Category: Stage

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HAWAII’S BARE-FOOTED TONY WINNER

There was one notable Tony Award winner from Hawaii, in Broadway’s biggest event last night. And she put her best (bare foot) forward.

Nicole Scherzinger, who’s been performing as fading movie star Norma Desmond in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Sunset Blvd.” revival, won the battle of the divas over Audra McDonald, a nominee for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical. Scherzinger, an island native, delivered a powerful, nuanced “As if We’ve Never Said Goodbye,” a song and role that earlier earned her an Olivier Award in London, before the show made its way to New York. If you watched her last evening, you might have noticed her local-style tradition of a hula dancer: she performed her solo in bare feet. Cool!

Nicole Scherzinger

However, our  hometown daily, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, didn’t mention her Hawaii ties (shameful), in the manini Tony coverage this morn; they either didn’t give a hoot or simply didn’t know.

Scherzinger is making her Broadway debut with “Sunset”  – you go, girl! – and acknowledged Lloyd Webber’s support of her trans-Atlantic journey…and her knock-out victory over the winningest Tony trouper  ever – McDonald, who performed “Rosie’s Turn.”  ‘Twas a difficult version to watch, with moments of grotesque moves of seeming desperation and exasperation.  A seventh Tony trophy eluded her…

Unforgivable: The Tonys snubbed one nominee in this category – Jasmine Amy Rogers’ role as Betty Boop in “BOOP! The Musical.” She and the new musical were denied equal screen time…

By the way, there was another  island moment that most viewers likely missed. In his acceptance speech for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role, winner Francis Jue – in the Asian play that featured Daniel Dae Kim and his nomination–  did a shout-out to his longtime Hawaii friend, Alvin Ing, a pioneering Asian American actor (now deceased) known for “Pacific Overtures” and “Flower Drum Song,” who gifted Jue with a black  bow tie to wear when wins a Tony. He did, wear and win…

Some observations:

Darrin Criss
  • A new dawn beckons, with a new generation of emerging Broadway stars, like Darrin Criss in “Maybe Happy Ending” (Leading Actor in a Musical, Best Musical), Michael Arden of “Maybe Happy Ending (Best Director of a Musical), “Oh Mary!” (Cole Escola, Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play, and the first nonbinary actor; Sam Pinkleton, Best Director).
  • That medley from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton”  was nothing short of astounding, marking the 10th anniversary of the hit show still running at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway. The tunes —  yes, with such titles as  “The Room Where It Happened,”  “My Shot,” “Alexander Hamilton,” “The Schuyler Sisters” –  were performed by the original cast dressed in formal  attire or black – instead of the usual costumes, with the exception of Jonathan Groff, who donned a kingly red jacket and carried a scepter, on ”You’ll Be Back,” as King George III. But he carried a scepter…
Jonathan Groff
  • The aforementioned Groff stunned Keanu Reeves, when the former – singing a medley from  his “Just in Time” musical – leaped onto the latter’s arm rests while the cameras caught the awkward straddling moment, clearly one of the evening’s best impromptu moments.
  • Cynthia Ervio,  who hosted the CBS show, is a terrific singer and a efficient host. She dons expensive gowns, but the garments are way out of this world,  which might be fashionable to some, but largely bizarre to many. Is there another designer in the house?
  • Is Andrew Lloyd Webber returning to Broadway?  The prolific composer, who herald ed “the ritish invasion” of shows, apparently is shopping sites for a possible revival of “The Phantom of the Opera,”  and a new immersion musical “The Illusionist.” Truly, ALW is a dying breed, the lone creator for decades of theatrical phenoms. Think about it: the likes of Rodgers & Hammerstein are non-existent, with only R&H revivals available. ALW can rehash titles , too, like “Evita,”  “CATS,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” and “Starlight Express.” But only  one –“Phantom” — has had staying power, like 35 years. And he’s got another newbie sooner than later…
Aaron Tviet
  • Another opening, another show
  • Nothing like announcing your forthcoming new show on the Tonys. Aaron Tviet (last seen in  “Moulin Rouge” and “Sweeney Todd”) and Lea Michele (last seen in “Funny Girl”) will co-star in the revival of “Chess,” a Cold War musical also feauring Nicholas Christopher. No dates were announced on the awards cast, but the show – with tunes by ABBA’s Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus and lyrics by Tim Rice – is expected to be on Broadway at a Shubert theater…

By George, he did it!

