Welcome to The Waynies, this column’s New Year’s Day flashbacks/future-gazing tradition to applaud achievers in the just-pau year and likely newsmakers in 2024.
The format has been tweaked over time – we no longer categorize the best in a variety of fields – so we now acknowledge newsmakers who gained attention in 2023 and likely will continue the traction of celebrity in the months ahead.
Thus, these are 10 who made, or are making, a difference.
1 — Ezekiel Kekuna, Young Simba in Disney’s “The Lion King” on Broadway, is Hawaii’s youngest star of the moment, in the midst of a six-month run at the Minskoff Theatre. The Kaneohe lad, who can sing, dance and act, clearly was a great choice for Disney’s Tony-winning hit on the Great White Way. “King” grossed more than $3 million over the Christmas weekend, and likely will be a three-peat New Year’s weekend, as it did Thanksgiving weekend. Holidays are great for this No. 1 family attract. His mom, Sarahlea Gamiao Kekuna, is with him (minors require a parent or guardian in attendance). And not surprisingly, Hawaii fans, friends and strangers who want to applaud this kid’s success have been taking in the show. For that reason, we’re listing Zeke’s January performance dates (he’s alternating the limelight with Albert Rhodes Jr.) so you can secure performance when he’s in action…
2 — Iam Tongi, first “American Idol” winner from Hawaii, staged a Blaisdell Arena concert Dec. 9 and two dates at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center, but to take advantage of his “Idol” triumph, he needs several elements: a Mainland tour, an album to support the gigs, and a No. 1 hit record. Also vital: Kokua in establishing an act to hone in on Tongi’s craft and heritage. No denying, he has that sweet voice, the ability to charm and win fans. He has embarked on a tour, but the impact is still uncertain. Will the weeks and months ahead provide clues of his destiny?…
3–Jason Momoa, filmdom’s “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” had the No. 1 film this past Christmas. He was home prior to the holidays, to promote his water brand, Mananalu, the resealable and recyclable aluminum bottle that fans likely will keep for personal use, since its design includes an Aquaman-approved trident image. Momoa also boasts a wine, Dirtbag, via Nocking Point, a spicy Bourdeaux-style red. Momoa’s “Chief of Hawaii” film, about the indigenous people of Hawaii, is his first film he wrote for television (he also stars in it) and it will be among the Apple+ screenings this year. It might be a controversial film, with the Hawaiian community ready to determine if it’s a yea or a nay…
4 –Henry Kapono, male singer, show producer, jack-of-all-trades here. He writes music, produces recordings, performs at Blue Note Hawaii in Waikiki, and embarks on short-term tours on the mainland, while anchoring his godsend gig, Sundays at Duke’s on the beach at Waikiki.
He’s become a brand that’s hard to beat. And Hawaii remains his anchor, happily. “Home in the Islands” is his mantra, after all…
5 –Amy Hanaiali‘i, female singer, has been sharing her music across the island chain but also beyond the reef, including treks to Europe, last year. She also has her own brand of wine. And is president of the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts, which produces the annual Na Hoku Hanohano Awards. A well-rounded profile, for sure.
6 –Trevor Tamashiro, executive director of Diamond Head Theatre, is skippering Hawaii’s oldest theater group on its next important journey – greatness and proficiency, now that there’s a new facility on the slopes of Diamond Head. Fundraising continues since the theater wants to expand its facilities where the former theater stood…
7 — Kevin Iwamoto, who did what Taylor Swift has done, buying, and securing rights to his recorded music, but on a less than grander scale like Swift. He, like she, re-recorded some of his catalogue (she did it all). His ’70s music has evolved as a modest but remarkable staple for new global listeners, thereby charting his tunes with a brand-new life last year and continues to flourish this year…
8 — Roy Yamaguchi, whose signature Roy’s Restaurant in Hawaii Kai marked its 35th anniversary in 2023, clearly is a success story continuing to break new ground. Roy’s has enjoyed one of the longest runs in the islands (he has franchises on the mainland and a few abroad). The new year will herald a new role for Yamaguchi – he will head the culinary program at the Kapiolani Community College at Diamond Head, where students already have succeeded in opening and operating a restaurant that helps shape future kitchen magic…
9 – Cha Thompson, retired Tihati Productions co-founder, last year embarked on a new venture, helping Farrington High School students open “Cha’s Closet,” a venture that enables students to buy gently used (and some brand new donations), at thrift store prices: $1 for tee shirts, blouses, trousers, and formal wear from $5. Cha, the self-proclaimed Queen of Kalihi, is a graduate of Farrington, and always eager to kokua that community. Donations are welcome to keep the shelves full…
10 — Stephen Tsai, veteran sportswriter (formerly at the Honolulu Advertiser, currently at the Honolulu Star-Advertiser), is a career devotee of sports reporting. His blanket coverage of University of Hawaii football is unbeatable, but he can cover ‘em all. OK, Tsai is not part of the entertainment realm, but if you envision football as entertainment, he fits the bill here. Tsai was a colleague at the paper, before I retired, and I’m saluting him now, as one of the luminaries of print journalism, because he’s planning to retire in 2024 to begin collecting Social Security. Like his buddy, Ferd Lewis, who exited and retired to escape the frustrations of the diminishing newsroom, Tsai’s retirement will leave a huge gap. He’s served us readers well, and he deserves to enjoy the green pastures of senior hood. Alas, it will be the end of an era…
And that’s Show Biz….
Hi Wayne,
Lots of great photos in this column. Dolores