Arts | Entertainment | Crafts | Life
With the creative juices going, I revisited my notecard-making project yesterday, and whipped out another series of postcard-notecards. Using sticker images acquired some time ago, I fashioned an old-fashioned “aloha” postcard, in notecard motif, depicting hula dancers, surfers, Aloha Tower, and pineapples for visuals. Sharing a few of the specimens here.
For the first time since 2019, when the Covid-19 pandemic shut down life and cultural events, “Ke Kani O Ke Kai,” the summertime musical festival at the Waikiki Aquarium will resume this summer.
The schedule:
The oceanfront concerts will offer special dinners provided by island restaurant partners.
Those attending will also be able to tour the Aquarium galleries that will be open during the event. Guests should plan to bring mats and lawn chairs for seating on the grass, as well as blankets.
Seating will be tiered, with those sitting on mats on the grass lawn closest to the stage, with those with low chairs behind that group, and those will full-sized lawn chairs seated behind that group.
Because of on-site food vendors, outside food and drink will not be allowed.
Season tickets, including all three concerts, are available; individual tickets for one or two shows are available, at the Waikiki Aquarium website. …
‘Once Upon One Time’
Lisa Matsumoto’s classic pidgin English musical comedy, “Once Upon One Time,
will be revived by Manoa Valley Theatre, beginning June 30 at the Kaimuki High School Auditorium.
Matsumoto’s comedic take on familiar fairy tale characters is given a pidgin overhaul, so Snow White and Da Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella and Little Red Hiding Hood appear, singing and spouting da kine pidgin lingo, complete with the appearance of Da Mongoose and funny kine , kinda lolo menehune.
The late Matsumoto did da book and lyrics, and was known for playing Da Wicked Queen, but one new generation of performers will bring new vigor and veneer like you no can imagine. Da music is by Paul Palmore, with Roslyn Catracchio adding extra songs.
Performances going run through July 10 so no fo’get order da tickets at (808) 988-6131 or go visit www.manoavalleytheatre.com and can charge. …
‘Qualities of Starlight’
The Hawaii premiere of Gabriel Jason Dean’s play, “Qualities of Starlight,”
will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday (June 24) at The Actors Group’s Brad Powell Theatre at 650 Iwilei Road at Dole Cannery.
The story is about a couple visiting his aging parents in the Appalachian South, and discover the elders are meth addicts. Science collides with nature, with identity shifts and a cosmos no longer wondrous.
Director Alan Shepard is portraying Junior, Amy K. Sullivan is Rose, Matthew Miller is Theo and Christine Umipeg is Polly.
For tickets, call (808) 722-6941, or visit tagtickets@hawaii.rr.com or www.taghawaii.net …
Broadway grosses, week ending June 19
“A Strange Loop,” a Tony-winning Best Musical, is making gains on the Broadway gross roster, but has a way to go; the leading productions have switched places on the weekly compilation, with “Hamilton,” grossing more than $2.2 million, surpassing the former No. 1 ticketing musical, “The Music Man,” which previously scored $3 million tallies, but dropping to $1.7 million and No. 2, with “The Lion King” roaring in at No. 2 with its $1.9 million gross.
The rundown, courtesy the Broadway League:
And that’s Show Biz. …
By the time you read this, Shari Lynn and husband Michael Acebedo will be sailing to Bermuda, to continue their vacation and their delayed (the pandemic, of course) wedding anniversary celebration.
They were in New York, getting their deli fix, and mixing in Broadway shows and visits with friends in a decidedly saner and more relaxing tempo. No more jamming and cramming the agenda, like the old days.
She emailed, sharing some of their experiences, and took in the revival of “Funny Girl,” the show about Fannie Brice that made Barbra Streisand a certified star. “Beanie (Feldstein), the newbie Brice, was out at the performance the Acebedos took in, but “her understudy, Julie Benko, was sensational,” said Shari. It’s a role I believe Shari played at Diamond Head Theatre, back in the day, so there was keen interest in catching this new version.
