Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, “Mr. Saturday Night”

Michael R. Jackson, “A Strange Loop”

Conor McPherson, “Girl From the North Country”

Lynn Nottage, “MJ”

Best Original Score

“Flying Over Sunset,” music by Tom Kitt; lyrics by Michael Korie

“Mr. Saturday Night,” music by Jason Robert Brown; lyrics by Amanda Green

“Paradise Square,” music by Jason Howland and Larry Kirwan; lyrics by Nathan Tysen and Masi Asare

“Six: The Musical,” music and lyrics: Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss

“A Strange Loop,” music and lyrics: Michael R. Jackson

Best Direction of a Play

Lileana Blain-Cruz, “The Skin of Our Teeth”

Camille A. Brown, “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/ When the Rainbow Is Enuf”

Sam Mendes, “The Lehman Trilogy”

Neil Pepe, “American Buffalo”

Les Waters, “Dana H.”

Best Direction of a Musical

Stephen Brackett, “A Strange Loop”

Marianne Elliott, “Company”

Conor McPherson, “Girl From the North Country”

Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage, “Six: The Musical”

Christopher Wheeldon, “MJ”

Best Leading Actor in a Play

Simon Russell Beale, “The Lehman Trilogy”

Adam Godley, “The Lehman Trilogy”

Adrian Lester, “The Lehman Trilogy”

David Morse, “How I Learned to Drive”

Sam Rockwell, “American Buffalo”

Ruben Santiago-Hudson, “Lackawanna Blues”

David Threlfall, “Hangmen”

Best Leading Actress in a Play

Gabby Beans, “The Skin of Our Teeth”

LaChanze, “Trouble in Mind”

Ruth Negga, “Macbeth”

Deirdre O’Connell, “Dana. H”

Mary-Louise Parker, “How I Learned to Drive”

Best Leading Actor in a Musical

Billy Crystal, “Mr. Saturday Night”

Myles Frost, “MJ”

Hugh Jackman, “The Music Man”

Rob McClure, “Mrs. Doubtfire”

Jaquel Spivey, “A Strange Loop”

Best Leading Actress in a Musical

Sharon D Clarke, “Caroline, or Change”

Carmen Cusack, “Flying Over Sunset”

Sutton Foster, “The Music Man”

Joaquina Kalukango, “Paradise Square”

Mare Winningham, “Girl From the North Country”

Best Featured Actor in a Play

Alfie Allen, “Hangmen”

Chuck Cooper, “Trouble in Mind”

Jesse Tyler Ferguson, “Take Me Out”

Ron Cephas Jones, “Clyde’s”

Michael Oberholtzer, “Take Me Out”

Jesse Williams, “Take Me Out”

Best Featured Actress in a Play

Uzo Aduba, “Clyde’s”

Rachel Dratch, “POTUS”

Kenita R. Miller, “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/ When the Rainbow Is Enuf”

Phylicia Rashad, “Skeleton Crew”

Julie White, “POTUS”

Kara Young, “Clyde’s”

Best Featured Actor in a Musical

Matt Doyle, “Company”

Sidney DuPont, “Paradise Square”

Jared Grimes, “Funny Girl”

John-Andrew Morrison, “A Strange Loop”

A.J. Shively, “Paradise Square”

Best Featured Actress in a Musical

Jeannette Bayardelle, “Girl From the North Country”

Shoshana Bean, “Mr. Saturday Night”

Jayne Houdyshell, “The Music Man”

L Morgan Lee, “A Strange Loop”

Patti LuPone, “Company”

Jennifer Simard, “Company”

Best Scenic Design of a Play

Beowulf Boritt, “POTUS”

Es Devlin, “The Lehman Trilogy”

\Anna Fleischle, “Hangmen”

Michael Carnahan and Nicholas Hussong, “Skeleton Crew”

Adam Rigg, “The Skin of Our Teeth”

Best Scenic Design of a Musical

Beowulf Boritt and 59 Productions, “Flying Over Sunset”

