Category: Stage

Hawaii’s Ruthie Ann Miles, a Tony Award winner, will be part of the cast of a revival of “Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” the acclaimed musical by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler.

Miles will  play the Beggar Woman in this reboot, headlined by Josh Groban as the murderess barber Sweeney Todd and Annaleigh Ashford  as Mrs. Lovett, the pie maker.

Miles, a Kaimuki High School graduate, earned a Best Supporting Actress in a Musical Tony for her portrayal of Lady Thiang in an earlier revival of “The King and I.”

Other supporting roles include Jordan Fisher, from “Dear Evan Hanson,” as Anthony, and Gaten Matarazzo, of “Stranger Things, “as Tobias.

Thomas Kail, who directed Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony-winning “Hamilton,” will helm the show.

Previews begin Feb. 26 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, with opening night set for March 26…

Hiccups on KSSK

I’ve been listening to KSSK, to get into the holiday mood, and it’s a most wonderful thing to hear the likes of Johnny Mathis, Andy Williams, Nat King Cole, Dean Martin, Brenda Lee, and many others whose vocals are not commonly on the airwaves these days.

But the radio station has a peculiar hiccup/stutter distraction, where a word or two is repeated. Sounds like those old phonograph records, which can jump or be stuck while listening, but KSSK’s music resources are all digital, so something’s quirky on air and that shouldn’t be happening.

Makes me wonder if anyone deejaying on air listens to what’s playing, to fix the problem.

Just wondering …

Broadway grosses, week ending Dec. 11

“The Music Man” still prevails at No. 1, in Broadway gross tallies, with $3.389 million.

But there’s been a bit of up-and-down rankings last week.

No. 2 is “The Lion King,” with $2.365 million.

No. 3 is “Wicked,” with $2.083 million.

No.4 is “Hamilton,” normally second, but dropping to $2.077 million.

No. 5 is “The Phantom of the Opera,” with $2.020 million

The list is courtesy of the Broadway League…

And that’s Show Biz. …

“Hamilton,” Lin-Manuel Miranda’s highly anticipated musical that embraces hip-hop and rap to depict the  history and climate of the nation’s founding fathers, opens a historic eight-week run tonight (Dec. 7) at the Blaisdell Concert Hall.

 The show — which has won 11 Tony Awards (including Best Musical), the Grammy Award for Best Musical, and the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama –is the first Broadway musical ever to be booked for an extended run through Jan. 29. Most shows are in and out of town for two, maybe three weeks, so this is a biggie. Hope Hawaii supports this mammoth endeavor.

I have seen the show twice at New York’s Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway, once with the original cast that featured the beloved creator who did the book, music and lyrics.

I have fond memories of the first time, when Miranda was the lead. It was so difficult and expensive to secure tickets then, because of high demand and the frustration of elevated ticket prices. Long story short: I had to pay $750 per ticket ($1,500 for a pair) and the seats were in the second-to-the-last-row in the balcony, where you almost could touch the ceiling!  But worth it, what with the anticipation and expectation of a high-profile show.

My second visit was in Chicago, when local boy Joseph Morales was portraying the Sunday matinees at the Private Bank Theatre (now renamed). He since has assumed the Hamilton role in an ongoing national tour for nearly three years, criss-crossing the U.S. and earning hurrahs, before the pandemic and since all theatrical shows resumed tours.

The third time was again in New York, when Big Islander Marc delaCruz was in the ensemble and understudying the Hamilton and other roles before the pandemic.

Here’s the rub: Wherever you sit or whomever plays the title role, it’s highly likely you’ll be charmed.

The show has been a leader in diverse casting, with Hispanics, African Americans, Asians and others singing and dancing among white actors. Don’t be stunned if George Washington is an African American.

In the production here, DeAundre Woods will play Hamilton.

And if you think you’ve seen “Hamilton,” since you watched that luscious and revealing filmed version on Disney+, you really haven’t. Like the promos airing on TV say, to truly appreciate the show, you have “be in the room where it happens,” meaning in a theater. The film had bonuses of close-ups and aerial shots, but theater means being there in the flesh.

I will be taking in three performances here, for different reasons; I’ll attend a media performance on Thursday (Dec. 8), and also on Saturday (Dec. 10 is my season ticket slot). But I’ll be in the room where it happens again on Dec. 21, when I’m inviting my nephew, who will be spending Christmas in Hawaii, on a break from his Army duties at Ft. Bragg, N.C.

