In this era of emails, do you still mail an actual Christmas greeting card to selected recipients? And a related query: do you purchase Christmas-themed Forever postage stamps?
Just asking,,,
E-MAIL OR SNAIL-MAIL CARDS?
SOLO RECORDING FOR NANI
Nani Dudoit, kumu hula wife of entertainer Horace Dudoit of the group Ho‘okena, is making her debut as a solo recording artist with the release tomorrow (Dec. 5) of her single, “Maika‘i Waipi‘o.”
“It’s a passion project,” said hubby Horace of the tune, which has historic and familial implications:
- It honors her ‘ohana and mother Cosmiana Ann Parilla, a onetime vocalist of Filipino heritage who performed on the “Filipino Fiesta” TV shows in the late 1950s through the early 1960s.
- It’s the first song Nani’s Halau Kaleilehuaikealoonalani learned together as an ensemble in the halau’s formative years; the composer was Princess Miriam Likelike.
- The effort is to produce a 45 rpm disc featuring her voice, and thus provide a bit of history to pass on to the family’s children including mo‘opuna (grandchildren), to prevent a void in her mom’s life; she had recorded a 45, too, but Nani’s dad and aunties could not find the historic recording, so Nani is doing the single as a celebration of her mom’s legacy.
- Husband Horace arranged the song and performed on six-string guitar on the session, recorded on Nov. 14, Nani’s birthday; industry notables who participated include David Kauahikaua (string arrangements), Shawn Pimental (recording engineer), Dave Tucciarone (mix and master), Brad “Kanai‘a” Nakam (cover art) and Kaipo Hale, Moon Kauakahi and Les Ceballos (consultants).
I got a preview listen of Nani’s single venture, and her voice is made for recording; she sings all three parts when harmony is required, and “Maika‘i Waipi‘o” — sung in Hawaiian — likely will emerge as a halau favorite, not just within her camp, but in other halau seeking a sweet memory of a beloved song composed by a royal Hawaiian princess. The “place” song beautifully pays tribute to Waipi‘o Valley on the Big Island, and Nani’s performance on disc is a formidable salute to the past and a glowing beacon for the future.
Nani is not in pursuit of a recording career, but this recording might change her mind. She wants to remain a hula practitioner and a solo hula stylist with Ho‘okena, though she sang in her high school concert glee and choir. “Maika‘i Waipi‘o” simply was the right song for the right time – performed in an event, “Na Lani Eha” — in her journey as an entertainer.
The disc is being released on all digital music platforms…
And that’s Show Biz…
DO BLONDES HAVE MORE FUN?
Which side are you on, in the holiday fruitcake battleground?
Fruit cake wars are common; on one side are folks who like the traditional dark version, with candied fruit and nuts. And on the other side are those who opt for the blonde variety, with mainly mac nuts and pineapple, and lots more fun and ease to eat. What’s your take?
‘CHICAGO:’ RAZZLE DAZZLE REDO
You might say that “Chicago,” the hit Broadway show, still has “legs.”
Add elbows, and arms, and wrists, and fingers.
The show, the final installment of the “Broadway in Hawaii” series, opened last night (Dec. 2) at the Blaisdell Concert Hall, and received a genuine, hearty, and roaring welcome.
The applause — loud and proud — was constant for the elbows, arms, wrists and fingers, a trademark of the legendary Bob Fosse, long associated with “Chicago.”
“Chicago” has become the longest-running American musical running on Broadway, and the hit show –this national touring company — is in residency through Sunday.
If you’ve never seen “Chicago,“ it’s still a dandy.
Why you might go see this one:
C horeography – Ann Reinking has retained the original Bob Fosse style, and Gregory Butler recreated the original choreography. Fosse is the legendary dance wizard, whose trademark style taps succinct movements of elbows and wrists and fingers. His presence is all over the place, and but credit is merely a wee, teeny note in the playbill. Oldtimers will recognize the Fosse finery, but I fear the younger generation is unaware of his lofty status and style.
H it tunes – the music fuels the action, , thanks to the songwriting team of Fred Ebb (lyrics) a John Kander (music), who collaborated on the book. The popular, inventive songs in the score include “All That Jazz,” “Cell Block Tango,” “When You’re Good to Mama,” “Razzle Dazzle,” “Mister Cellophane,” “Class,” and “Nowadays.”
I ntensity – There is terrific interaction of the singing and dancing actors, who excel in the numerous ensemble numbers, with even the orchestra members roped into many numbers. This version feeds off the orchestral crew, too, because they’re not in the pit, but in the midst of the action, surrounded by key entrances and exits of the performers.
C harisma – The interaction and reaction are possible because of the pent-up emotion within the ranks, and the stage is like a cabaret club, with singers chirping amid the musicians, creating solid bonds.
A ttitude – The feeling among the performers and even among the audience is that this borrows traditions from such show biz facets as a speakeasy, a vaudeville revue, a nightclub without a curtain, for the most part, to separate performers from spectators. Is integration possible with several different elements and forms?
G rit – The hodgepodge of characters yields a community of curious denizens: fame-seeking murderesses on death row, a somewhat corrupt prison warden, newspaper reporters, a judge, jury members, law officials, and more.
O xygen – The splendid cast members are the ingredients of this stew, and their actions and acting styles, provide oxygen and flavors to the fray. The feuding murderesses are Claire Marshall as Velma Kelly and Ellie Roddy as Roxy Hart; Max Cervantes is lawyer Billy Flynn, Illieana “illy” Kirven is Mama Morton the jail matron; Amos Hart is Roxy’s husband, and J. Clanton is murder trial reporter Mary Sunshine.
FYI, the original “Chicago” – a commercial and critical triumph –bowed in 1975 with Gwen Verdon as Roxie Hart and Chita Rivera as Velma Kelly. Bob Fosse directed and choreographed.
This version of “Chicago,” reimaging the Fosse version and retaining his signature dance moves is 25 years old…but still has a lot of life.
So, in actuality, “Chicago” is 50 years old.
Remaining performances will be at 7:30 p.m. today (Wednesday) and tomorrow (Thursday). 8 p.m. Friday (Dec. 5), 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday (Dec. 6) and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday (Dec. 7).
Tickets: $50 to $156, available at the Blaisdell Concert Hall and www.ticketmaster.com
‘Hamilton’ exceeds $4.8 million gross
Christmas arrived early this year for the cast, crew and investors of “Hamiton,” since the megahit Tony Award musical grosses an awesome $4.88 miilion, for the week ending Nov. 30. The Thanksgiving crowd surely contributed to the amazing ticket sales.
“Harry Potter,” “Wicked,” and “The Lion King’ continued their secondary sweep.
The Top 10:
1—”Hamilton,” $4.877 million
2—”Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” $3.152 million
3—”Wicked,” “$3.012 million
4—”The Lion King,” $2.787 million
5—”Chess,” $2.066 million
6—”Mamma Mia!,” $2.020 million
7—“Aladdin,” $1.716 million
8—”MJ, the Musical,” $1.595 million
9—”The Outsider,” $1.562 million
10—“Ragtime,” $1.461million
The complete list, courtesy the Broadway Guild:
And that’s Show Biz…
TREES: FRESH OR FAUX?
Starting today and periodically through Christmas, we’ll pose a question about the holidays and hope you’ll respond with a comment.
Today’s question: Do you favor a fresh pine tree or prefer an artificial tree, and why?