Posted on: Tuesday, December 30, 2008
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SHOW BIZ
Waynies sum up the year in show biz
By
Wayne Harada
Advertiser Columnist
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It's been a challenging year for show-bizzers amid cutbacks, shutdowns and a cloudy forecast for a whole new year of hardship.
"Waikiki nei" came and went in a blink a devastating shocker for producer Roy Tokujo and his $22 million showroom.
Cirque du Soleil brought the real McCoy to Blaisdell Arena with "Saltimbanco," which had the color, the splendor, the cohesiveness and the grandeur that "Waikiki nei" lacked.
It started getting bad when the world started to cave in: Aloha Airlines shut down, Wall Street tanked, foreclosures were plentiful, and shows like "Stars in Concert Hawai'i" shuttered as visitor counts floundered.
The surprise: Traditional Polynesian shows such as Tihati's endeavors at the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani hotel and the Hilton Hawaiian Village held up in the weak economy. Ditto Kalo's modest revue (now closed) at the Hawaiian Hut. So there's a lesson here: Hula has value.
There were other bright spots along the way.
Enter The Waynies our nods to what was hot and happening, and a few downers, in 2008:
Star of the Year Loretta Ables Sayre, Bloody Mary in "South Pacific." From community theater (Diamond Head Theatre's "You Somebody"), she stepped into the mainstream of The Great White Way, earning a Tony nom in her first-ever Broadway endeavor at age 50. That's the epitome of a "Bali Ha'i" and Happy Talk," indeed. ...
Male Star Hoku Zuttermeister. He swept this year's Na Hoku Hanohano Awards with his "'Aina Kupuna" solo CD debut, and literally defined and refined his hoku (star) in the Island galaxy. Now he needs a big show that supports his music. ...
Female Star Amy Hanaiali'i. She's a third-time contender for the Hawaiian Grammy Award with her risky but resourceful "'Aumakua" CD rich in cultural relevance, radiant in widening her boundaries as an Island singer, primed for national attention with such socko sizzlers as "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" ...
Very Important Personality President-elect Barack Obama. Needs no introduction, travels with a retinue of folks, brings world attention to Our Honolulu. ...
Out-of-Towners With Wowie Peter Lockyer and Melanie Tojio Lockyer. They co-directed and co-choreographed Diamond Head Theatre's "Les Misιrables" last fall, and he triple-dipped by starring as the protagonist, Jean Valjean. Simply put, this husband-and-wife team proved to be masters of the house. If you attended, did you hear the people sing ... with the joy of applause? The show was a solid sellout, approaching the $190,000 gross range (DHT does not reveal figures). A wowie, a biggie that could have run another few weeks if play dates were available. ...
Most Promising Trouper Brittany Browning. The 15-year-old Punahou student was a find of director Ronald Bright for his Paliku Theatre mounting of "Miss Saigon," in which she played Kim. Must've been the tallest Kim, too, but what pipes.
Kumu King Robert Cazimero, kumu of Halau Na Kamalei. He was named a USA Fellow, receiving a $50,000 grant in recognition of his cultural contributions. Robert, one-half of The Brothers Cazimero, said the award is not for him personally, though the temptation to spend on himself at Christmas was there. "It's for the halau," he said, with propriety. ...
Aloha 'Oe We bid a fond farewell to some true icons this year: Auntie Genoa Keawe, Raymond Kane, The Surfers' Patrick Sylva, Varoa Tiki, Clyde "Kindy" Sproat. ...
Last Call The unexpected closure of Rick Enos' Compadres Mexican Bar & Grill restaurants here and in California stunned the dining community. Wasn't just because of the food; Compadres was enmeshed in community events from the get-go, doing chili cookoffs in the earlier years, and simply was a great spot for after-movie, late-night kau kau. Momoyama at the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani hotel shut down, too, taking with it its popular chicken karaage. While Chef George Mavrothalassitis closed his Cassis eatery downtown, his flagship Chef Mavro was the only independent restaurant to earn a Five Diamond award, the top rating from the American Automobile Association, capping a splendid year. ...
Lights out The highly anticipated "Waikiki nei," which opened last summer after repeated delays, swiftly became Waikiki auwe, tanking because of a downtrodden economy. Word is there's a backstage story about investors lambasting the producers/creators of the show, which, alas, was put together by a committee of many different voices. You know the adage: Too many cooks spoil the broth. ...
And that's Show Biz for 2008. ...
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story included the wrong surname for Brittany Browning.
Show Biz is published Tuesdays and Thursdays. Reach Wayne Harada at 525-8067, wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com or fax 525-8055.
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