Sounds like a touchdown, for football and TV fans: Netflix and the National Football League are out of the huddle and prepping to stream a football docuseries entitled “Quarterbacks” on Netflix this summer.

The astonishing news is that the show will embrace and have unprecedented access to football icons like Patrick Mahomes of the Super Bowl-winning Kansas City Chiefs and his recording breaking total offense record and MVP trophy,  Kirk Cousins of the Minnesota Vikings on engineering his greatest comeback to win the NFC North Division title, and – with a Hawaii link – Marcus Mariota reflecting on his first season as starting QB with the Arizona Falcons.

The docuseries, tapped  for one season, will be produced by Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions, partnering with Mahomes’ PM Productions, and will feature video on and off the field.

Of course, footage will include some of this past season’s other standouts, not yet revealed, and the Netflix streaming will serve as not only a flashback of the 2022 season, but a likely prelude to the 2023 season.

“I’m excited for fans to get an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at an unforgettable season for the entire Chiefs organization and for my family,” said Mahomes in a statement.

 “From welcoming home a new baby in the middle of the season to welcoming the Lombardi trophy back to Kansas City, our crew was there for it all. This new Netflix series will show the time, preparation and balance that it takes to be an NFL quarterback and perform on the biggest stage.”

“Playing quarterback in the NFL is a unique experience that has some pretty incredible ups and downs,” said Manning, himself a former all-star QB. “Thanks to this collaboration with our partners at NFL Films, 2PM Productions and Netflix, fans will be given a unique and intimate look at what life is like as a starting QB.”

“We aim to give our members unprecedented access to the biggest athletes in the world, telling stories that you can’t see anywhere else,” Brandon Riegg, Netflix’s vice president of unscripted and documentary series, said in a statement. “And it doesn’t get any bigger than going inside the huddle with NFL quarterbacks, who hold perhaps the most important and difficult position in sports. We can’t wait to share their stories with our members around the world.” 

Manning is executive producer for Omaha Productions. Ross Ketover, Pat Kelleher and Keith Cossrow are executive producers for NFL Films.
Manning played for 18 seasons in the NFL, including  14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and four with the Denver Broncos, and is considered one of football’s greatest QBs. …

Fuga plans mana-fueled shows on Maui, Oahu

Paula Fuga, Na Hoku Hanohano Award-winning soul singer, will launch her new venture, Mana Wahine Productions, with a two-island concert on Maui and Oahu in the days ahead.

Fresh from her theatrical stage debut as the Fairy Godmother in Diamond Head Theatre’s “Cinderella” musical, Fuga will headline a March 3 show at 8 p.m. at Da Playaground on Maui and March 4 at 8 p.m. at The Republic on Oahu.

The Oahu gig will showcase guests Trishnalei and DJ Keala Kennelly.

“I love having the support of powerful women to help me accomplish my goals and dreams.” said Fuga, founder of Mana Wāhine Productions.  “I’m looking forward to expanding the creative potential of my career with bolder vision and progressive artistic collaborations elevated by my new, independent, Hawaii-based, mana-fueled production company.”

Tickets ($30 and $40 on Maui, $35 on Oahu) are available at https://www.paulafugahawaii.com/live …

And that’s Show Biz. …

Challenges aside, singer Shari Lynn and her keyboarder Jim Howard are back at the Hilton Hawaiian Village’s Paradise Lounge, located outside of the Bali restaurant in the Rainbow Tower.

She’ll be back, doing three sets from 7 p.m. on Feb. 18. Her agenda: performances on the second and fourth Saturdays each month.

Distractions and obstacles aside, Shari is a splendid optimist, sharing her skills of a stage actress, educator (retired) advocate of the Great American Songbook music, communicator and sometimes nightclub attraction, like this gig.

Ultimately, she distinguishes herself as a true chanteuse, with her ditties evolving as mini-stories that probe the essence of the lyrics, resulting in exquisite theatrical powerhouses. She’s on the money and she certainly works hard at her craft.

She focuses and digs deeply into the emotions of her tunes, as if she were delivering a romantic  ballad or a swing-thing from stage center. It’s not just her voice that sings, but her hands become part of her accentuate-the-positive expressions..

This, amid several pillars that restrict viewing for her devotees, and occasional hotel diners criss-crossing while she sings. She asks a restaurant aide to turn off a TV screen facing her from an opposite wall (a distraction for her, but not the audience – the volume is off) and the errant chit-chats from diners awaiting a table can be heard, too.

Through all of this, she soldiers on with a repertoire that taps  Broadway and screen classics, a bit of jazz, for which she’s known. This is not the perfect venue, but she has the manner and motivation to entertain and enchant her listeners nonetheless.

Over two sets, you’ll know and embrace her selections: “This Could Be the Start of Something Big” (with altered lyrics mentioning Waikiki and the Bali), “Send in the Clowns” (the Stephen Sondheim signature, perfect for a little night music serenade), “If He Walked Into My Life” (high drama, packed with sentiment).

Musically, Shari covers a lot of ground. Oldies are crisp, when she taps “Where or When,” “The Gypsy in My Soul,” “Getting to Know You,” “The Best Is Yet to Come.” Even “It’s Not Easy Being Green” is rich in texture, and whoa, her bossa nova parody is one to experience, too.

On this night, her pal Mary Gutzi, a star of Broadway and Hawaii stages, gets up and hits homers with “ ‘Swonderful” (‘Smarverlous, perfect rendering) and “Someone to Watch Over Me” (sustaining the power of the lyrics). Gutzi is on hiatus here, waiting for New York to defrost, but also has been offering vocal coaching.

This joyous serenade couldn’t happen without pianist Howard, who gets and deserves generous solo-keyboard interludes on many selections, a gift not commonly shared by other warblers. But he connects with the singers. Or, as Shari opines, “He breathes with you,” referring to Howard’s absorbing style of expression via his fingers.

He also is kinda of one-man geek squad; with his Roland keyboard momentarily posing problems, he finds the right plugs to keep the ball rolling. And his remarkable solo of Vince Guaraldi’s “The Charley Brown Christmas Song” was note-for-note as good as the original. …

And that’s Show Biz. …