Bunny Christie, “Company”

Arnulfo Maldonado, “A Strange Loop”

Derek McLane and Peter Nigrini, “MJ”

Allen Moyer, “Paradise Square”

Best Costume Design of a Play

Montana Levi Blanco, “The Skin of Our Teeth”

Sarafina Bush, “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/ When the Rainbow Is Enuf”

Jane Greenwood, “Plaza Suite”

Jennifer Moeller, “Clyde’s”

Emilio Sosa, “Skeleton Crew”

Best Costume Design of a Musical

Fly Davis, “Caroline, or Change”

Toni-Leslie James, “Paradise Square”

William Ivey Long, “Diana, the Musical”

Santo Loquasto, “The Music Man”

Gabriella Slade, “Six: The Musical”

Paul Tazewell, “MJ”

Best Lighting Design of a Play

Joshua Carr, “Hangmen”

Jiyoun Chang, “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/ When the Rainbow Is Enuf”

Jon Clark, “The Lehman Trilogy”

Jane Cox, “Macbeth”

Yi Zhao, “The Skin of Our Teeth”

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

Neil Austin, “Company”

Tim Deiling, “Six: The Musical”

Donald Holder, “Paradise Square”

Natasha Katz, “MJ”

Bradley King, “Flying Over Sunset”

Jen Schriever, “A Strange Loop”

Best Sound Design of a Play

Nick Powell and Dominic Bilkey, “The Lehman Trilogy”

Justin Ellington, “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/ When the Rainbow Is Enuf”

Mikhail Fiksel, “Dana H.”

Palmer Hefferan, “The Skin of Our Teeth”

Mikaal Sulaiman, “Macbeth”

Best Sound Design of a Musical

Simon Baker, “Girl From the North Country”

Ian Dickinson for Autograph, “Company”

Paul Gatehouse, “Six: The Musical”

Drew Levy, “A Strange Loop”

Gareth Owen, “MJ”

Best Choreography

Camille A. Brown, “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/ When the Rainbow Is Enuf”

Warren Carlyle, “The Music Man”

Carrie-Anne Ingrouille, “Six: The Musical”

Bill T. Jones, “Paradise Square”

Christopher Wheeldon, “MJ”

Best Orchestrations

David Cullen, “Company”

Tom Curran, “Six: The Musical”

Simon Hale, “Girl From the North Country”

Jason Michael Webb and David Holcenberg, “MJ”

Charlie Rosen, “A Strange Loop”

And that’s Show Biz. …

DELIMA: NEW BRUNCH TRADITION?

Seems like a new tradition is in the making at Blue Note Hawaii: A Mother’s Day Brunch Show, with Frank DeLima as its toastmaster, cheerleader and centrifugal source.

DeLima, perhaps Hawaii’s favorite comedian, is known for cheerful pokes and punches to Hawaii’s rainbow of ethnicities. And wow, he was hot and happening this morning (May 8), delivering his best show ever, with plenty of howls and hoots indicative of a winnah!

He doesn’t leave anyone out, and his jabs to Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Filipino and Portuguese folks might potentially be racist in other hands. Not with this gentle giant of stand-ups; at 72, he knows his audience and struts cautiously devoid of foul language; his stance always is jovial as he celebrates, not slashes, cultural differences.  He’s becoming a sit-down comic, too, as he navigates aches here and there like the rest of us elders. The bottom line: His humor does not condemn;  he laughs with you, not at you; the gags are like the proverbial sugar that helps the medicine go down. 

DeLima, in Korean costume.

DeLima was a bona fide sellout at the club within the Outrigger Waikiki resort, so calendar planners and bookers should contemplate signing him up for 2023. Now.

He’s seasoned at plucking folks from the audience. He’s also truly extemporaneous, and anything that comes to his mind reflects a quick wit that hasn’t lost that comic spark. He’s highly spontaneous, ad-libbing and jabbing away, and yep, he’s totally in control of his antics.

