Category: Television

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UH’S ‘RENT’ HEADING TO KAUAI

“Rent,” a popular Broadway musical, is going on the road to Kauai in August.

It’s a first for the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning show, produced last year by the University of Hawaii’s Department of Theatre and Dance in a sold-out run at Kennedy Theatre. The show, with a 40-member cast and crew, will be performed Aug. 8 through 10 at the Kauai Community Colleges Performing Arts Center.

What a splendid notion and opportunity, to share the success of the UH presentation, directed by Joshua “Baba” Tavares an assistant professor of acting on the Manoa campus, who was a former cast member of the 20th anniversary national tour of “Rent,” an iconic creation by the late Jonathan Larson.

As part of the Kauai visitation, the company will stage a free acting workshop on Aug. , to share with and engage in the Garden Island’s community of artists and storytellers. Touring Broadway casts never present performances on the Neighbor Islands, with shows staged only at Blaisdell Concert Hall in Honolulu.

Joshu “Baba” Tavares

“We are so excited to take our show to Kauai and connect with our Kauai ‘ohana in this way”, said Tavares.

So it’s a win-win proposition.

The staging of a well-known production – “Rent” is a Tony-winning rock production, which speaks to a youthful audience – also was a rarity for Kennedy Theatre, customarily known for Japanese kabuki shows and Chinese Peking opera, art forms that address traditional and classic repertoires and have been widely lauded over decades. “Rent” was a breakthrough experiment that worked.

Tavares is opening new doors and avenues with “Rent,” discovering relevance in the process.. “Even though the show is set in a specific time, its challenges feel just as relevant today, especially here in Hawai,i” he said. “Homelessness, gentrification, mental health struggles and finding a way forward after a devastating disease––are we talking about the ’80s and ’90s, or are we talking about today?”

A scene from “Rent,” a Kennedy Theatre production, heading to Kauai in August.

The venue is the newly reopened Kauaʻi CC Performing Arts Center, which reopened in April 2024 after closing due to the pandemic. It boasts major upgrades to its lighting, sound and backstage systems. The venue is once again a a major cultural hub, enabling a Garde Island venue a shot at booking a Broadway production, under new faciity manager Gregory von Hausch.

Gregory von Hausch

Showtimes are from 7 to 9 p.m. Aug. 8 and 9, and from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Aug. 10. Tickets are $15 for students and teachers (any school) $25 general admission and $60 VIP seating; visit https://www.tixtree.com/e/rent-the-broadway-musical-9501aa6f5187

A workshop also is set for Aug. 9, but specifics have not yet been announced….

The 2025 Kalapana, from left: Konrad Kendrick. Alden Levi, Kenji Sano, Gaylord Holomalia, Todd Yukumoto, Ben Taaca, and Sean Thibodeaux.

Kalapana marks 50th anniversary

Kalapana, the legendary island band known for a vast catalogue of hit tunes,  will mark its 50th anniversary in a milestone concert Oct. 4 at the Tom Moffatt Waikiki Shell.

Tickets go on sale today (July 19) at the Neal Blaisdell Center box office at www.ticketmaster.com

While most original group members have gone to the heavenly stage, a retinue of singers-musicians, comprised of friends and contemporary fans, are carrying on the legacy of Kalapana and, of course, the traditional repertoire of classic hits reflecting the still-powerful sound.

Leading the parade are such fans and colleagues as Henry Kapono, the group Summer, and Jordan Kealoha-Yamanaka (formerly of the group, Crossing Rain)..

Founding group member Kirk Thompson will perform, along with Eie Atushi, who has recorded with Kalapana in his native Japan.

Kamasami Kong

Japan’s superstar deejay, Kamasami Kong, will emcee. Of course, islanders know him for his deejaying origins in Hawaii.

Tickets are $225 for limited VIP seats, which includes a meet-and-great with the performers plus a merchandise package. Reserved seats are $150, $75, and $55 and $35 for general admission lawn seats. Keiki 12 and under are free, limited to four kids per couple

A $1 fee will be added to each ticket, with the donation benefitting the Henry Kapono Foundation.