George Clooney
  • Don’t think that George Clooney, sitting with his wife Amal Clooney at the Radio City Music Hall, expected to be nominated for the Best Actor Tony award (for his role in ‘Good Luck, and Good Night,”) much less with winning the coveted prize, but he had guts and grits to (1) star in the play, (2) get it produced in a theater and (3) earn him a Best Actor nomination, and,  further (1) stage a live performance on CNN for a global audience, (2) sell it to a marketing team and (3) attract a supportive and receptive ticket-buying audience which set gross records exceeding $4 million every week of its run.
    If nothing else, the Tony organization should award Clooney (next year) a special Tony award for this once-in-lifetime achievement, for his commitment to the performing arts, for taking a stand with his timely message of addressing challenges in our world fractured by lies, fears and threats…  
         And that’s Show Biz…

And that’s Show Biz

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SECOND FILIPINO IN ‘HAMILTON’ CAST

And then there were two.

Filipinos in the cast of “Hamilton,” that is.

So the mega hit musical show — approaching its 10th anniversary on Aug. 6 on the Great White Way — has another dash of Hawaii’s aloha spirit in the company.

You might recall we’ve earlier written about Marc delaCruz, who had been the lone Filipino performer in the ensemble. He’s originally from the Big Island, the first Filipino to play the hit show’s titular character, after understudying Alexander Hamilton originally played by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the show’s creator. DelaCruz emailed me recently that another former islander has joined the company, and he helped me get in touch with this colleague.

Reanne Acasio, as Eliza Schuyler in :”Hamilton” debuting during the Filipino American History Month, when she became the first Filipina portraying the character on Broadway.

So say aloha to Reanne Acasio, a Filipino actress and also a former resident of Hawaii. She’s now in the ensemble but also has been understudying andctively playing the three Schuyler sisters, Angelica, Eliza and Peggy.  She and delaCruz thus are the only Filipinos in the multi-racial cast…and both are proud of their heritage.

Acasio’s Broadway journey started in 2022 with a national tour of “Hamilton,” dubbed the Angelica Company, First National. “I was an offstage cover for Angelica, Eliza and Peggy, as well as one ensemble track,” said Acasio.

Acasio’s trio of Schuyler roles, from left, as Eliza, Peggy and Angelica; she also plays Maria Reynolds (center).

“I had gone to an open call in NYC, got one in-person callback for Eliza, and then had a series of Zoom callbacks and tapes that finally led to the job,” she said. “ I booked it with four days left on a contract in New Hampshire, with no jobs lined up afterward. It was a Godsend!”
She joined the Broadway “Hamilton” cast in  2024, this time as the onstage cover of the Schuyler sisters, performing every night in the ensemble while still understudying Angelica, Eliza, and Peggy.(She understudies a fourth role, Maria Reynolds, the character who has an affair with Alexander Hamilton).

Thus, when she reports to the Richard Rodgers Theatre every day, she winds up playing different characters, according to need.

“It’s quite fun to test my range,” she said. “You really never get bored. I’ve also gotten to make history as the first Filipina to play all three sisters on Broadway.” 

Curtain call at the Richard Rodgers Theatre: from left, ensemble player Phil Colgan; Marc delaCruz, fellow Filipino actor who’s in the ensemble but also understudies the Alexander Hamilton role; Acasio,; and Trey Curtis, the current titular lead actor.

By now, Acasio probably has performed the Schuylers dozens of times. “My favorites are Eliza and Angelica, but I do love the huge switch-up in energy from Peggy to Maria Reynolds. I love the subtleties, acting challenge, arc, and music of Eliza, and the strength, power vocals, and humor of Angelica.” 

Acasio lived in Hawaii in the early 2000s, residing first in Kapolei then in Waipahu. During the pandemic, she lived in Honolulu. And yes, family members, flying in from all over the world, have seen her in ”Hamilton” “They were so proud to see me achieving my wildest dreams,” she said.

