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Manoa Valley Theatre will launch the Hawaii premiere of “Tenderly, the Rosemary Clooney Musical,” on July 11.

Clooney, a Hollywood veteran of recordings, film, radio and television, was the aunt of Oscar-winning actor-director George Clooney.

Jennifer Cleve Sojot stars as Rosemary Clooney, and Lance Rae will appear in multiple roles including Doctor.

Stephanie Conching is directing the production, with Miki Yamamoto as musical director.

Clooney was a pop music and jazz diva of her time, noted for such hit songs as “Tenderly,” “Come-on-a-My House,” “This Ole House,” “Hey There,” and “Half as Much.”

“Tenderly” will run July 11 to 21. Curtain time is 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays, with a 3 p.m. matinee on July 21.

Tickets: $25 to $47, available at www.manoavalleytheatre.com and (808) 988-6131 …

Ginai at Medici’s on Saturday

Ginai, two-time winner of the Na Hoku Hanohano Awards, will stage a “Tribute to Michael Franks” concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday (June 29) at Medici’s at Manoa Marketplace. Doors open at 6 p.m. for dinner.

The evening will include such Franks hits as “Popsicle Toes” and “The Lady Wants to Know,” and perhaps selections from Ginai’s notable albums, “Hot Club of Hulaville,” “Django Would Go,” and
“Hula Joe & the Hut Jumpers.”

Tickets: $59, available at https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/musicatmedicis/5142/event/1380514 or (808) 351-0901 …

‘Merrily’ joins $2 million club

Following its multi-Tony Awards this year, “Merrily We Roll Along” has joined the elite $2 million club, good for third place in this year’s Broadway grosses.

The Top Ten:

1—”The Lion King,” $2,282 million.

2—“Wicked,” $2,222 million.

3—”Merrily We Roll Along,” $2,173 million.

4—”Hamilton,” $1,972 million.

5—“Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club,” $1,814 million.

6—”Hell’s Kitchen,” $1,800 million.

7—”An Enemy of the People,” $1,545 million.

8—” The Wiz,” $1,481 million.

9— Aladdin,” $1,431 million.

10—”MJ the Musical.” $1,352 million.

The complete list, courtesy the Broadway League:

And that’s Show Biz…

Kumu Kahua Theatre, Hawaii’s stage group specializing in shows written by island playwrights with tales about Hawaii’s lifestyle, will launch its 54^th season  Aug. 27 at the downtown venue. Five plays, including two world premieres, make up the season.

The company’s productions encompass Hawaiian history, humor and themes that embrace local culture, communities and identities, and frequently feature scripts with pidgin English.

Harry Wong III curated the works, which will feature local actors and directors, whose storytelling skills will challenge and move audiences while celebrating the vibrant community of the islands.

“Through the use of humor, history, and even magic, these plays explore serious issues
about identity, culture, society and belonging,” said Wong. “We are thrilled to share these diverse and dynamic stories and celebrate the work of tremendous playwrights with our community.”

The agenda of productions:

• “Lovey Lee,” by Moses Goods, Aug. 22 to Sept. 22—A coming-of-age play, Lovey Lee is a young queer Hawaiian, in search of his place, in the 1970s of Hawaii, a time of reclamation, discovery and pride. The state’s cultural renaissance is in its peak, and the sexual liberation movement is booming, but the journey of any brave pioneer is often complicated and fraught with challenges, and Lovey attempts to find his relevance.

• “Kimo the Waiter,”by Lee Cataluna, Nov. 7 to Dec. 8–Kimo waits tables while pursuing his dream of acting professionally in the 1980s – but he’s always too brown, or not brown enough. Kimo’s quest is funny, frustrating and totally relatable as he tries to break free from stereotypical images of island characters. During a time when there were few roles for people of color, except for local commercials, those television images of Hawaii people were, in some cases, even more limiting than Hollywood’s idea of what it meant to be from Hawaii.
  
  

• “Southernmost,” by Mary Lyon Kamitaki
  Jan. 23 to Feb. 23– For former fisherman Wally Chaves, who lives with his retired wife Becky in the familiar
  hills of Kaʻu at the southernmost tip of the Big Island, planting keiki trees for a coffee farm is giving him new life. When daughter Charlene visits with her girlfriend Jessica – Wally
  calls her “one vegetarian lesbian” – things become unstable. But when earthquakes start to really shake things up, should they stay, or should they go?

