Category: Updates

A roster of bona fide luminaries in Hawaii’s recording industry will be honored in the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts’ Lifetime Achievement Awards gala Nov. 5 at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel’s Monarch Room.

The 2023 inductees are:

• Audy Kimura, left, a singer, composer, guitarist, engineer, and producer best known for his “Lovers and Friends” hit; also a longtime entertainer (now retired) at Hy’s Steak House, a commercial jingle writer and accomplished rifle shooter.
• Karen Keawehawai‘i, left below, a veteran singer, recording artist, television host and radio personality, actress, featured voice with the Royal Hawaiian Band but also known for a floral garden in her hair.

• Nohelani Cypriano, right, below a singer, composer, keyboardist, club performer and wife of Dennis Grau.

• Les Ceballos, left below, a singer well known as a mainstay in the Kamehameha Schools song contest.

• Kata Maduli, below right, is arecording artist, show presenter, and the father of McKenna Maduli and the husband of Janet Maduli.

A luncheon ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. with a silent auction and no-host cocktails, with doors opening at 11:30 a.m. for seating and a lunch at 11 a.m.  The ceremony begins at noon and will feature entertainment with biographic profiles, concluding at 2 p.m.

The event also will bestow a Legacy Recognition honor to the late Cynthia “Cindy” Ann Lance, a Hula Records executive who also was  researcher and writer and savvy and knowledgeable Hawaiiana expert.

Tickets: $90.

Details: info@HARAHAWAII.com or call  Janet Maduliat (808) 282-5577…

Hollywood strike has impacted local filming

The shutdown of Hollywood productions on the Mainland impacted Hawaii shows too.

 With actors going on strike, in support of the Writers
Guild of America walkout, all shows are on pause.

Nearly 160,000 members of the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) are supporting  the 20,000 Writers Guild of America members who have been picketing since May, when negotiations broke down with writers seeking a new three-year contract with movie studios.

The SAG-AFTRA strike affects 1,200 actors in Hawaii.

The shows affected are CBS’ “NCIS: Hawai‘i,” which apparently completed its second season filming before the shutdown occurred, and Disney’s live-action “Moana” and  live-action “Lilo and Stitch” features. NBC’s “Magnum P.I.” called off part of the show’s fifth season, too, but the closure came before the WGA and SAG-AFTRA walk-out, and its status is in limbo and likely is being cut off from NBC, the network that gave it a safety net pickup.

Amy Hill, pictured, who was a “Magnum” recurring star for CBS’ four seasons of the procedural and also the shortened fifth season on NBC, also has been doing the “Lilo and Stitch” project, told Hawaii News Now that labor disputes no longer are surprising. “Having been in this business for a while I kind of, I’m always ready for losing a job,” said Hill. …

And that’s Show Biz. …

Eighth in a series of Broadway reports

NEW YORK — Beginning with director Harold Prince’s 1979 original, every “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” I’ve seen has been boldly different, bloody yet beguiling, and essentially stellar and memorable entertainment.

The latest, one of the best, stars Josh Groban as Todd and Annaleigh Ashford as Mrs. Lovett, is currently playing at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on Broadway. Directed by Thomas Kail (of “Hamiton”), it pairs two powerful, operatic-range voices, whose solos and duets elevate the Stephen Sondheim score, and heightens the ecstasy of the warped tale of a 19^th century  manic barber in London who’s a literal cut-throat who partners with a piemaker whose mincemeat pastry is the ultimate dessert.

The original, starring Len Cariou and Angela Lansbury, is the grandest of all, with a catwalk as part of the mammoth staging and an impressive barbershop with the requisite chair. The latest is midway in proportion and size, and the minimalist version of all featured the cast (of nine) doubling as musicians. Yep, I even remember Patti LuPone as Lovett, and she had to toot a tuba!

Annleigh Ashford is Mrs. Lovett and Josh Groban is Sweeney Todd.

The current “Todd” is appropriately shadowy and dark, mysterious and maddening, with soaring voices that brighten the experience. More than 80 per cent is sung, thus “Todd” is rightfully operatic in staging and delivery. And no denying, Tony nominee Groban is box office gold, in his second Broadway endeavor; the first was 2016’s immersive “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812,” where he also was wow and received a Tony nom.
Todd is vindictive and seeks revenge on Judge Turpin (Jamie Jackson) who got him imprisoned for 15 years and has issues with the judge’s rape of Todd’s wife and seizure of his daughter Johanna (Maria Bilbao).

Hawaii’s Ruthie Ann Miles is the Beggar Woman, nominated for a Tony.

This “Sweeney” also has an island tie: Ruthie Ann Miles, a Tony winner for her featured role in the musical, “The King and I,” is playing a secondary role, the Beggar Woman, and was nominated for a Tony in June. In her shaggy black costume and her curious notions, Miles’ Beggar Woman oozes mystery and fascination with outbursts as “Mischief! Mischief Mischief!” and questioning laments during tunes like “Johanna.” She might be shrill, but never still in her vox populi opinions.

Gaten Matarazzo, left, as the urchin Tobias, earns cheers.