Clearly, this gig – he’s played the Blue Note previously, in evening gigs — demonstrated that he’s acclimated to the environment, evoking happy laughter. Clubgoers also are eager to get out and explore the new normal after two-and-a-half years of shutdown, and DeLima connected  — the right act at the perfect time and occasion– with the mostly local crowd with precision and power. And moms at perhaps every other table.

DeLima as Imelda Marcos.

He didn’t mention it, so I will; when he trekked on stage, the space was curiously filled with covered-up instruments belonging to  Tower of Power, the blues-pop giants, in a multi-day gig through Sunday night.

No matter, DeLima navigated a show, demonstrating his power of tolerance, in the minimal space he was allowed.

Some highlights:

  • His Imelda Marcos parody, with oversized wig, specs and green-black dress with toaster-shaped sleeves — had a two-pronged charm: he shared memories of her visit to The Noodle Shop, back in the early days of his Waikiki tenure, and relived that memory with her shoe-biz notoriety, making “What I Did for Love” anthem a gem. And surprise, he added “Downtown,” as an ode to Bong Bong, the Marcos son, but the jewel was the unexpected Christmas lights of his “Filipino Christmas” shtick, with the lights glowing whenever the lyrics mentioned Bong Bong. Nothing like a holiday boost in May.
DeLima in Chinese motif.
  • His Chinese character, Foo Ling Yu, was a gamemaster in a “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” parody, accented in Chinese with a dude named Lava from the crowd. It’s so familiar to so many, but everytime he stages this, it’s a new laugh-machine all over again.
  • Koreans were chided in a pair of satirical tunes, “Koreaumoku,” to the melody of “On the Street Where You Live” because Keeaumoku Street  has been notoriously known for the Korean bars on that block, and “Korea,” a ballad about a girl rendered to “Maria,” the song from “West Side Story.” So much kim-cheer here.
  • The Japanese were targeted for their “boxey” four-syllabled names, like Yamashiro, Ariyoshi, and yes, sukiyaki.
  • An Asian-Okinawan sector included his body-padded sumotori prancing about, and dancing in the Okinawan style as well as the bon-odori “Tanko Bushi.”
  • He introduced the “Portuguese shrug,” with shoulders signaling an “I dunno”  response. No words, just action, and the crowds chuckled.
  • His adoration and aloha to Bruno Mars – yes, he does talk about Bruno, despite the Disney-originated saying otherwise – and zipped out two Mars classics “Just the Way You Are” and “24 K Magic.”
DeLima in sumotori get-up.

Yes, he walks with a pair of canes these days, one for the left and the right hands, which he jokingly said he resembles a praying mantis, but the truth of the matter is he continues to have mobility issues with hip and legs. Thus, he sits through part of his performance, and stands when necessary, and indulges in character costume change before your eyes, slipping in and out of garments with the kokua of an aide.

He describes his two-member band, comprised of Bobby Nishida (bass) and David Kauahikaua (electric keyboard) as his Senior Citizen Band, since they’ve been his trusty sidekicks for more than three decades. That loyalty has to be applauded and admired.

Bobby Nishida and David Kauahikaua, DeLima’s newly-dubbed Senior Citizen Band.

DeLima, like other Waikiki acts, has been struggling to find venues to do shows, and his last “regular” space, prior to the pandemic, was the Pagoda Restaurant.

He used to joke that wherever he worked before, the performance space shut down, including venue as diverse as the Queen Kapiolani Hotel the Polynesian Palace and the Hula Hut.

Enter, the Blue Note., which programmed a splendid Mother’s Day brunch menu for the DeLima performance, and it appeared that most folks ordered the sampler dessert plate, the medley of three Spam musubi, the mammoth quiche with salad, and the kalua pork breakfast burrito, among others. Happily, the wait-staffers  were able to take orders and deliver platters very swiftly and  efficiently, far better than the usual nighttime food service, so the club’s kitchen  protocols were in high performance mode. Thank you, very much!