• “The Magic of Polly Amnesia,” by Tony Pisculli, March 27 to April 27–
  Polly Amnesia – orphan, magician, punk – takes the stage fora her one-woman magic show. Throughout her act, she attempts to sort hope from delusion, dreams from bullshit and true magic from trickery as she recounts her quixotic quest to solve the mystery of her own identity and the family that abandoned her. But in tonight’s performance, something is going terribly wrong. A world premiere.
• “The Golden Gays,”  by Ryan “Oki”naka, May 29 to June 29, 2025–Aunty Maria Lani Tunta is the free, fierce, and fabulous mother to a chosen family of queens, facing their golden years and ready for second chances. What does it mean for a drag queen to be in their 70s, for a sexual player to keep up his game, for a divorced man to explore being gay for the first time, for a widower to date again? These bitches bicker, tease, and challenge each other to move on, and they do it in makeup and heels. In this crazy life you have to seize the cheesecake. This script was inspired by the groundbreaking show: “The Golden Girls.” A world premiere.

Performances are at 7 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and at 2 p.m. Sundays.

Tickets: $5 to $25, now on sale at www.kumukahua.org or
(808) 536-4441

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Hawaii’s Bette Midler stars in “The Fabulous Four,” a wedding comedy also featuring Susan Sarandon, Megan Mullally and Sheryl Lee Ralph.

It’s a women’s buddy tale, when four lifelong friends travel to Key West to recreate their friendship bond, as the Midler character, Marilyn, is getting married.

A trailer debuted on the Tony Awards show, with the film opening July 26.

The bride-to-be Marilyn – a budding Tik Tok star –invites her college chums to be bridesmaids, in her second marriage after hubby’s death.

The gal pals come from different spheres, as they face senior hood.  Ralph’s Kitty character is a stoner; Mullally’s Alice has a thing for gummies; and Sarandon’s Lou, in stethoscope and scrubs, executes Face Time chats with her cats….

Traveling man

Robert Cazimero is off to Japan, serving as a judge in Kuana Torres Kahele’s hula competition. Then he stages a concert, featuring the winners of the hula competish…

Was kinda nice to see Cazimero and a flock of island entertainers recently in Hawaiian Airlines’ pre-flight (to New York, anyway) clips of music videos. Among the other acts featured: Henry Kapono, Keali‘i Reichel, Keauhou (with Cazimero) and Kelly Boy DeLima. Music, after all, is one of our state’s precious resources…

‘Five-O’ regular Taylor Wily dies

Taylor Wily, the Honolulu actor who played Kamekona in the reboot of CBS’ “Hawaii Five-O,” died  June 20 at age 56. A cause has not been announced. He played a lunch wagon honcho and starred in 171 episodes between 2010 and 2020. Later, he also reprised his role for seven episodes in the 2018 revival of “Magnum, P.I.”

Wily’s real name was Teila Tuli.

“I am devastated. Heartbroken,” said Peter Lenkov, the CBS showrunner for both “Five-O” and “Magnum.” “You were family. And I will miss you every day, brother. When we spoke last week, we laughed at how right you were from Day 1. ‘Five-O’ was our dream job. And I was so lucky we got to share that magic together.”…

Ballet Hawaii raises goal

Ballet Hawaii has had to raise its 21 days of giving goal, due to unexpected expenses.

According to Richard Vida, executive director, the ballet company faced an unexpected issue with the installation of new flooring in the main studio, so a new goal of $21,000 has been necessary.

“All monies raised toward this new goal will be restricted and applied to the refurbishment of our floor in studio one,” said Vida.

Donors can contribute via the company’s website, www.ballethawaii.org …

And that’s Show Biz…

Services for Jade Stice, beloved actress in island and Broadway shows, will be held July 7 at the Ko‘olau Ballroom in Kaneohe.

The agenda includes visitation from 3 p.m., services at 4 p.m., and a celebration reception following the rites.

Stice died on June 6, in a hiking accident in California. She was 53.

Stice, who graduated in 1988 from Castle High School, exemplified the best values instilled by her Castle High School mentor, the late director Ronald Bright: Believe.

In 1991 Stice set her sights on the bright lights of The Great White Way, auditioning for and securing a role in the original Broadway cast of “Miss Saigon,” which starred Filipino actress Lea Salonga as Kim and Hawaii native Willy Falk as Chris, the American soldier. Stice was an ensemble member, eventually inheriting the role of Ellen, Chris’ wife, in the hit musical.

Later, Stice was a member of the first touring company of another Broadway hit, “Jekyll & Hyde.”

Stice also starred in numerous Hawaii shows, and one of her career highlights was portraying Queen Lili‘uokalani, in the world premiere of “A Timeless Princess” at Mamiya Theatre.

