Category: Updates

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‘OUTHOUSE’ BOOK-SIGNING TODAY

Frances Kakugawa, the prolific poet and author known for her literary mouse Wordsworth, concludes her brief island visit today (Feb. 1).

Kakugawa is originally from Kapoho on the Big Island, who was a long-time Honolulan while toiling for the Department Education here before retiring bin Sacramento. She will autograph her latest tome, “The Outhouse Poet,” at 2 p.m. today at Barnes & Nobles at Ala Moana Center.

Frances Kakugawa

“Outhouse” (Watermark Publishing) is her 19th book – but not her last, since her 20thpublication is in the works. Surely, her current volume is a keeper, with its cover shot of an outhouse, and likely the most ingenious book jacket of any season.

Those of a certain vintage, who were raised in the islands amid a rustic landscape minus running water and a flushing toilet, will remember with mixed thoughts the closet-like wooden structure commonly erected somewhere on the property of a country home.  Yes, the outhouse was out there, outside of the home, perhaps with a wee window or none at all, with a key feature: a hole in the ground and likely a copy of the Sears Roebuck catalogue which served the purpose of what now would be Charmin toilet paper.

“The Outhouse Poet” has a subtitle, “Reflections of a Writer,” indicative of the think-tank moments back in the day, when Kakugawa would perhaps nurture a poem, or a thought, that would someday be fodder for a book. There are poems, her specialty, along a chapter on banned books.

Kakugawa will sign copies of her book, and perhaps reflect on Those Days in isolation. While here, she spoke at an Altheimer’s  event at the Elks Club and signed copies of her book at Hilo’s Basically Books where her former first graders from Laupahoehoe School on the Big Island showed up to support their former teacher.

On Saturday (Jan.31) we met up with her at Heavenly at the Koko Marina Center, for a sumptuous  breakfast, which just may wind up as a future destination for more meals and  reflections together…

Santos and Kimokea at The Lounge

Jerry Santos and Kamuela Kimokea will team up for a splendid show from 5 to 7:30 p.m. and from 8 to 10:30 p.m. Feb. 21 at Kapono’s on The Lounge at the Hawaii Kai Shopping Center. The first show was a quick sell-out but eats remain for the nightcap.

Kimokea and Santos: Together again at Kapono’s at The Lounge.

Reservations are $110 for two seats; VIP seats are also available.

I’ve not been in this venue since it became an active night spot. Santos teamed up with Kimokea recently for an evening at the Kahala Resort, and the show included a buffet meal but viewing accommodations were problematic. Best moment at any Santos show: “E Kuu Home O Kahaluu.” And their interplay and harmonies are first-stage.
The Plumeria Beach House is not a proper fit for live music, though it’s also a plus to sit through a Santos show anytime, even if you can’t see him. I went for the music but wound up “reviewing” the buffet — great misoyaki butterfish, too salty choi sum; wonderful salmon-poke salad, bland chicken long rice; yummy haupia dessert, and so on.

Consequently, The Lounge site — tailor-made for live acts — should be a bonanza that simply couldn’t churn up the vibes at the Kahala.

And that’s Show Biz…

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VALENTINE PINS IN THE MAIL

Except for a couple of last-minute additions to my mailing list, most of the 2026 Valentine’s pins are en route to recepiens.

In fact, more than 75 per cent already have received their pins by now.

Monday’s deliveries should reach others.

The motifs widely feature hearts, the essence of Valentine’s, and red and pink dominate the palette.

These are among the designs this season,

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MARS’ TOUR TO SKIP HAWAII

Bruno Mars, perhaps the most revered native son icon on the planet now, will go global with his mammoth tour beginning April 10 at the Allegient Stadium in Las Vegas. Tickets went on sale Jan. 14 at GoTickets.com but are also available at other ticketing agencies.

The tour supports Mars’ new “The Romantic” album, due to be released by Atlantic on Feb. 27. The first single, “I Just Might,”  dropped a few days ago, and already is charted as a bona fide hit.

“The Romantic” CD cover

For Hawaii fans, catching Mars means fetching tickets for one of his playdates, which run from spring to fall, elsewhere. FYI, several cities already have added new playdates because of brisk,  healthy sales.

Some data worth sharing:

* The Romantic Tour broke records for the largest single-day ticket sales in Live Nation history throughout North America, Europe and the UK.

* Ticketmaster logged 2.1 million tickets in a single sales day.

* Mars’ first-ever stadium sked now spans more than 70 shows, a decade after his record-breaking 24K Magic World Tour nearly a decade ago.

The many moods of local-boy and homegrown superestar, Bruno Mars.

In plain talk, Mars is a hottie, with shows scheduled between June 2026 and July 2027.  But obviously, Mars can’t concertize in the Islands since the Aloha Stadium is closed for renovations, and there’s no viable venue unless you consider outside-of-the-box locations like Diamond Head Crater, Kualoa Ranch, or the plains at Schofield Barracks, which would mean impossible challenges like a lack of infrastructure or parking or security measures. But wouldn’t this make for an indisputably spectacular TV special after the fact? Just daydreaming.

His tours will be on hiatus during the holiday season, since he has a Christmas-New Year’s residency to fill at Dolby Live at Park MGM, Las Vegas.

“The Romantic” is the Hawaii-born superstar’s fourth album  and the first in nearly a decade.