Again, a DeLima brunch at Mother’s Day was a splendid option instead of a pricey Sunday buffet, so should be considered as an annual ritual. A Christmas brunch (vs.nighttime) also might convert the Blue Note into a day club, tapping DeLima as an option for December. Hey, why not? …

And that’s Show Biz. …

‘DOOGIE’ TO GET NEW REGULARS

“Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.,” the Hawaii-lensed medical series, is expected to begin filming its second season May 16, with production on 10 episodes continuing through Aug. 23.

The series, focusing on Lahela “Doogie” Kamealoha, a 16-year-old prodigy portrayed by Peyton Elizabeth Lee, happens to have dual careers, as a medical doctor and teen-ager, whose roles conflict and provide both tension and comedy.

The sophomore season is reportedly introducing yet-unnamed recurring characters, including Blake, Ellis and Billy, to join the cast:

  • Blake is an Australian female, 20, who is athletic, gorgeous, a surfer on a pro tour and the expected roommate of Doogie’s love interest, Walter.
  • Ellis (first name, Marjorie), a female who may be of any ethnicity between 40 and 60,  who is shrewd, critical and an expected antagonist, in the role of a member of the hospital’s board of directors.
  • Billy, a child between 9 and 12, has the innocence and sweetness of youth, to be featured in a storyline involving a dog named Pickles, who is injured and whose owners can’t afford a veterinarian for treatment, so Doogie gets involved.
The “Doogie” ohana: center, Peyton Elizabeth Lee as Doogie, with (left), Jason Scott Lee and Kathleen Rose Perkins as her dad and mom, and (right), West Tian and Matthew Sato as her brothers. Photo courtesy Disney.

The ongoing cast includes Jason Scott Lee, as Doogie’s father Benny, who operates a floral and shave ice truck; Kathleen Rose Perkins, as Dr. Clara Hannon, her mom and hospital supervisor; Matthew Sato as Kai, her older brother; Wes Tian, as her younger brother Brian Patrick;  Emma Meisel, as her best friend Steph Denisco; Alex Aiono as Walter Taumata, her teen crush; Ronny Chieng, as the hospital’s Dr. Lee;  Mapuana Makia  as Noelani, a hospital aide; and Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman, as Dr.Charles Zeller, an ally of Doogie.

Kourtney Kang is executive producer and creator of the series, based on CBS’ earlier hit, “Doogie Hoosier, M.D.,” which starred Neal Patrick Harris as the youth-teen doctor.

The names of the incoming actors have not been released. Meantime,

Season 1 of “Doogie Kamealoha” is streaming on Disney+.

The waiting game for ‘Magnum’

So Perdita Weeks, who is Julia Higgins, and Jay Hernandez, who is Thomas Magnum, have feelings for each other. On last night’s (May 6) final episode of CBS’ “Magnum P.I.,” he and she awkwardly but unexpectedly declared their love for each other, suggesting that their future together brings new bonds to the plate.

Love is in the air for Perdita Weeks (Higgins) and Jay Hernandez (Magnum). Photo, courtesy CBS.

So the die is cast.

But the cliffhanger is this: the network has not yet extended a Season 5 order, so the island-based story can continue. If the fall season does not happen, this would be one of the most abrupt and anxious way to say aloha, which in this case, is not hello, but goodbye.

Why? When? Go figure; a “go” is expected, but the tardiness is unsettling. Series star Hernandez has publicly stated he is unworried about the status, that an extension is forthcoming.

The show, now in its Friday night slot preceding the evening’s ratings champ, “Blue Bloods” (yeah, with the original Magnum, Tom Selleck), has been a steady ratings draw, holding its own but never bypassing “Blue,” which already has its 13  Season granted.

Can’t be that CBS has halted season orders for other shows; it just bestowed a Season 3 and 4 for Queen Latifa’s “The Equalizer,” a Sunday night hit. …

And that’s Show Biz. …