Before “Hamilton,” Acasio was part of the all-Filipino “Here Lies Love” on Broadway, based on the life of Imelda Marcos. Acasio shared the role of Aurora Aquino with Lea Salonga, the first Filipina to win a Tony Award for her pivotal portrayal of Kim in “Miss Saigon.” 

Acasio appreciates how Broadway “has become more inclusive of all cultures, skin tones, genders, sexual orientations, and beliefs, than in the past. I am so lucky to witness and be a part of the industry in this era of celebrating diversity in storytelling. I think it’s cool that I get to play four different people in this show, and my heritage/skin tone isn’t the center of the story. I get to color my performance with my Filipino identity, for example, sprinkling a little “Ate” (Tagalog for older sister) energy when playing Angelica. But the audience sees me as Angelica, not as ‘the Filipina.’ Although it is such a joy to meet Filipinos at the stage door who get so excited that they saw a fellow Filipino onstage.” 

While landing a role on Broadway is a dream come true, Acasio is a bona fide island girl and misses everything Hawaii. A military brat born in Guam, she has lived  in Turkey, Germany, and different states. “I attended Hickam Elementary School, Kapolei Elementary School, and Kapolei Middle School in Hawaii,” she said. “My family and I lived on Oahu for six years. 

Because New York is a concrete jungle, her thirst for Hawaii is natural. “I miss the green, the ocean, the ʻāina,” she said. “I miss going to hula as a kid in Kapolei at my neighbor’s house and as an adult at Halau Keolakapuokalani with kumu Drake Keolakapu Dudoit Delaforcé even getting to go to the Merrie Monarch Festival in Hilo. I miss the people and the community who took care of each other and the land. I miss the food — oh the food! I miss the music, the vibrant culture, the hikes, the sunrises. Hawaii was the best place I’ve ever lived, and I’ve gotten to experience a lot of the world in my lifetime. Hawaii will always feel like home”…

Two Broadway dramas recoup initial investment

George Clooney’s hit drama,  “Good Night, and Good Luck,” no longer is in the $4 million club, but it  earlier recouped the show’s initial investments. Clooney also is a Tony nominee for Best Actor in a Drama.

“Othello,” which also has passed the $3 million milestone, has managed to recover its initial investment, too, effective the week ending May 11.

Which means both shows are  hereon riding the gravy train.  But “Othello” has been snubbed, denying lead actor Denzel Washington  a Tony nomination.

The Tonys are set for June 8 at the Radio City Music Hall. Since I have not visited Broadway since last June, I have not seen a single nominated production this year. Sigh…

The Top 10:

1—“Good Night, and Good Lock,”  $3.812 million

2—“Othello,” $3.229 million

3—“Glengarry Glen Ross,” $2.432 million

4—“Wicked,” $2.128” million

5—“The Lion King,” $1.795 million

6—“Hamilton,” $1.660 million

7—“Death Becomes Here,” $1.343 million

8—“MJ the Musical,” $1.214 million

9—“The Picture of Dorian Gray,” $1.204 million

10—“Gypsy,” $1.180 million

The complete list of grosses, courtesy the Broadway League:

And that’s Show Biz…

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‘SUNSET’ CANCELED, BULLHORN FILLS IN

Even with the ol’ adage, “The show must go on,” the show couldn’t continue for Hawaii’s Nicole Scherzinger on Broadway this past Wednesday (April 23) afternoon.

At a matinee performance of her “Sunset Blvd.” hit at the St. James Theatre on Broadway, a technical mishap forced the cancellation of the show.

Nicole Scherzinger sings “With One Look,” relying on a bullhorn.

Frustrating, yes, but inventive Scherzinger – starring as Norma Desmond in “Sunset” – didn’t allow her audience to be totally disappointed. With her co-star, Tom Francis (he plays Joe Gillis in the show), she took to the stage to announce the cancellation, by grabbing a bullhorn from backstage to make lemonade from a lemon of a situation.

With the support of a backstage track, Scherzinger sang “With One Look,” a tune her Desmond character sings, which at least gave disappointed show-goers to have something to talk about after vacating the theater.