Kalapana’s music has been on radio playlists across the globe, from North and South America to Asia to Europe. In 2011, the group was awarded the Na Hoku Hanohano Lifetime Achievement from the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts.

The 2025 Kalapana group features Konrad Kendrick, Alden Levi, Kenji Sano, Gaylord Holomalia, Todd Yukumoto, Ben Taaca, and Sean Thibodeaux.

The concert is a presentation of Aloha Group International, headed by Barb Saito. She formerly worked with iconic promoter Tom Moffatt, of Tom Moffatt Productions…

And that’s Show Biz…

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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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NEW SHOWS FOR EX-‘5-0’ STARS

Scott Caan, one of the  former co-stars of “Hawaii Five-0,” has been cast in Netflix’s new film, the sequel to “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” set to begin filming this summer. This film will be one of Caan’s biggest since he mostly does TV shows. However, specifics about his role are unknown.

Meanwhile, Daniel Dae Kim’s Amazon Prime Video spy-thriller, “Butterfy,” will flutter in a streamer set to premiere Aug. 13. The former star of such TV faves like “Lost,” “Five-0,” and “The Good Doctor,” will have the lead role as David Jung, a former U.S. intelligence operative who emerges as a prime target, in the six-episode thriller adapted from a graphic novel from Arash Amel and Marguerite Bennett.

While Caan’s role has not yet be defined, he will be in Dave Fincher’s follow-up to Quentin Tarantino’s 2019 flick, which starred Brad Pitt as the stuntman Cliff Booth, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Pitt will return to the sequel, which also stars Leonardo DiCaprio  as the fading movie star whose film double is Pitt. Margo Robbie will appear as Sharon Tate, whose stardom grows with the Manson Family lurking in the background.

Daniel Dae Kim headlines Prime Video’s “Butterfly” streamer, beginning Aug. 13.

The “Butterfly” project includes co-star Reina Hardesty as Rebecca, with Piper Perabo, Louis Landau, Kim Ji-hoon Park Hae-soo, Kim Tae-hee, Charles Parnell, Sean Dulake and Nayoon Kim also featured…

Father’s Day events

The Makaha Sons will headline a Father’s Day concert and buffet June 15 at Mango Street. Gail Mack and Gordon Kim will be the opening act.

The Makaha Sons perform Father’s Day at Mango Street Grill.

Doors open at 5 p.m. for the buffet dinner, which will be available from 5:15 to 6:45 p.m. The performances will follow.

Cost is $82 per person for adults, $41 for youths 3 to 9, and free for children 2 and younger. Pre-sales continue through June 12, at (808) 627-5451, for reserved seating. All sales are final.

Augie T and Andy Bumatai will entertain dads at Blue Note Hawaii.

Comedians Augie T and Andy Bumatai will be featured in a Father’s Day brunch show, at 1 p.m. June 15 at Blue Note Hawaii.

Doors open at 11 a.m. for beverage and food service.

Admission is $56.47 for premium seating, $45.70 for loge and bar area seating; the cost includes fees and tax.

Reservations: www.bluenotehawaii.com or (808) 777-4890…

Broadway grosses, for the week ending June 1

“Good Night, and Good Luck” remains the sole $4 million club production on the Great White Way, for the week ending June 1.

The  Top 10:

1—”Good Night, And Good Luck,”  $4.246 million

 2—”Othello,” $3.550 million

3—” Wicked,” $2.302 million

4—”The Lion King,” $2.008 million

5—”Glengarry Glen Ross,” $2.005 million

6—”Hamilton,” $1.926 million

7—”The Picture of Dorian Gray,” $1.457 million

8—”Aladdin,” $1.366 million

9—” Death Becomes Her,” $1.346 million

10—“Sunset Blvd.,” $1.253 million

The complete list, courtesy the Broadway Guild:

And that’s Show Biz…

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FOX AXES ‘RESCUE,’ LAST OF SERIES

Fox’s “Rescue: HI-Surf” has been canceled after 19 episodes filmed here.

And then there were none.

With Fox cancelling the first-responder drama, “Rescue: HI-Surf,” set in the North Shore of Oahu, there no longer will be a Hawaii-based, Hawaii-shot TV series.

