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One of Broadway’s popular hit shows, “Newsies: The Musical” will be staged by the I’m a Bright Kid Foundation, from Aug. 9 through 25 at Paliku Theatre at Windward Community College.

The Disney musical is dance-centric, requiring a company of agile, energetic, and tireless youths who are orphaned and homeless in lower Manhattan, and deals with a newsboy’s dream of seeking a better world and life, challenged by pay issues and dwindling circulation of the New York World tabloid newspaper.

Auditions will be held at 6 p.m. June 17 and 18 at Paliku Theatre at Windward Community College, with callbacks set for 6:30 p.m. June 19. While key roles require singing and dancing, the production also has non-singing roles.

The show features music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Jack Feldman and a book by Harvey Fierstein and is based on the 1992 film of the same name.

Inspired by an actual newsboys strike in New York City in 1899, the stage show – and Fierstein’s script — is adapted from the film screenplay by Bob Tzudiker and Noni White.

The musical, which ran on Broadway from 2012 to 2014, glorifies teens who hawked newspapers, who go on strike because of disagreements with the publisher, and features such characters as Jack Kelly, the principal 17-year-old news boy, and Joseph Pulitzer, the read-life newspaper tycoon.

Rehearsals begin June 24. While performances are set from Aug. 4 through 25, extensions are possible but would likely be within the time frame of the playdates and won’tgo beyond Aug. 25.

For information on audition preparations, visit: https://imabrightkid.org/audition-information-and-registration-link/

Ticket sales will begin May 1 at the Bright Kids website, https://imabrightkid.org … …

‘Hamilton’ actors at D.C. event

A bit of “Hamilton” – and Hawaii – took the limelight in Washington, D.C. last Thursday (April 11).

Lin-Manuel Miranda (left) the creator who originated the Hamilton role, introduced a mini-cast of Hamiltonian actors to perform “Dear Theodesia,” at a congressional event observing the first anniversary of the Jan.6 insurrection at the State Capitol.

And amid the performers was Hawaii’s Joseph Morales (right) joined by Edred Utomi, Jamael Westman, Julius Thomas III, Pierre Jean Gonzalez, , Miguel Cervantes, Nicholas Christopher, Josh Tower, and Jared Dixon.

Morales, like a few of the participating troupers, has performed the role originated by Miranda, notably in touring companies of the beloved musical.

“Dear Theodosia” is a three-minute tune from Act 1 of “ Hamilton,” the show based on the life of Alexander Hamilton, which premiered on Broadway in 2015, and continues to be a hot ticket. …

Broadway grosses, for week ending April 7

Three long-running musicals continue to top the Broadway tally, with grosses more than $2 million.

One musical, “Cabaret,” still is in previews, debuts on the chart, amassing $1.5 million.

The Top 10:

1—”The Lion King,” $2,632 million.

2—”Wicked,” $2,400 million.

3—”Hamilton,” $2,054 million.

4—”Aladdin,” $1,866 million.

5—”MJ the Musical,” $1,687 million.

6—“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,”

7—”Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club,” $1,529 million.

8—“Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” $1,428 million.

9—”Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” $1,382 million.

10—”Back to the Future: The Musical,” $1,355 million.

The complete list, courtesy The Broadway League:

And that’s Show Biz…

Have you tried Roy Yamaguchi’s misoyaki butterfish entrée recently, at one of his Roy’s Restaurants?

I’ve always favored his butterfish rendering, with the misoyaki seasoning atop the butterfish filet, customarily served on a bed of black rice. A smooth sweet-ginger wasabi butter dressing is part of the plating.

I frequently opt for white rice, and a few weeks ago, the gohan came as a musubi.

Roy’s misoyaki butterfish is served in wedges; musubi at left.

But the new touch was the cut of the butterfish; instead of a generous filet, the fish arrived in several chunks, six pieces assembled side-by-side.

The chunks of the fish made portioning easier and appealing, and the flakes were orderly and convenient, to consume as many as you want. I had three pieces for dinner and there were three more wedges to take home for lunch the next day. Since I only ate half of the musubi, had a bit of rice for lunch, too…

Scatch, Liko’s in Hawaii Kai closed

Scratch Kitchen, the gourmet restaurant in the former Outback Steakhouse site at the Hawaii Kai Towne Center, shut down for good on March 24, unable to muster up diners.

The dining room closed first, several months ago, with the kitchen supposedly trying to rev up catering business. That, too, could not draw patrons.  Could’ve been the hours, a tad too late to build up a breakfast following, and perhaps an unpopular menu, which did not quite appeal to patrons, despite the prime location across the way from Roy’s. Thus, a lovely space is available again…  

Liko’s Tap and Table, the waterfront restaurant at the Hawaii Kai Shopping Center, apparently shut down operations, without notice, on March 24.

The eatery was known for its fish tacos and prime rib, appealing to sports bar fans who go for beer and televised games, as well as luncheon salads and nighttime dinners.

The closure is somewhat surprising, since Liko’s was one of the more popular and successful fronting the Hawaii Kai Marina at the Hawaii Kai Shopping Center. Owners are working out  financial issues, and hope to reopen, timetable unknown….

Closing soon…

Anticipate more upcoming shutdowns elsewhere…

— Haili’s Hawaiian Food, the Kapahulu go-to restaurant for Hawaiian kaukau, is shutting down June 30. The restaurant, in biz for 70 years, is timing the closing when its lease expires.