But oy vey, when Shari caught “Company,” she said, but “Guess what? Patti (Lupone) was out. Jennifer Simard (a Tony nominee) donned a black wig and did justice to ‘Ladies Who Lunch.’ But for me, Elaine Stritch owns that song. The overall production was so well done.”
They attended “Paradise Square,” too, which she said was “simultaneously thrilling and educational. The Kailuans were to see Billy Crystal in “Mr. Saturday Night,” but she didn’t mention it.
But smart cookies: the Acebedos ventured to the theaters at Lincoln Center and saw “Top Gun.” Yep, enjoyed it, like everyone else. “If you like action and Tom Cruise, it’s unbeatable,” she said. …
Settle-ing for ‘Beanstalk’
Keala Settle, a native of Hawaii (Kahuku), will do her first-ever pantomime role over the holidays, in Britain.
She’ll appear as the Fairy, in “Jack and the Beanstalk,” a Christmas-time presentation by Royal & Derngate in Northampton, London.
In this country, Settle is widely known as the Bearded Lady in Hugh Jackman’s cinematic hit, “The Greatest Showman,” because she delivered that whoppingly powerful rock ballad, “This Is Me,” a declaration of acceptance, no matter who or what you are.
“Jack and the Beanstalk” will run from Dec. 9 through Jan. 2, 2023.
The cast will feature Alex Lodge as Jack and Bob Golding as Dame.
Settle made her West End theatrical debut when she was part of the “& Juliet” cast which was followed by the revival of “Sister Act,” for the Brit theater-goers.“ Panto(mime) is such a beloved institution in this country and I have always wanted to be a part of one,” said Settle, hoping that the panto “Jack” will be “an incredible experience.” …
And that’s Show Biz. …
Just asking…
If Consolidated Theatres show an on-screen commercial about Coke Zero, aka Zero Sugar Coke, wouldn’t you think that they should stock that Coca-Cola product at their refreshment counters at all theaters?
I can order and receive Coke Zero at the Koko Marina theater, with no problem; but at Kahala and Ward Center, they don’t serve this particular choice.
When you nestle into your seat, the Coke Zero advertisement is screened. Regularly.
Coke’s wasting its ad dollars, don’tcha think?
Dwayne Johnson, one of the reigning box office champs, has confirmed that he will be in Hawaii to attend the XFL showcase here. Which means he’ll be returning to his high school, McKinley, on June 25, when the XFL does its island festivities.
XFL – the acronym for X-treme Football League – enables prospective football players an opportunity to strut their skills for prevailing XFL coaches and personnel directors, evaluating performances that might lead to a draft pool for the 2023 football season.
Johnson, the former wrestler and now a first-team favorite in action films, has been confirmed in an online post that he was “flying in personally to watch our showcase in Hawaii.”
The showcases will be conducted in six U.S. cities, beginning today (June 17).
In Honolulu, the XFL will conduct its search June 25 at McKinley, where Johnson, aka The Rock, attended in the late 1980s, for his freshman and sophomore years.
Not one to hide his feelings and support, it’s quite likely that Johnson will cheer on anyone he favors, which might at least open a door to a possible football career for prospective athletes. Johnson himself had a brief collegiate football op, which fizzled out, so he targeted his energy and interest in wrestling.
Clearly, he should have no regrets. His moviedom success has been extraordinary, and his next superhero film, Warner Bros./New Line DC’s “Black Adam,” premieres Oct. 21. …
‘Wildest Show’ at the zoo
“Wildest Show,” without its prior full title with “in Town,” returns for its summer run beginning June 29 at the Honolulu Zoo.
The event for decades was organized and directed by Roy Sakuma, the veteran ukulele whiz and teacher for thousands of kids. He has retired, but the event has retained its mid-week Wednesday-at-dusk scheduling, with a new tagline, “Tropical Wednesdays,” and fewer evenings.
