There will be a Japanese spin — two tunes performed in Nihongo — when “Honu by the Sea,” the environmental musical addressing ocean pollution, is staged in Japan this week.
“This will be our first international tour in English and Japanese,” said Johnson Enos, the Kaneohe-based creator and writer of the musical. “We are honored.”
A total of nine performances — three a day — are set for Saturday through Oct. 10 at the Tokyo Sea Life Park to mark the facility’s 27th anniversary. About 30,000 people are expected to attend.
“Honu,” which is Hawaiian for “turtle,” has evolved, from a modest half-hour tale about a boy who meets the denizens of the sea, shown for free at the Royal Hawaiian’s Monarch Room, to a fully-mounted, two-hour theatrical endeavor, unveiled in 2015 at the Hawaii Theatre.
“We’re bringing a message of aloha and ocean conservation to Japan,” said Enos, whose roots date back to the late director Ron Bright’s tenure at Castle High School, stints with Tihati Productions’ Polynesian shows and gigs ranging from Disney to Bette Midler. The prevailing message will deal with “taking care of the trash and mess in the ocean, targeting the plastic bottle caps that make it to the sea that are harmful for turtles and damaging for other sea life if swallowed,” he said.
For the Japan visit, the show’s Disneyesque honu mascot will be shared. The Tokyo Sea Life Park will also engage its mascot — the maguro, or tuna. …
NAMES ’N’ PLACES: Mark Mugiishi, the Honolulu physician who earned his Broadway producer stripes when he singularly raised the most money from local contributors to support last year’s launch of the Broadway musical, “Allegiance,” hopes to get Fathom Pictures (which filmed the stage show for the screen) to increase screenings here because of anticipated crowds. The musical, featuring George Takei, Lea Salonga and Telly Leung, deals with Takei’s real-life experiences in an internment camp following Pearl Harbor. “Allegiance” will be shown at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 13 at Regal Dole Cannery (and globally, too), but Mugiishi hopes Fathom will secure an additional theater “due to what I think will be large demand,” particularly with the internment link and the Honouliuli memorial planned here. Tickets will be in the $18 range, with online sales beginning Oct. 26; to assure seats, register at http://808ne.ws/allegiancemusical …
PERSONALITIES: Singer
Ginai Curti is bound for London’s Abbey Road to record an album with jazz artist
Patrick Von Wiegandt, a Hoku Award nominee. While there, she’ll also participate in a “Swanky” reboot project — the original was engineered by industry veteran Al Schmitt, a friend of Von Wiegandt — but this time involving the former rhythm section of Bryan Ferry. …
Upon returning, Ginai will guest with the Josh Kaye Trio in a tribute to Ella Fitzgerald at 6:30 and 9 p.m. Oct. 24 at Blue Note Hawaii. …
ITEMIZATIONS: Manoa Valley Theatre has added three performances of “It Shoulda Been You,” at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 4 p.m. Oct. 9. The marital comedy is a hoot, with a hearty ensemble led by Shari Lynn and Callie Doan …
And at Paliku Theatre, “1776’s” final performance is at 4 p.m. today after an extension. …
Three veteran broadcast reporters and anchors got together recently to host and support a fellow trouper in time of need. Emme
Tomimbang, Leslie Wilcox and Bambi Weil, familiar names rooted in TV in
decades past, assembled
for lunch at 53 by the Sea with Linda Coble, herself
a media icon, to provide support and remember her late husband, Kirk Matthews. That’s a measure of true friendship. …
After the recent “Hawaii Five-0” Sunset on the Beach premiere screening of the seventh season opener, about 400 revelers wound up at SKY Waikiki and were served a special cocktail concocted by mixologist Jenn Akrill. It was co-star Chi McBride’s birthday, so folks sang “Happy Birthday,” and DJ Gem and DJ Oznizzle kept the dance floor jumping till sunrise. …
And that’s “Show Biz.” …
Wayne Harada is a veteran entertainment columnist. Reach him at 266-0926 or wayneharada@gmail.com. Read his Show and Tell Hawaii blog at staradvertiser.com.