Some general advice and tidbits, for first-timers at the show:

• Get acclimated in advance to the cadence and rhythm of the hip-hop raps. If you saw the Disney film, great; you know the flavor and tempos. If not, secure a CD to listen to the numbers before attending. In other words, prepare for your investment in tickets and time.
• This visiting cast is dubbed “And Peggy.” That’s the name of the tour, with other companies also boasting a different code name.
•  There’s a marvel of techie stuff on the single set, which has multiple movements to fit the needs; all shows (assuming And Peggy, too) utilize a turntable revolving stage that’s part of the choreographic modes.
• King George (a delightful character) appears in the show twice, so his big number, “I’ll Be Back,” rings true. FYI, his crown weighs 2 ½ lbs. and conceals his mike. You’ll adore him.
• A catwalk will fly in-between acts, so if you’re in the house, look for this set installation. Be in the house when it happens.
•  “Hamilton” is the lone show, one of four in the Broadway in Hawaii season, which employs mobile tickets for non-season sales. Season subscribers had “hard” tickets mailed to buyers; if you ordered via Ticketmaster or the Blaisdell box office, you’ll have to transfer your tickets to your mobile phone for entry. (Those without iPhones can complete ticketing at the box office on the night or day of the performance).
• “Hamilton” has a special color for some costumes, including the lead actor’s coats, a tannish tone, dubbed “Hamil-tan.”
• It takes 13 trailers (53 footers) to transit the show from one city to the next (not certain if those trailers moved via planes or boats).
• Splurge a little before you exit; secure a souvenir of a memory you won’t forget. On Broadway, I purchased a T-shirt as well as a baseball cap with A. HAM inscribed…

And that’s Show Biz. …

HILO –‘Wordsworth, the Musical,” a musical fantasy about a poet mouse, is an unlikely resource that tackles life issues such as Alzheimer’s and caregiving, based on poet Frances H. Kakugawa’s two books popular among school children and family audiences faced with dilemmas and seeking comfort and support to turn frowns upside down.

The show made its world premiere last night (Nov. 4) at the Performing Arts Center at the University of Hawaii Hilo campus, after a three-year delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A core of devoted Big Island collaborators created the show, from previous experiences with Kakugawa, an award-winning poet who also has been an established speaker on AlzheimHer’s and caregiving, founded on her personal experiences of caring for her aging, ill mother.

Kakugawa is a former Kapoho native, who lived in Honolulu while working as an educator and poet. She currently resides in Sacramento.

The musical, playing again at  7 p.m. today (Nov. 5) and 2 p.m. tomorrow (Nov. 6), is a testament to Kakugawa’s work as a writer and a practicing caregiver.

The play focuses on the titular character, a poetry-writing mouse named Wordsworth, and his ‘ohana, living in a rainforest in Hilo. Portrayed by Kamau Beaudet (as the mouse poet, with mouse ears)  who is taunted by his peers because of his devotion to writing poems. When darkness and fears evolve, folks start listening to Wordsworth bring back the sun and the fun of life, and embrace poetry as a panacea of things hurtful and haunting.

Jackie Pualani Johnson, who wrote the script and portrays Grandma – who becomes forgetful because of approaching Alzheimer’s in the story —  demonstrates that her failing memory affects everyone in the circle of life. Kids and neighbors ponder, about Tutu not remembering their names; and ultimately, the words and rhymes of Wordsworth are a rare gift, instrumental in recovery.

Wordsworth’s waltz number with Johnson is a high point, and kids will enjoy seeing him on surfboard with rocker-like “wheels” to mimic riding the waves. Another brief, but fetching moment, involves Jon Sakurai-Horita as Old Mouse, and Mia McGrath as Emily is a standout in the large cast.

The show,  directed by Justina Mattos, runs a terse 50 minutes, so is an easy pill to swallow with numerous babes in arms and toddlers in attendance. Scenic designer Ariana Bassett’s vivid colors in the  primary set of forest greenery is appealing, and this rainforest boasts rain that resembles bright pearls, a recurring image of rainbows, plus a swarm of butterflies who contribute a variety of dances with impressive Monarch buttery wings while dancing ballet, waltz and modern numbers choreographed with flair by Kea Kapahua.