Magician Giancarlo Bernini, in the audience, captured the singer with her bullhorn in an Instagram post, and the show continued as usual for the evening performance…

Show breezes

Coming up:

  • Boys II Men, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday (April 26), at the Tom Moffatt Waikiki Shell. Ticket prices vary, depending on seat location.
  • Jefferson Starship, at 8 p.m. June 7, at the Hawaii Theatre. Tickets: $72 to $262.
  • Lee Ann Rimes, at 6:30 p.m. July 12, at Blaisdell Arena. Ticket prices vary, depending on seat location.

And that’s Show Biz…

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‘TINA:’  VIM, VIGOR—WITH A PUNCH

Jayna Elise is Tina in “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical” now at Blaisdell Concert Hall.

“Tina: The Tina Turner Musical” is a powerful eruption of explosive, energetic and expressive songs and dances, probing the ascent and survival of the queen of rock amid a climate of sex abuse and domestic violence.

In the title role, Jayna Elise is luminous and fiery and delivers most of the tunes in the score.( Meagan Dawson plays Tina in some performances).

The show opened last night (April 22) at Blaisdell Concert Hall and continues its  short week’s run through Sunday (April 27).

Act I is a painful history of how Tina – formally named Anna-Mae Bullock — became infatuated with music and stardom, despite a relationship with a dominating and abusive beau/husband, Ike Turner (Sterling Baker McClary), who is perfectly unlikeable.  He smacks her repeatedly and it is painful to endure.

Act II is  where Tina validates her reign and delivers simply the best of her ditties – with the splendid support of the Ikettes (Mya Bryant, Daniya Jazel, Morgan Lewis and Aiyana  Smash, back-uppers who possess pizzazz. ).

Jayna Elise as Tina: Luminous and fiery…and delivers a punch!

Elise/Tina received the loudest support (applause, cheers, hoots) in the moment that she stopped being Ike’s punching bag, and delivered a pivotal return punch (yeah, right where it hurts the most!) in an unexpected response to halt being a victim.

“Tina” has everything you’d expect:

  •  A parade of juke box hits (“What’s Love Got to Do With It,”  “Private Dancer,” “River Deep, Mountain High,” “We Don’t Need Another Hero,””(Simply) The Best”).
  •  Shimmering gowns, some fringed.
  • That one costumed piece that became a Tina trademark: a blue jean jacket worn with a dress.
  • Infectious and demanding choreography (by Anthony Van Laast).
  • An array of background projections and scenic (by Jeff Sugg).

Because of the adult themes, the show is not suitable for young children; perhaps age 15-16 and up could attend.  Further, the dialogue contains some swear words, and the N word is uttered several times.

While the score should rightfully relate to Ike and Tina, the usage is occasionally awkward. So, the overview is like a patchwork blanket with random pieces that suit the eye or color motif.

The 10-member orchestra often is too loud, drowning stage vocals; a bit of toning down might be in order, even though this is a rock/pop act performance. Or the alternative might be considered: those with soft voices might amp up a skosh.

Elise has quickly picked up the local spirit, shouting “Aloha, Hawaii” at the final curtain, before launching a couple of hana hou selections; no, she’s not yet acclimated to the island shout-out for an encore. Surely, she’ll know the terminology and turf by the end of the run.

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“Tina: the Tina Turner Musical”

What: A musical biography of the queen of rock, with book by Katori Hall, with Frank Ketelaar and Kees Prince, with music by various composers

Where: Blaisdell Concert Hall

When: 7:30 p.m. April 23 and 24, 8 p.m. April 25, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. April 26; and 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. April 27

Tickets: Varies, depending on date and seat locations; visit www.Broadway inHawaii.com

Running time: 2 hours 45 minutes.

———————————–

Three Broadway shows in $3 million club

And then there were three: “Wicked,” in the No. 2 slot on this week’s roster of Broadway grosses, outpaced  “Othello,” which slid to No.3. George Clooney’s “Good Night, and Good Luck” remained No.1.

It was the first time ever that three productions surpassed  $3 million in the weekly recaps.