The series survived a one-season run – a total of 19 episodes — which concluded in March. An order for a second season is not forthcoming.

Fox picked up the show, originally destined for HBO Max, which brought life to a sinking and shrinking number of Island drama and trauma. “Rescue” tracked the life and tempo of lifeguards, who saved lives while and providing thin story lines on land. It provided some local jobs for the film industry here, since the last of the procedurals – CBS’ “NCIS: Hawaii —ceased filming last year.

Ariellle Kebbel

The “Rescue” squad featured Arielle Kebbel, Adam Demos, Robbie Magasiva, Kekoa Kekumano, Alex Aiono and Zoe Cipres. Matt Kester created the series, filmed in the famous rough waters often described as one of the world’s most treacherous turf, also served as an executive producer alongside co-showrunners John Wells and Daniel Nathanson…

Clooney is the first $4 million winner!

George Clooney

By, George, he’s done it again. George Clooney, in his Broadway debut with the drama, “Good Night, and Good Luck,” keeps breaking his (and his show’s) record again!

The show has logged an unprecedent $4 million at the box office, for the week ending May 4.

The Top 10:

1—”Good Night, and Good Luck,” $4.000 million

 2—”Othello,” $3.065 million

 3—“”Glengarry Glen Ross,” $2.336 million

4— Wicked,” $2.232 million

5—”The Lion King,” $1.999 million

6—”Hamilton,” $1.674 million

 7—”The Picture of Dorian Gray, $1.344 million

 8—”Aladdin,” $1.283 million

9—”MJ the Musical,” $1.227 million

10—”Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” $1.178 million

The entire list, courtesy the Broadway League:

And that’s Show Biz…

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NYC’S TISCH SCH00L SALUTES KIM

Actor-producer-writer Daniel Dae Kim,  the “Lost” and “Hawaii Five-O” actor who’s a sometime resident of Honolulu, recently was honored at the NYU Tisch School for Arts.

Winnie Holzman, an American playwright, screenwriter, and producer, also was an honoree. A Tisch grad like Kim, she wrote the book of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical “Wicked,”” and also co-wrote the screenplays for the movie version of “Wicked” and next year’s Part Two, “Wicked for Good.”

Kim earned his MFA in Tisch School’s Graduate Acting Program in 1996. His son Jackson also is an NYU grad.

Like Father, Like Son: Dad Daniel Dae Kim. left, with son Jackson, right.

Kim’s a man for all seasons, and an entertainment icon for all reasons. He’s become a prolific and pertinent Asian resource in recent years, widening his savvy and significance in everything, on camera and off.

Kim is a powerhouse TV figure: He’s completed three TV series with more than 100 episodes – the Hawaii-originated “Lost” on ABC and “Five-0” on CBS, and he appeared in and also produced “The Good Doctor” on ABC.

He’s big in voicing: In season one of Netflix’s “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” Kim voiced General Fong in one episode, but in season two, he’s playing Fire Lord Ozai in the live-action adaptation. He voiced seven episodes as Hiroshi Sato in “The Legend of Korra,” an animated series.

Kim, in “The King and I.”

He sings — when going theatrical: He’s successfully conquered the musical stage, starring as the The King of Siam in “The King and I” at  London’s Robert Albert Hall and on Broadway at Lincoln Center. Last year, he also starred in a comedy, “Yellow Face,” at the Todd Haimes Theatre. But no vocalizing here.

Next up: Kim is producing and will star in a spy series, “Butterfly,” already filmed in South Korea, where he was born (in Busan). It is his first multi-season scripted series where he plays the lead role. Amazon has not set a release date.

Still simmering: “Makawalu,” a feature film initiated by the Hawaii International Film Festival, which he has agreed to executive-produce. The ambitious project will be co-directed by eight Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) filmmakers, the first of its kind in the islands

He’s got the spirit: Yes, he lives in Hawaii as often as feasible, traveling to wherever and whenever a project beckons. He also has residences in New York and Los Angeles, but for Kim, it’s Hawaii No Ka Oi. It’s all about the aloha spirit…

And that’s Show Biz…