While not the custom in any rainforest, this one also includes a wing-ding of a circus crew, again in brightly-hued attire (by Lee Barnett Dombroski) reflecting roles of acrobats, clowns and frou-frou dancers.

Wendell Ing’s music taps several forms, including a do-woppish tune, and his lyrics are faithful to Wordsworth’s inspirational views. And there’s everything from a chant to rap, from hula to waltz.

There is one curiosity in Wordsworth’s delivery of lines – in the third person – which could easily be reimagined to make his words more meaningful and effective.
The opening night house had a jolt of sorts, when an errant warning with flashing lights informed spectators to rise and exit the theater, nullified by a voice that this was one of a recurring false alarms.

Tickets: $20 general, $15 UHH students with valid IDs, $7 children 17 and under.

Tickets: $20 general, $7 UHH students with valid IDs, children 17 and under.

And that’s Show Biz, ,,,

“The Three Phantoms,” in a two-day visitation at the Hawaii Theatre, is more than three dudes uniting in songs for fellowship and fun.

The show, organized by Broadway vet Craig Schulman, opened last night (Oct. 29) and repeats at 2 p.m. today (Oct. 30).

Schulman, beloved in Hawaii for his two-visit performance as Jean Valjean in  “Les Miserables” back in the day, clearly is the centerpiece of the revue though his colleagues Gary Mauer and Keith Buterbaugh.  are singularly impressive. Together – in solos, duets and trios – The Three Phantoms (yep, they all have headlined as the masked marvel in their careers) put on a panorama of Great White Way tunes you know or have forgotten.

Over a splendid two-hour retrospective of  tunes from Broadway musicals performed by gents, the trio shared 18 songs, in an appealing stroll down memory lane that revived tunes rarely sung today. Schulman, Mauer and Buterbaugh are tenors, able to reach the upper-register notes, but Buterbaugh also has depth as a baritone. And these voices emphatically show that each actor is a leading player in the theatrical spectrum.

I loved the segments that featured awesome overtures/instrumentals, no vocals, including “Oklahoma,” rendered by a tireless and expressive six-member local orchestra featuring John Kolivas, bass; Abe Lagrimas Jr., drums; Todd Yukumoto, sax; Rick Broadwell, trumpet; and Monica Chung, synthesizer.

The show’s pianist-conductor Dan Riddle shaped a rhapsodic and awesome “Phantom” montage leading towards a trio delivery of “Music of the Night,” the highly anticipated ballad with shadings expected from a gang who’s been there, done that. This finale had comedic preludes as the guys feigned singing the tune solo during several false starts that were part of the scheme.

So what, among the numbers, were stunning?

Certainly, Schulman’s iconic signature, “Bring Him Home,” from “Les Miz,” rich with emotional wallop, bringing down the house. He is the actor who has played Valjean in 2,500 performances, the most ever by anyone, so yes, he “owns” the tune. A close second among his conquests: “This Is the Moment,” from “Jekyll and Hyde,” with its requisite roller-coaster vocal dynamics. Boy, his pipes are still sizzling-hot

Certainly, Mauer’s “Gethsemane” from “Jesus Christ Superstar,” embodied the intensity of the Jesus he played on stage.

Certainly, Buterbaugh is expressive medley from “Sweeney Todd,” a show he’s conquered earlier.

The threesome got good mileage from “They Call the Wind Maria,” from “Paint Your Wagon,” one of the rarely-heard-these-days treats.

Perhaps the “Brotherhood of Man,” from “How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” underscored the mantra of The Three Phantoms; rapport comes from togetherness, bonding minds, hearts, and spirits. Consequently, “Standing on the Corner,” also a trio entry from “The Most Happy Fella,” reflected a similar sentiment.

 The show’s format was logical: background show title templates were flashed, providing clues on what’s coming. And the tunes from each show must’ve required some curating; like, “Damn Yankees,” one of two encore ditties, focused on “You Gotta Have Heart,” a baseball-oriented tune that spills over into everyday life. Heart and hope matter.

The second encore, “White Sandy Beach of Hawaii,” was joyous surprise and the local-song-choice endeared the audience. The Three Phantoms know how to anchor a show!

Access to the Hawaii Theatre was difficult because downtown crowds gathered by the hundreds for a pre-Halloween street party, which blocked sidewalks and made access to parking garages a challenge. Folks attending today’s final matinee shouldn’t have barriers and blockage; the tricks were outside last night, but treats awaited inside…

And that’s Show Biz. …