The Top 10:

1—”Good Night, And Good Luck,” $3.882 million

2—” Wicked,” $3.333 million

3—”Othello,” $3.123 million

4—”The Lion King,” $2.940 million

5—”Glengarry Glen Ross,” $2.362 million

6— “Hamilton,” $2.164 million

7—” Aladdin,” $2.027 million

8—”MJ the Musical,” $1.719 million

9—” Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” $1.612 million

10—”The Outsiders,” $1.454 million

The full list, courtesy  the Broadway League:

And that’s Show Biz…

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‘LA MANCHA,’ ‘KIM’S’ CASTS SET

“Man of La Mancha’

Buz Tennent, an accomplished baritone with musical comedy and operatic credits, will portray Miguel de Cervantas, aka Don Quixote, in Diamond Head Theatre’s “Man of La Mancha,” which opens May 23 for a run through June 8.

The Tony Award-winning show is considered one of the greatest musicals of all times, set in the time of the Spanish Inquisition, written by Dale Wasserman, with music Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion.

The story is about a man who doesn’t give up his impossible dream and show is operatic in motif, featuring such riches as “I, Don Quixote,” “Dulcinea,” and the trademark anthem, “The Impossible Dream.”

The cast also includes Mo Radke as Sancho Panza, Richard Power as the Governor/Innkeeper, Garrett Hols as The Duke/Dr. Carrasco, Laurence Paxton as Padre, Joe Kartyak as Barber/Captain of the Inquisition, Anna Young as Aldonza/Dulcinea, Amy K. Sullivan as Housekeeper, Brianna Johnston as Maria/Moorish Girl, Lakshmi Vermui as Fermina, Lainey Hicks as Antonia, Michael Abdo as Muleteer Anselm/Dr. Carrasco, Brian Willis as Muleteer Pedro.

Other Muleteers are Joseph Lee, Lee Nebe, Phillip Ikaika Foster, Paul Garcia and Casey Lauti.

Ensemble players are Celia Chun, Lainey Hicks, Brianna Johnston, James Lauer, Cassidy Ross, Amy K. Sullivan, Lakshmi Vemuri and Presley Wheeler.

Buz Tennent

 Bryce Chaddick is director, John Rampage is choreographer, and Jenny Shiroma is musical director.

Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, at 3 p.m. Saturdays and at 4 p.m. Sundays.

Tickets: $41 to $68, at www.diamondheadtheatre.com or (808) 733-0274.

‘Kim’s Convenience’

 “Kim’s Convenience,” a comedy by Ins Choi, will be staged May 15 through June 8, at the Manoa Valley Theatre.

The show, about a family operating a convenience store in Toronto, has been a popular sit-com favorite on cable TV. It explores a myriad of topics and themes, about family traditions, cultural and racial clashes, generational confrontations, and everyday  9moments in making a living while retaining work-a-day highs and lows.

The cast features  Brandon Hagio as Appa, Sun Min Chun-Dayondon as Umma, David Tang as Jung, Miki Yamamoto as Janet, Jonathan Beck as Mr. Lee/Alex/Mike and elywyattnakaulu’aina rapoza as Rich.

Reiko Ho is director.

Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and also at 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are $25 to $48, available at www.manoavalleytheatre.com or (808) 988-6131…

Clooney breaks his own record

George Clooney’s “Good Night, and Good Luck,” which he co-wrote with Grant Heslov, has broken its own record.

George Clooney

The drama, directed by David Cromer, surpassed its own record-high grossing record, amassing ticket sales of $3,784,200 for the first full week of performances for the week ending April 11.

The gross also broke the house record of its venue, the Winter Garden Theatre.

Could the show rev up sales a skosh, to bypass the elusive  $3 million? Hmmmm…

The Top 10:

1—“Good Night, and Good Luck,” $3.784 million.

2—“Othello,” $3.120 million.

3—“Wicked,” $2.482 million.—6

4—“Glengarry Glen Ross,” $2.228 million.

5—“The Lion King,” $2.089 million.

6—“Hamilton,” $1.953 million.

7—“Aladdin,” $1.425 million.

8—“The7Picture of Dorian Gray,” $1.379  million.

9—“The Outsiders,” $1.322 million.

10—“MJ the Musical,” $1.302 million.

The complete list, courtesy the Broadway League:

And that’s Show…