wayneharada.com

Few have been as passionate and dedicated as Kevin Iwamoto, about his multi-careers after graduating from high school.

For Iwamoto, widely known and beloved with his short-hand billing, Kevin I, entertainment has been a centerpiece of his island life. But only briefly.

While his musical pendulum swung for about a decade — he was featured vocalist in a popular Hawaii band and as a solo balladeer on several vinyl albums — singing would be an interlude that soon gave way to wider opportunities that enabled him to bank on his savvy as an honor graduate in the University of Hawaii’s TIM (Travel Industry Management ) business school. TIM opened doors to his versatility and success in the domestic and global realm.

That was then, but this leads to the now.

Kevin, who resides in California, has a solid global following because of his expertise, leadership and biz connections via BIZLY Inc., where he serves as Chief Customer Officer.

But his vintage music has been digitally revived, for a new and growing internet crowd particularly during the pandemic. So, when he comes home this week to take part in the Golden Anniversary as a Class of 1972 graduate of Roosevelt High School, he will have many tales to share, from his portfolio of triumphs.

His Rough Rider colleagues – 115, according to his count —  didn’t know a singer was in their midst back in the day, because as a student, he had yet to cross that bridge.

But the Roosevelt alums will learn, and receive, newly minted copies of his digitalized CD dubbed “The Best of Kevin I, 1980-1985,” – that convincingly validates the pipes he had in his show biz prime.

In fact, his entertainment spike has triggered a rebirth of his old tunes, which  became available online during  COVID-19, and  new fans from all over the world started ordering his romantic brew of the ‘80s, without ever seeing him in person in a show, or even a video, because most of the YouTube  sharing and postings were not part of his tools then. This specialty is the romantic melodies, like “Fairy Tale,” which is probably more popular now, than during his prime, because of online ordering and sharing and buzz.

As a now-celeb in his graduating class, he was asked to sing at the anniversary gala this Friday night (Aug. 19) at the Ala Moana Hotel ballroom.

“Since I don’t sing anymore but they wanted me to, I decided to just gift my fellow RHS alumni with a special CD edition of my “The Best of Kevin I, 1980-1985” digital album.”

Not only that, because the Roosevelt Class of ’70 and ’71 couldn’t enjoy a 5^0th year party because of COVID restrictions, grads from these two years will join in the  ’72 party.

To embellish the songfest, Kevin also invited a pal from the past, who also is a singer, to join him in song. She is Sandy Tsukiyama, class of ’71, who is a onetime performer with the Ebb Tides band  and a noted Brazilian musician artist and public radio host.

“I actually mentored Sandy, when she first started singing with the Ebb Tides, and I loaned her my personal  mic, which I never do, as I’m a bit of a germaphobe,” said Kevin. “We’ve remained friends and have stayed in touch.”

Clearly, the suggestion to co-feature Tsukiyama at the reunion is a reflection of his aloha, his fellowship and his ability to share and give. That he also personally financed the ordering of the old-new CD is a measure of his generosity.

And no doubt, his signing experience has developed confidence and showmanship whenever he conducts live or virtual workshops for his biz connections via BIZLY Inc., where he serves as Chief Customer Officer.

“By the way, I just got another industry recognition but this one is special because it cites my newfound passion of supporting the API community in terms of education support and advocacy using my global industry platform.”

The accolade, reported in Meetings Today, applauds Kevin’s conscious recognition and giving-back-to-the-community spirit.

 The article said, “Responding to the disturbing rash of hate crimes against people of Asian descent in the U.S., Iwamoto is one of several API meetings and events leaders who have stepped up to address both the violence and also counter what is described as the ‘invisibility’ and lack of leadership opportunities for Asians in the industry.”

Further, Kevin also has funded scholarships for junior industry professionals enabling next-gen folks to have access to industry events and grants.  He also continues to fund an at-home scholarship endowment for the TIM program, where his biz journey had its roots.

