Comedian Frank DeLima, who turned 75 last July 8, has been a tireless fixture on the entertainment map for 50 years.
“Time to retire,” he said over a recent lunch, a goal already in motion.
For 45 years, he has engineered a student enrichment program, visiting nearly all public schools statewide, and later added private schools. Those youngsters now are adults, who listened to Uncle Frank’s motivational advice – laced with fun – about growing up safe and savvy.
With retirement on the horizon in the months ahead, he’s still doing one final round of school visits.
“I have 55 schools scheduled, then my program of 45 years (he’s dubbed it a student enrichment endeavor) will be pau. Cost too much to continue,” he said.
“Also, my mobility makes it more difficult (he utilizes a pair of walking canes). Time to say pau. But I have such great memories.”
Thus, when schools reopen next week, DeLima will be on the last leg of motivational visits which will wind up at Thanksgiving.
It’s a feat he’s been engaged in over the decades, staging 5,500 performances for Hawaii’s youths in grade and middle schools.
In the early phases, he had sponsors to help absorb some of the costs, like airfare for neighbor island visits.
Since he gets no salary and charges no fees for these talks, he underwrites gasoline for his SUV and hires three rotating student drivers as assistants. Aside from donations made to the program at his website (www.frankdelima.com), operational costs come from his pocket.
Still, he’s keeping an active life and pace.
To keep busy this past summer, he’s been visiting senior residences and retirement homes – a new agenda — bringing his ethnic humor to Hawaii’s kupuna.
“The seniors are just as responsive as the students,” said DeLima. “Seniors ‘get’ the stories of me growing up, which they all can relate.”
He’s visited the Plazas at Kaneohe, Pearl City, Waikiki, Mililani and Punchbowl, the two Ivys in Hawaii Kai, the Lanakila Multipurpose Center, One Kalakaua, Senior Living at Iwilei, Kinaole Estates in Kaneohe, Kulana Hale, the Hale Kuike in Nuuanu, Kaneohe and Pali, plus Craigside and Ilima at Leihano.
Arcadia in Manoa is the lone senior residence he hasn’t visited – and wants to — if only someone gives him the green light. “They never responded to my request,” said DeLima.
Content depends on the audience. For students, his chats focus on life behavior – study hard, avoid drugs, no bullying.
The makule gatherings contain reflections of his growing up days and how he nurtured and absorbed ethnic traditions and life lessons as a local growing up in Pahoa Valley.
He doesn’t sing at school gatherings but tosses in a periodic vocal for the oldsters.
The kids are fun to embrace; the seniors are attentive, but a few tune out (fall asleep). A gathering of the elderly also brings out the canes, walkers and wheelchairs.
For clubgoers, DeLima established his stand-up career at The Noodle Shop, a tiny venue at the Sand Villa Hotel, where he was a singing comic. He eventually created wacky ohana ethnic characters, who prevailed in scores of Waikiki venues no longer existing, including the Polynesian Palace, the showroom at the Queen Kapiolani Hotel, Hula Hut, Captain’s Table and the Pagoda Hotel, among others. Remember Imelda Marcos, a Japanese sumotori, a Chinese magician and gameshow host Fu Ling Yu, a Catholic Cardinal Vermicelli, and a tita name Mary Tunta. (The latter an homage to his Portuguese upbringing in the Punchbowl region of Pauoa Valley. All his characters were duked up in lavish costumes).
Aside from his comedics, DeLima also has been a valid and versatile vocalist, backed by his duo, Na Kolohe, comprising Robert Nishida, bassist, and David Kauahikaua, keyboarder. His hits included “Waimea Lullaby” and “Lucille,” plus his trademark “Filipino Christmas” medley, a fun, fractured and formidable holiday season favorite, delivered in a twinkling Christmas tree outfit.
DeLima also is notable for his periodic musical parodies embracing elements of everyday life, penning lyrics to well-known musical titles. He has poked fun at government shutdown, Covid-19, and most recently to “Kona Low” a weather-related term.
As part of his forthcoming retirement countdown, DeLima will join forces with two fellow stand-up comics, Andy Bumatai, 70, and Augie Tulba, 56 (aka Augie T), at 7 p.m. Sept. 14 at the Hawaii Theatre.
His finale will be a Sunday brunch show at 1 p.m. Dec. 15 at Blue Note Hawaii at the Outrigger Waikiki resort.
There’s been no character like DeLima on the show biz circuit. He certainly will be missed…
Broadway’s $2 million club
Only three Broadway shows regularly post weekly grosses topping $2 million. Thus, a shout-out to the trio of chart-toppers – “The Lion King,” “Wicked” and “Hamilton.”
The Top Ten, for the week ending July 28.
1—“The Lion King,” $2,629 million
2–“Wicked,” $2.226 million
3—”Hamilton,” $2.021million
4–“Hell’s Kitchen,” $1.665 million
5—”Aladdin,”$1.649 million
6—”Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club,” $1.605 million
7—”The Outsiders,” $1.461 million
8—”MJ the Musical,” $1.434 million
9—”The Wiz,” $1.407 million
10—”Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” $1.380 million
The entire list, courtesy the Broadway League:
And that’s Show Biz…