And TV fans will relish the presence of “Stranger Things” star Gaten Matarazzo (as the street urchin, Tobias). He earned a few hearthrob cheers from fans.

Sondheim’s melodies and lyrics are generally challenging for actors; his tunes are not the easiest to master or perform, with lyrics that have their own rhymes. Thus breakout hits are few from a Sondheim soundtrack. However, “Johanna,” sung by the Anthony Hope character (played by Daniel Yearwood) is haunting and beautiful, with relevance outside of the play. Hope is smitten with Johanna, the ward of Judge Turpin, and the tune’s mood-shaping grace finds a place in both Acts 1 and 2.

For the squeamish, a cautionary note: There are repeating scenes of the barber’s razor, slashing throats of victims. These acts are relevant to the story, and that’s why “Sweeney Todd” is bloody good. …

And that’s Show Biz. …

‘Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

‘“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” is a musical by Stephen Sondheim (music and lyrics), with book by Hugh Wheeler, adapted by Christopher Bond, directed by Thomas Kail, choreographed by Steven Hoggett

Playing at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on Broadway

Portraying a fictional Doctah Frank, comedian Frank DeLima made a rare appearance at MW Restaurant to deliver a musical parody honoring Dr. Thomas Kosasa Saturday night (July 8).

About 110 guests – many of Kosasa’s clients whose bebes he delivered over a span of 50 years, as well as the doc’s medical peers — attended the event, belatedly marking”10,000+2” infants delivered by Kosasa.

Doctah Frank DeLima, in doctor mode.

Kosasa, with Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children, is a longtime OBGYN specializing  in obstetrics and gynecology.  

DeLima, a comedian whose specialty includes creating musical parodies, was commissioned by Cha Thompson, a family friend of Dr. Kosasa and his wife Mi, to appear as a faux doc to deliver a brief musical parody about the real doctor’s milestone baby deliveries. It was a one-in-a-lifetime gift – immortalized on a formal video but delivered live with DeLima  in doctor gear, singing the parody to Kosasa to the tune of “Mr. Sandman,” the tune by The Chordettes.

In Doctah Frank’s version, there’s localized and pidginized lyrics to salute Dr. Thomas on his stunning ongoing mission in delivering keiki.

There was name-dropping – bebes with eyes like Genoa Keawe, a warm heart like Jimmy Borges, and wavy hair like Jason Momoa – to reflect the island spirit.

“Tom was definitely surprised and happy!,” said Mi Kosasa. “I never saw him smile so much.”

Three years  ago, Dr. Kosasa (pictured) delivered his 10,000^th infant. At that time, Jerry Wu hosted a party honoring him at MW’s original restaurant on Kapiolani Boulevard.

So why a shebang now?

“This past February, Tom delivered Jerry’s only son, L. Tristan,” said Mi. (Mom is Renee Tan). “And last September, Tom delivered Michelle and Wade Ueoka’s (chef-owners of the MW of the eatery) only child, a son named Ryeland. And since MW is Jerry’s and our favorite restaurant, Jerry wanted (the party) at MW’s new location at Kapiolani and Ward Avenue.”

Among those at the party – again hosted by Wu —  was a Kosasa friend who flew to Hawaii from Budapest, since she had three infants delivered by Dr. Kosasa. Other out-of-towners came from Tokyo, Korea and Las Vegas.

A “Top Gun” motif was the evening’s theme, with many donning gear relating to Tom Cruise’s film, and all attendees received aviator glasses donated by Brad Nicolai, who unfortunately couldn’t attend.
MW shut down the restaurant for the evening, using the main dining room as a cocktail lounge and utilized the adjacent Bentley Room – with vehicles relocated to create dining space – for a lavish, sumptuous dinner.

Brian Chang and Mike Ching entertained  for five hours, with dancing closing the evening.

DeLima put his heart and soul into the parody, a rare one-time-only performance of the song. He spent two weeks honing the number. “I did 10 takes to finally get it right,” he said of the final video he recorded, a copy of which has been presented to Kosasa.  “I think Dr. Thomas loved it,” he said of his performance. “He was smiling through it.”

Because July 8 was DeLima’s birthday, the party guests sang “Happy Birthday” to him.

A video of DeLima in his  doctor guise is shared on my Facebook page; if you choose to view it, it would be a great gesture  to make a donation to DeLima’s ongoing Student Enrichment Program, where he annually stages inspirational sessions with public and private school students …

And that’s Show Biz. …

Second in a series of New York reports

NEW YORK – Location, location, location.

Price, price, price.

Convenience, convenience, convenience.

Whenever I traveled in the past, I’d book hotels to accrue frequent-stayer points.

I favored the Hilton brand, which included sister properties like Doubletree. And Sheraton also was a secondary favorite.

But when my back and leg pain worsened, a hotel located smack dab in the middle of the zone I preferred – in New York, it’s always been the Theatre District in Manhattan’s West Side –the focus of where my wife and I would stay mattered most.

And though we were totally aware of the Hotel Edison on W. 47th Street, we’ve never stayed there. Till this most recent trip.

We’d always walk through the Edison’s lobby, to get to 46^th Street, and through the Marriott on 46^th and 45^th to further traipse through the short cuts to 44^th Street. Everyone did this; the flock of theaters were located in this region.