And as a longtime friend, I can attest: Kevin is local to the core, not just with his island pals, but with his community of biz colleagues across the globe. Like, he always brings omiyage for friends and shares the practice when he’s on a work-related trip. It’s a practice engrained in your DNA when you live local, but he frequently spreads the spirit everywhere he goes, too. …

And that’s Show Biz. …

Don Ho, who would have been 92 tomorrow (Saturday Aug. 13), will be remembered in a day-long birthday celebration at the International Marketplace in Waikiki.

Ho, who died on April 14, 2007 at age 76, is Hawaii’s best known Hawaiian entertainer. He headlined at Duke Kahanamoku’s, the legendary nightclub where he launched his journey to global fame; the long-gone club was located a stone’s throw away from where a statue of Ho now stands.

Dwight Ho, one of Don’s son and often the spokesman for the family, said he and his wife will attend dad’s birthday event, likely with other siblings. But he noted in an email,  “As much as the microphone and I don’t like each other, it somehow ends up in my hand,” referring to the likely prospect of him addressing the expected gathering.

The remembrance celebration will begin at 10 a.m., with a lei-draping event at the statue site.

Other events tomorrow:

• 4 to 5 p.m., Henry Kapono and Friends will present a “Suck ‘em Up” tribute show at the Queen’s Court show space on the first floor at the marketplace.
• 5 to 7 p.m., a Don Ho archival photo installation ceremony.
• 11 p.m. to midnight, “Celebrating Uncle Don,” featuring Kimie Miner, at Moani Waikiki located on the third floor at the marketplace. …

A confession: I’ve shared birthday dinners with Uncle Don perhaps three times over the decades, when he was headlining at a Waikiki venue (you know, he started at Duke’s and has reigned at such other clubs as the Hilton Hawaiian Village Dome, the Polynesian Palace, and the Waikiki Beachcomber, among others). The dinners were on a night-off for Ho, or a late after-a-show meal. In his later years  he often ate sensibly, loved Chinese, and adored chit-chats with me and the late Frannie Kirk, an industry peer who often planned the birthday bites.  Geez, they must be having a funfest in that great showplace in the skies. …

Remembering Dennis Carroll

Kumu Kahua Theatre is launching a philanthropic ticket honoring its founder, the late Dennis Carroll, throughout its 52^nd season, from Aug. 25 this year through Aug. 2023.

In the spirit of the tenet of the director-playwriter-professor Carroll to make theater accessible to all, up to  10 free Dennis Carroll Memorial tickets will be available to those financially challenged to experience the performing arts.

Carroll was a professor emeritus of the University of Hawaii’s Department of Theatre and Dance, who died on Nov. 25, 2021, at age 81. So the memorial ticket campaign is timed to his passing. A related celebration of life is being planned this fall on the Manoa campus.

For information on the memorial tickets, call  Kumu Kahua at (808) 536-4441 or visit www.KumuKahua.org …

Add these to the Zip tab

So the Zippy’s Senior Card is history, meaning no more 10 per cent discounts for the elderly,  but  the Zipster program accruing spending totals for rewards (open to all) has been launched at the Zippy’s restaurants.

But check your tab, my friends; there’s also a new “kitchen charge” to your tab now. Had a quick lunch at the Iwilei Zippy’s today, and a 51-cents (affordable for sure) charge was a newbie on the bill. Surely, it will be a higher fee with a larger purchase  – a growing trend for eateries to add on a new dining tax to cover operational costs, a move initiated earlier by Romano’s Macaroni Grill, if you recall.

Also, I’ve received several “what?!” comments, when I earlier mentioned that Zippy’s add-o “sides “charge for three pieces of Spam  is $8.10 with breakfast, but one eagle-eyed diner correctly mentions a slightly higher charge of $8.15 for three slides of bacon and a wad of corned beef hash. …

The forecast is Rain

Pearlridge Center celebrates five decades of service in Hawai‘i with a concert featuring Crossing Rain will perform from 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 19 at Wai Makai’s second level at Pearlridge Center, which is marking its fifth decade of service.  The local boy band will perform for shoppers and engage in a meet-and-greet until 8 p.m. Good op to see ‘em and do selfies, before they become global superstars. …

And that’s Show Biz. …

Brad Pitt is the zany, condemned  assassin named Ladybug,  in an action adventure called “Bullet Train,” because, well, he flits aboard this sleek and seething Kyoto-bound train like a explosive projectile.