— Buca di Beppo, the Italian restaurant at Ward Village,  is known for its generous portions (more food than those hungry mouths can handle). A party in the Pope’s Room is as good as it gets, so if you’ve never been in this circular room, gather the troops and try it before the shutdown. A closing date has not been announced.

Gone, but not forgotten…

Following the closure a year ago of the Outback Steakhouse in Hawaii Kai, three other island branches of Outbacks were shut in February: Kapolei, Kona and Waipio. Miss the onion rings…

Pah-ke’s, the Chinese restaurant in Kaneohe, closed last October, but it appears that another Chinese eatery is due later this year, ownership unknown. Renovations are underway.

The little hole-in-the-wall Japanese restaurant on Kalakaua Avenue, named Do-ne (two syllables, like in “dough-nay,”  not “done”), quietly closed without fanfare earlier this year. This was a place where you had to know/read Japanese, to properly place orders…

Sad, too, was the closure of Wailuku’s Home Maid Bakery. We all had the ritual of heading to the bakery  before  the return flight to Honolulu, toting purchases of  crispy mochi, chichidango, or cookies for omiyage. I recall getting a bit of a scolding from the owner years ago, who asked when my departure flight time was, as I stopped by two hours earlier because of another errand before boarding the plane. Closer to departure time meant fresher snacks, he insisted…

“Kiss Me Kate,” now at Diamond Head Theatre, is a tough one to like or loathe. In a word, it’s uneven. With highs and lows.

It boasts tunes by Cole Porter, a welcome and happy prospect, though Porter seemed to pitch tunes with an anything-goes stance. Tucked into the musical fabric are gems not commonly sung these days – “Wunderbar,” “From This Moment On,” “So in Love” – so hearing ‘em makes you feel like connecting with old friends.

But its show-within-a-show motif is not the exactly engaging or endearing. “The Taming of the Shrew,” the Shakespearean classic, is the production the cast is prepping for, and its two leads (who bicker and argue in see-sawing feuds) are distancing and disorienting.  Fred Graham (David Young, likeable and loopy) also is Petruchio; Lilli Vanessi (Lea Woods Amanza, exquisite, with operatic opulence)  also is Katherine.

Lea Woods Almanza is Lilli Vanessi/Katherine in “Kiss Me Kate.” Photo by Brandon Miyagi, courtesy DHT.

They’re off-stage exes, in an on-stage battle of the sexes. Her big belter is the  vitriolic “I Hate Men,”  and his retort is the emblematic “Were Thine That Special Face.” A young teen lad whispered after the performance, “It’s very confusing,” and he was right.

The book by Sam and Bella Spewack is quite dated (the plot is set in Baltimore in the ‘40s), and the backstage/front-of-the-curtain motifs clearly make this one theatrically inclined, right from the get-go. “Another Op’nin,’ Another Show,” led by Hattie (Alison Maldonado, delightful), is the opening curtain number. Among the songs midway in Act 1 is “Tom, Dick or Harry,” which has been a lasting phrase in modern life, so perhaps “Kiss” has never truly been out of vogue. It’s deemed to be one of jewels of the Golden Age of the Broadway musicals, but is a tad tarnished for a new generation of audiences.

Director Malindi Fickle clearly had the arduous task of unifying nearly 30 singers-dancers and about 20 ensemble members, and she managed to pack lively bursts of action; together with lifelong dancer Christine Yasunaga’s nimble choreography, there’s awesome cadence on stage.

Act 2 is worth waiting for, with secondary figures shining and connecting with the spectators. “Too Darn Hot,”  staged in an alley, features Paul (Justin Garde), Ralph (Alexandria Holloway), and Makeup Artist (Aiko Schick) joined by the ensemble in a top-gun sing-and-dance finger-snapping, toe-tapping spectacle that is, well, darn hot. Thanks, Yasunaga! And First Man (Lisa Fosbender) and Second Man (Mathias Maas) are Damon Runyan-esque comedic gangstas  on “Brush Up Your Shakespeare” loaded with shtick, with repetition that works. (Note the gender-bending casting, which is part of the fun).

Further, Bill Calhoun/Lucentio (Andrew Simmons) offers an appealing “Bianca,” pitching romance to Lois Lane/Bianca (Erin McFadden), without the tangle and tussle of the Katharine/Petruchio relationship.

Throw a kiss, too, to Kimmerie H.O. Jones, whose costume designs are bright and bountiful, with Shakespearean influences and colorful period garb for m’ladies and gents. Dawn Oshima’s sets succeed in the two-level play space, but somewhat drab, not divine, in the side-by-side dressing rooms. No complaints, however, about the lighting by Stephen Clear and sound by Kerri Yoneda, and Aiko Schick continues to do chic work on hair and makeup. And Lindsay Rabe’s nine-piece orchestra hits all the right notes befitting of a musical.

But the unevenness may have caused a cluster of viewers to leave at intermission; the filled seats near me were vacant, so regrettably these folks missed the gems in Act 2. Too darn shameful…

“Kiss Me Kate”

What: A musical by Cole Porter (music and lyrics) and Sam and Bella Spewack (book)

Where: Diamond Head Theatre

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 3 p.m. Saturdays, 4 p.m. Sundays; extended shows at  7:30 p.m. April 26, and 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. April 27.

Tickets: $32 to $62, at (808) 733-0274 or www.diamondheadtheatre.com