Mars is a familiar figure in Billboard Charts and the Grammy Awards since he became a household name. His trademark retro-inspired rhythm ‘n’ blues sound, elevated with a pop punch thanks to the versatility of his group, the Hooligans, includes the likes of “Just the Way You Are,” “Uptown Funk, “When I Was Your Man,” “Locked Out of Heaven,” “24K Magic,” “Treasure,” and “Marry You.” He just might slip in “I Just Might,” natch.

In the 2018 Grammy Awards, Mars won 16 trophies, in a major sweep of seven awards, and additional wins with Silk Sonic, and  his 2024 collaboration with Lady Gaga on “Die With a Smile,” was reflective of his versatility and fluidity in partnering with landmark peers. In the 2026 Grammy Awards on Feb. 1, he is nominated for for his collaboration with Rosé on the song “APT.,” for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. And betcha he wins big time, too,..

And that’s Show Biz…

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CAZIMERO SETS CHAI DATES

Entertainer  Robert Cazimero has revealed his initial 2026 monthly show dates at Chef Chai, where his Hawaiian music with hula is accompanied by a gourmet meal..

The schedule for the first six months:

  • Sunday, Jan. 11
  • Sunday, Feb. 15
  • Sunday, March 8
  • Thursday, March 19
  • Sunday, April 19
  • Wednesday May 13
  • Sunday, June 7
Robert Cazimero

Dinner service begins at 5 p.m. and Cazimero gets behind his grand piano for performances beginning at 6:30 p.m.  His shows feature two long-time hula dancers, Sky Perkins Gora and Keola “Bully” Makaiau.

The gigs used to be called Full Moon Concerts, a theme no longer applicable since the shows are scheduled with flexibility, determined by Cazimero’s other commitments rather than the lunar calendar. Thus the days of the week varies, and he has slated two programs in March.

Cazimero is working with Pomaikai Shishido, who has taken over the kitchen and day-to-day operations since veteran Chef Chai Chaowasaree departed to Thailand last year.

Reservations: (808) 585-0011 or Open Table.

Musical notes elsewhere:

Jerry Santos
  • Jerry Santos and Kamuela Kimikeo will be featured from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 22 at Plumeria Beach House at the Kahala Hotel & Resort. Reservations may be made online via Open Table. The Hawaiian Music Perpetuation Society is the presenter.
Josh Tatufi
  • Josh Tatofi, the Honolulu vocalist, musician and composer, returns to Blue Note Hawaii at the Outrigger Waikiki resort, to celebrate the club’s 10th anniversary this month. Playdates are at
  • 6:30 and 9 p.m. Jan. 16 and 17. Doors open at 5 and 8:30 p.m. for meal and beverage service.

Premium seating is $75, loge and bar seating is $55.

Tatofi is known as the “Polynesian Luther Vandross, and his music is a fusion of traditional and contemporary elements. He also advocates the preservation of Hawaii culture and promotes Hawaiian language and tradition  and the aloha spirit to a global audience.

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

Iam Tongi
  • Iam Tongi, the “American Idol” from Laie, completes a two-night gig at 6:30 and 9 p.m. today (Jan. 2) at Blue Note Hawaii.

Tickets (all ages) are $102.82.

Doors open at 5 and 8:30 p.m. for meal and beverage service

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

‘Wicked’ regains No.1 spot on Broadway

“Wicked” grossed $4.8 million and reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the weekly grosses, topping “Harry Potter and the Curse Child,” which ruled the tallies for two weeks.

It was an uncommon week, since six Broadway shows had a nine-performance week ending Dec. 28, instead of the usual eight weekly shows.

The shows staging the extra performance were “Wicked,” “The Lion King,” “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,”  “Stranger Things: The First Shadow,”  “Alladin,” and “The Great Gatsby.”

When the dust settled and box office takes counted, “Wicked” was the big winner, grossing $4.8 million.

The Top 10:

1—”Wicked,” $4.401 million

2—”The Lion King,” $3.915 million

3—”Hamilton,” $3.768 million

4—”Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” $3,768 million

5—”Stranger Things: The First Shadow,” $3.510. million

6—”Aladdin,” $2.443 million

7—” MJ,” $2.221 million

8—”Mamma Mia!,” $2.072 million

9—”Chess,” $1.863 million

10—“The Great Gatsby,” $1.809 million

The complete ranking, courtesy the Broadway Guild:

And that’s Show Biz…

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SAYING ALOHA TO A WHIMSY YULE

As I put away the remnants and reminders of crafty things from this Christmas past, I can’t help reminiscing about a bunch of mini holiday creations with a whole bunch of kitty cats, a few dogs, and some random animal critters like little piggies and penguins.

These motley animal figures weren’t Christmas-oriented. No sirree!  But I was doing mini craft gifts that required tons of imagination and a slew of Santas, a range of bottle brush Christmas trees in hues ranging from customary green plus red, pink and yellow. Oh, metallic gold trees, too!

Most of the “characters” were mail-ordered via Temu and a few had precise atmospheric traits or were clad in obvious costumes, as bakers, ukulele strummer, librarians, sushi-makers, pianists and even a cat chatting on an iPhone and another at an Apple laptop. Honest!

So sheer imagination and will power were key to  creating the vibes of a specific Christmas which became the was the season of funky gifts with an operative word and a theme and  sense of whimsy.

I didn’t photograph every one of the scenes but did snap a few, shared here as I say goodbye to Christmas 2025.  If you received one, lemme know your reactions.