The film plays like an anime cartoon on steroids, and it’s swift, swerving but simplistic. Like the “Fast and Furious” collection of racing and crashing cars, it’s non-stop collisions and confrontations.

A ”Murder on the Orient Express” this ain’t. And because of the collateral damage of this elitist and respected train, you’d think that the Japanese would be thumbs down on this unabashedly chaotic yet charismatic pursuit of good over evil, traversing green-screened land and cityscapes in a Nippon tale that is loaded with music (from “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles” to Kyu Sakamoto’s “Sukiyaki” rendered in Japanese for incidental mood shifts).

 It’s a trove of discovery, fueled with CGI artistry, that converts the real-life Shinkansen Japanese train (though not identified as Japan’s rail wonder) as it roars and soars into pulp fiction territory of sorts, with unspoken tributes to Quentin Tarantino and his style of no-goods  with plenty of kicks, blasts, blood and mayhem, in what would clearly be dubbed black comedy.

This  jaunt involves a desired briefcase, loaded with moolah, and it seems like everyone’s trying to grab it.

Ladybug gets hurled into this rampant exchange of chases, knifings, and fisticuffs, but he’s actually a substitute assassin to recover this stash. He’s fresh from anger management sessions, so he doesn’t board the train with a gun, and thus is clueless on what lies ahead on the tracks.

A British duo, cleverly named Tangerine (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry), are the hustlers with muscles and weapons. No, they don’t make lemonade, but since one of these assassins on the hunt – Lemon – is addicted to the kid-time “Thomas the Talking Engine”  train and book, you know you’re in fairytale land. Especially when he issues stickers of Thomas’ train gang.

However,  a train sticker has relevance in the unreeling tale: it decorates the handles of the coveted silver suitcase, a giveaway if you’re hunting for clues. Occasional pauses in the story involve Japanese kanji along with English subtitles, perhaps to remind the spectator of the Japanese roots of this tale, adapted from Kōtarō Isaka’s 2010 novel, though devoid of all the motion and commotion depicted here.

Like “Trainspotting, ”  odd people do mad things as the world swooshes by.  There are a few cameos, bringing needed giggles to film’s tension. Channing Tatum, for instance, is an off-center, playful commuter with a hilarious sexual overtone. Ryan Reynolds is aboard, too, mostly since  his earlier “Deadpool 2” film inked Pitt to do a cameo appearance, so this moment was payback of sorts. Both Tatum and Reynolds adopt the right look and appetite for their brief camera time.

Then there’s Sandra Bullock, who comes late to the party; she’s not ever aboard the train but arrives in her own choo-choo of sorts, conveniently swooshing her new car amid the crashing and colliding train cars, projecting a cool, controlled  Maria Beetle,  the hitherto unidentified  handler of Pitt’s Ladybug dude. Doesn’t make much sense, but Beetle is the figure and focus of the Japanese author’s inspirational book, which was bravely entitled “Bullet Train.”

Masi Oki, whom islanders may recall as the medical examiner in the Alex O’Loughlin reboot of “Hawaii Five-O,” makes the best of his recurring conductor scenes,

The physicality and violence in the film are not easy to endure, because it’s hard to applaud glistening bloodshed, so perhaps this might have been a better vehicle as an animated film, where the gushing would be less severe or offensive.

 But there’s an underlying message of fate, and how Ladybug has to deal with it, lacking good karma. Suddenly, this humane sentiment somehow nullifies and excuses the punches and punctures of the dueling assassins.