Her Broadway experiences enabled Stice to hone and share her skills, and founded, with sister Ligaya Stice, the I’m a Bright Kid Foundation, to preserve and perpetuate the legacy of Mr. B. Her stage triumphs with  IABK included “The Wiz,”  “Songs for a New World” and “Children of Eden.”

At the time of her death, she had been planning to work with youngers in IABK’s summer training sessions for island youth, which culminates in a staged production. While theater was her first love, Stice also had passion for and devotion to the Familly Hui Hawaii, where she was stage program manager of the parent support group working to prevent domestic violence. She also was an advocate for the health and wellness of women and children.

The Stice ohana requests that in lieu of flowers, consider donations to the Family Hui Hawai’i or the I’m a Bright Kid Foundation…

Aquarium event a one-night

For the first time since its launch, the Waikiki Aquarium’s “Ke Kani O Ke Kai” summertime concert will be a one-night-only staging, from 5 to 9:30 p.m. today (June 2) on the aquarium grounds.

Performers will include an all-star lineup of Na Hoku Hanohano Award-winning musicians, including Kawika Kahiapo, Bobby Moderow, Robi Kahakalau, Makana, Crossing Rain, andthe 2024 Merrie Monarch Festival Overall Winner, Halau Ka Lā ʻŌnohi Mai o Haʻehaʻe.

 Other guest artists include Joe Berinobis, Dean Wilhelm, Anthony Pfluke, and Dwight Kanae.

Because of on-site construction beginning July 1, only a single concert will be staged this season.

Doors open at 4:30 p.m. for sponsors and premium ticket holders; general admission entry starts at 5 p.m., with the concert beginning at 6 p.m.

Attendees may explore the aquarium galleries, which will remain open all evening, and guests should bring beach blankets and seats. Outside food or beverages are not allowed; concessions will be available for refreshments.

The show will be staged, rain or shine.

Tickets: $20, $55, $75, at  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ke-kani-o-ke-kai-2024-tickets-900694059177?aff=erelexpmlt&irclickid=VrQ0mWSs8 …

And that’s Show Biz,,,

“Merrily We Roll Along,” which just picked up four Tony Awards this past Sunday (June  16), still is rolling along, this time with cameras filming the Stephen Sondheim show.

Broadway is buzzing about this beloved show, especially with  filming  underway inside the Hudson Theatre, where “Merrily” has been in residency since last Oct.23, 2023. But finally, the July 7 closing date approaches.

Signs posted outside the Hudson confirm the show is being filmed according to Playbill.  But no official word on where its future lies, as a commercial theatrical release, as a PBS production airing on TV, as a streaming film on cable, or as a straight-to-DVD collectible.

The bottom line is hooray, this show is being filmed for posterity!  If only more productions could do this.

The filming will be another notch of success for “Merrily,” originally a Broadway failure that ran for only 16 performance and 44 preview shows. Its 2024 comeback is the stuff of legends, notably because of the show collected four Tonys: Best Revival of a Musical, Best Leading Actor in a Musical (Jonathan Groff, as Franklin Shepherd), Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Daniel Radcliffe, as Charley Kringas), and Best Orchestrations (Jonathan Tunick).

The production is directed by Olivier winner Maria Friedman and features music and lyrics by Sondheim and a book by George Furth.

Before opening on Broadway, “Merrily” had an off-Broadway run in 2022, at the New York Theatre Workshop, where Groff, Radcliffe and Lindsay Mendez, who was a Tony nominee (playing Mary Flynn), developed  the chemistry that has been on display since  opening at production, and it wouldn’t be surprising if the trio, or the entire ensemble, had a desire to continue  rolling along, if  possible. (The show was extended several times earlier in the run; and no, a further extension is not possible).

 A company of nearly 20 has been a part of the successful show.

A cast recording was released Jan. 22, and has been a brisk seller at the show’s merch counter. I bought one when I took in the show, along with a T-shirt, and will surely add a DVS to my purchases if and when it’s available…

Broadway grosses, for week ending June

A couple of new shows have entered the Top 10 list of Broadway shows, including a lone play, but musicals – including “The Lion King” – dominate the chart.

The Top 10 shows:

1—“The Lion King,” #1,216 million.

2—“Wicked,” $12,071 million.

3—“Hamilton” $1,908 million.

4—“Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club,” $1,883 million.

5—“Merrily We Roll Along,” $1,843 million.

6—“Hell’s Kitchen,” $1,687 million.

7—“The Wiz,” $1,428 million.

8—“Aladdin,” $1,375 million.

9—“An Enemy of the People,” $1,266 million.

10—“MJ the Musical,” $1,251 million.

The complete list, courtesy the Broadway League:

And that’s Show Biz…