When checking for housing this time, the Edison’s $238 daily rate was an unbelievable attraction, because Marriott down the street was charging under $500, just like The W next door.

Of course, the final tab would escalate when New York’s multi-taxes were added.

Still, when you rely on an electric wheel chair to tool around the theater district, location and convenience matter most.

Thus, the Edison in the heart of the Broadway action, was a gem. No need frequent stayer points. Location doesn’t get any better, and the price clearly was right. And the conveniences on W. 47^th St., like the TKTS booth,  attracts folks hunting for buy-one, get-one-free tickets to Broadway shows. Popular restaurants like Olive Garden are on W. 47^th, and Applebee is just up the street, on Broadway. Junior’s, a Zippy’s-like eatery with a huge family following, is further up on Broadway at W. 49^th Street, and we always have breakfast here.

Further, the MTA buses stop at W. 49^th Street on Seventh Avenue, if you’re southbound; and subway stations similarly in walking distance.

But the largest convenience is the fact that  Broadway theaters generally are in the mid-40s, between Seventh and Eighth Avenues.

One theater, the Lunt-Fontanne, where “Sweeney Todd” is playing, is a mere minute away next-door to the Edison. Can’t get better than this.

We stayed at the Marriott before, when I was still a fully qualified walker; the problem with this hotel is that whenever the elevators open, they were always filled, particularly when everyone was headed to a show. The next available elevator would be generally filled to the max, too. With a wheelchair now, this would be wholly inconvenient. In contrast, the Edison’s bank of six or seven elevators are readily accessible; if one was full, the next one arrived quickly.

This past stay, the furthermost theater we visited was the Vivian Beaumont at Lincoln Center, at W. 65^th Street. We caught a Yellow Cab going there and an Uber lift returning to the hotel.

The longest distance I walked was up to the August Wilson Theatre, on W. 52^nd St., where “Funny Girl” is running. ‘Twas the longest journey by foot, augmented by my walking cane. But manageable.

To get to “Here Lies Love” at the Broadway Theatre, at Broadway and W. 53^rd Street, I utilized the wheelchair and parked it in the lobby. Like many theaters, this one had a mezzanine balcony, and our seats were Up There, and I managed the ascent and descent by clinging to handrails. The movement was slowly, yes, and deliberate, to avoid a fall.

Also, wheel chaired to the Winter Garden, at Broadway and W. 51^st Street, and had booked seats for “Back to the Future” in the last row in orchestra, with an open space for the chair adjoining the companion’s fixed seat. Didn’t have to park the chair in the lobby here. We exited the performance during the curtain call, enabling us to get a jump on the journey to the Edison.

Back to the hotel: If I book the Edison on a future trip, I’d try to secure a room with more space. Our room had a king-sized bed but little wiggle space, with the wheelchair parked in the midst of the room for nightly recharging.

 The Edison, renovated some years back, had a spacious bathroom with a large shower stall. But storage was nil; just one small door-sized closet to hang clothing, plus a shelf.

The work desk for a laptop was a teeny table that also held the coffeemaker, the coffee packets, the tub for ice, and bottled water, with an office chair – the only seat in the room.

The bed had two tiny shelves with one small drawer on each side but was attached to the walls; perhaps two smaller drawers below would have been helpful. 

The ledge of a large window was used as an iPhone and Apple watch recharging station, since there was no other space.

The Edison hosts a complimentary 24/7 gym, which I visited only once, for an hour of cardio pedaling on a bike, along with exercise machines I’ve used back home, under supervision. I didn’t want to overdo or underdo weights for leg and pulleying excersises without an on-duty official, in case of accidents.

The hotel stay included a daily free grab-and-go breakfast (with choices like an egg and bacon sandwich, a croissant, a yogurt sundae, and fruits like banana and orange) and Wednesday and Friday happy hour wine parties which we didn’t partake in since we were coming from or going to theater.

The Edison provided a new concept of breakfast in bed, since there was no space to sip coffee and eat – except on the bed. And a large TV mounted on the wall facing the bed, offered the “Today” show daily. …

By paying more and securing a larger room,  perhaps the location-price-convenience formula would still be relevant. For potential handicapped visitors, these considerations count. We shall see if we return to the gem called Edison. …

And that’s Show Biz. …

Today’s food observation will make locals giggle.

It still baffles me that even the Food Network’s Iron Chefs continue to mispronounce the favored Japanese bread crumbs.

It’s Panko, pronounced “pahn-ko,” not “PAN-koe,” as many cooks still are not onto it.

With Japanese cuisine no longer a regional thing, it’s surprising that many who use Panko still mispronounce it.

Panko is part of the universal dialogue these days, alongside bento, dashi, musubi, uni and furikake. Sushi became part of the vocab years ago, like its favored hot sister, wasabi.

So why is Panko still not rightfully recognized?

Two other maligned non-food Japanese terms will not likely gain proper respect anytime soon: karaoke and hara-kiri.

For the record, it’s ka-ra-o-ke and ha-ra-ki-ri, not karryokey and harrykerry.

Got that, for those still not in the know?