HARMONY ON THE SYMPHONY AGENDA

With the pandemic in its rear view mirror, the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra is looking for harmony and stability in a new four-year contract with the orchestra’s 84 musicians.

The HSO board has ratified the  pact, also overwhelmingly approved by the orchestra’s union, Musicians’ Assn. of Hawaii, Local 677, which assures 18 weeks of performances for the first two years, 19 weeks in the third year, and 21 weeks in the final year. The agreements cover the fiscal years from 2022 through 2026, somewhat rare in the still uncertain pandemic cloud that has stalled growth and security for many orchestras.

Dave Moss

“The heart of the symphony is our musicians and the signing of this multiple-year agreement ensures that they will have opportunities for growth as we continue our mission-driven work for the community,” said Dave Moss, president & CEO of HSO. “In a large way, it ends years of stops and starts for the Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra throughout the past decade and puts HSO in a place of unprecedented stability, even after we’ve navigated the effects of the pandemic.”

James F. Moffitt

“The four-year agreement is unusual among orchestras at this time. For Hawai‘i, it will allow the HSO management time to recover from the detrimental effects of the pandemic and it gives the musicians job security and growth to look forward to,” said James F. Moffitt, president of the Musicians’ Association of Hawaii, Local 677. “This will also strengthen the organization by giving confidence to patrons, donors and sponsors, encouraging them to continue to contribute generously as they anticipate the expanded programming and financial stability of the HSO.”

“The harmony between musicians, board, administration and community serves as the catalyst behind the credibility and trust that has been established over the past three years, both financially and artistically,” said Paul Kosasa, chairman  of the HSO board of directors..

The  contractual certifications will assure stability for the orchestra, when it launches the upcoming season, beginning Oct. 8, and enables HSO to continue the Halekulani Masterwork Concerts Series, the HapaSymphony Series, Starlight Series and additional special performances ….

‘Doogie’ boyfriends

Alex Aiono

Alex Aiono will return in season two of Disney+’s “Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.,” already in production here. Aiono has been portraying Walter Taumata, the surfer boyfriend of Lahela, the titular character played by Peyton Elizabeth Lee, who is the teen doctor when she’s not in high school. His relationship with Lahela, however, has not been defined since the series this year also cast Milo Manheim in a new recurring role and a likely boyfriend of Lahela.

Aiona also has  been a regular in “Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin,” the HBO Max streamer, where he appears as Shawn. His Hawaiian/Polynesian looks are from his Samoan-Maori father and he calls Phoenix, AZ his home. …

Casting couch

Keanu Reeves

Keanu Reeves, a Hawaii native of “The Matrix” and “John Wicks” franchises, will star in his first TV mainstreamer on Hulu,  “Devil in the White City,” based on Erik Larson’s book. The movie explores the life of Daniel Burnham, a visionary architect, who left his mark on the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, supposed the part Reeves will play, opposite a yet-to-be-cast  Dr. H.H. Holmes, considered to be America’s first modern serial killer (200 victims) and the dude behind the “Murder Castle” built in the shadow of the World’s Fair. The film boasts two celeb exec producers, Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio

Lady Gaga will add wattage to Joaquin Phoenix’s “Joker 2,” officially to be called “Joker: Folie a Deux,” when she plays Harley Quinn, a tongue-in-cheek handle for sure. In an early posting in June, Variety said the sequel would be a musical, though that distinction has not be mentioned in her casting announcement, but it had a musical teaser, tapping “Cheek to Cheek,” a song legitimizing her  career as a chanteuse-partner of Tony Bennett rather than an oddly-dressed pop-rocker. ..

Look for James Franco to play Fidel Castro in “Alina of Cuba,” an indie flick about Alina Fernandez, daughter  of the Cuban revolution. It’s a true story of her exile from Cuba and also features Natalia Revuetta as the Cuban socialite whose affair with Castro resulted in the birth of Alina. …

Zippy’s Senior Card expiring

If you possess a Senior Card from Zippy’s restaurants in Hawaii, you have until Sunday (Aug. 7) to utilize the card. The program will conclude effective Aug. 8.

A new Zipster program will replace the card, which has been a boon for the elderly with its 10 per cent discount for dine-in or take-out patronage. …

And that’s Show Biz. …

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