Angela Morales, of Na Leo Pilimehana, will serve as emcee, and the agenda will continue to include festivities for keiki, food, and weekly drawings for an ukulele.
The schedule:
Gates open at 4:30 p.m., with entertainment from 5 p.m.
Admission: $15, general; $10, Honolulu Zoo Society members, $5 for youths 3 to 12.
Information: www.honoluluzoo.org
Broadway grosses, week ending June 12t
The leaders still are “The Music Man,” “Hamilton” and “The Lion King,” for the week ending June 12. Next week’s tally, from the Broadway League, might show a bump up for Tony-winning shows like “A Strange Loop” and “MJ The Musical” and “Six.” Here’s the latest rundown:
| Show Name | Gross | TotalAttn | Capacity | %Capacity |
| A STRANGE LOOP | $676,315.50 | 6,249 | 6,384 | 97.89% |
| ALADDIN | $1,273,005.65 | 13,159 | 13,816 | 95.24% |
| AMERICAN BUFFALO | $460,041.96 | 4,478 | 6,008 | 74.53% |
| BEETLEJUICE | $1,160,587.50 | 9,870 | 12,816 | 77.01% |
| CHICAGO | $548,919.39 | 6,155 | 8,640 | 71.24% |
| COME FROM AWAY | $592,763.50 | 6,425 | 8,368 | 76.78% |
| COMPANY | $640,297.03 | 6,195 | 8,368 | 74.03% |
| DEAR EVAN HANSEN | $587,266.80 | 6,193 | 7,872 | 78.67% |
| FUNNY GIRL | $1,116,695.25 | 8,379 | 9,752 | 85.92% |
| GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY | $274,733.50 | 3,582 | 5,586 | 64.12% |
| HADESTOWN | $878,292.75 | 7,243 | 7,344 | 98.62% |
| HAMILTON | $2,190,665.00 | 10,241 | 10,592 | 96.69% |
| HANGMEN | $293,491.36 | 3,196 | 6,416 | 49.81% |
| HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD | $1,481,217.40 | 12,003 | 12,976 | 92.50% |
| HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE | $288,289.00 | 4,054 | 4,459 | 90.92% |
| MACBETH | $909,344.00 | 6,336 | 7,357 | 86.12% |
| MJ THE MUSICAL | $1,444,056.60 | 10,666 | 11,096 | 96.12% |
| MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL | $1,235,273.70 | 10,111 | 10,400 | 97.22% |
| MR. SATURDAY NIGHT | $848,030.00 | 6,468 | 8,316 | 77.78% |
| PARADISE SQUARE | $263,146.50 | 4,722 | 7,856 | 60.11% |
| PLAZA SUITE | $1,708,386.60 | 7,783 | 7,800 | 99.78% |
| POTUS: OR, BEHIND EVERY GREAT DUMBASS ARE SEVEN WOMEN TRYING TO KEEP HIM ALIVE | $478,971.75 | 5,899 | 11,608 | 50.82% |
| SIX | $1,116,564.00 | 7,155 | 7,217 | 99.14% |
| TAKE ME OUT | $717,419.65 | 4,630 | 4,648 | 99.61% |
| THE BOOK OF MORMON | $1,003,363.50 | 8,060 | 8,528 | 94.51% |
| THE LION KING | $1,951,072.00 | 13,374 | 13,568 | 98.57% |
| THE MINUTES | $280,802.00 | 3,178 | 5,336 | 59.56% |
| THE MUSIC MAN | $3,411,384.96 | 12,267 | 12,200 | 100.55% |
| THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA | $965,649.70 | 10,363 | 12,840 | 80.71% |
| TINA – THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL | $931,804.00 | 7,857 | 11,824 | 66.45% |
| WICKED | $1,861,096.00 | 14,273 | 14,456 |
And that’s Show Biz. …