The maddening and manic cadence is kinda like the gore and gritty scenes in the sci-hit earlier this year entitled “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” a volley of assaults and energy that put Michelle Yeoh and Jamie Lee Curtis in blockbuster heaven earlier this year. And no train, or replica, was ruined in that one, which was a surprise black comedy, too. …

Broadway grosses, week ending Aug. 7

So it was musical chairs on the Broadway front last week, with Hugh Jackman’s still the “Music Man” mogul, pulling in $2.825 million, shy of his usual $3 million sum, and “The Lion King” overtaking:”Hamilton,” with tallies of $2.222 million and “$2.219 million, respectively, in the nip-and-tuck contest for No. 2 and No. 3 in the ranking.

The figures, courtesy The Broadway League:

And that’s Show Biz. …

When CBS’ “NCIS” starts its 20^th season in September, the Mothership show will include a crossover episode with “NCIS: Hawai‘i,” the franchise’s island-based newbie beginning its second season.

And despite the ongoing on-screen absence of executive director Mark Harmon, “NCIS” will host Hawaii leads Vanessa Lachey and Jason Antoon on the Sept. 19 episode. Both procedurals share Monday night slots, with “NCIS” at 8 p.m. preceding “Hawai’i‘’ at 9 p.m. on Monday night..

The original show’s “A Family Matter” opener begins where the 19^th season ended, with Special Agent Alden Parker (Gary Cole) and ex-spouse Vivian (Terri Polo) on the lam. They gain assist when Jane Tennant (Lachey) intercedes with Ernie Malick (Antoon) and meet up with NCIS director Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll), in the midst of a global military exercise.

“Prisoners’ Dilemma” is the title of the island crossover episode, with Tennant’s team, with help from “NCIS” team members Nick Torress (Wilmer Valderrama) and Jessica Knight (Katrina Law), tracking the whereabouts of The Raven’s plans to invade the RIMPAC exercise. Other leads,Gary Cole, Brian Dietzen and Diona Reasonover, also appear….

Filming coincided with the actual RIMPAC dynamics here, so the episodes are in the can, awaiting the season launch. …

Shall we dance?

Greg Zane, the choreographer, dancer, actor and director, is home again. Alas, not for doing a musical, like last summer’s exquisite “A Chorus Line” at Diamond Head Theatre, but to get back to the roots: basic dance classes.

He posted on Facebook, while still in New York, that he was headed home today to conduct dance classes @ #queenemmaballet, on Aug. 11, 14, 16, 18 and 21, “and looking forward to the ocean, my family and (gulp) dancing on-stage again after a 10-year absence.” He added: “Pray for me.” Welcome home, buddy ….

Looking for a mouse, and more

“Wordsworth,” the new family musical about a poet mouse, is looking for a cast of players for the world premiere of the show based on the character mouse from author Frances Kakugawa’s books. The show, adapted for the stage by Jackie Pualani Johnson, premieres Nov. 7 at the theater at the University of Hawaii Hilo campus Performing Arts Center..

Tryouts for an English version of the show (an earlier play was done and taped in the Hawaiian language) will be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Aug. 23 and from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Aug. 24 at the theater on the Big Island.

Justina Mattos is director, Wendell Ing is musical director, and Kea Kapalua is choreographer.

Besides the titular mouse, available roles for Wordsworth’s ohana (mom, dad, three brothers, a sister), and friends  Emily, Eliot and Dylan, among others.

For details, contact director Mattos at (808) 932-7491 or jmattos@hawaii.edu …

Nightlife, revisited

The Shari Lynn Trio performance, set for Aug. 26 at Medici’s at Manoa Marketplace, has been postponed till Sept. 30, due to conflicts with one of the musicians. Tickets purchased for the original date will be accepted for the updated timetable. ….

The John Kolivas-led Honolulu Jazz Quartet’s Aug. 5 show at Medici’s at Manoa Marketplace has been canceled, but a new slot has not yet been announced. …

And that’s Show Biz. …