Sherry Shaoling, 47, is transiting from singer-comedic actress to stand-up comedian, a move providing new avenues of expression for the former Honolulan.
“I was inspired to try stand-up because I realized that through my diverse experiences I had a lot of colorful material,” Shaoling said via email. “My background as a singer and actor definitely helped me and enabled me to be fearless and fully committed to my act.”
Writing original material is daunting, she said. “It took me three months of over 10 hours per week just working on the writing … to get a mere 3-1/2 minutes of solid, usable material. I spent many nights driving around Los Angeles going to rooms with amateur and mostly male comics to test out material.
“It’s challenging but also extremely rewarding.”
A year ago she was an improv enrollee at the UCB School (Upright Citizens Brigade) founded by Amy Poehler and Tina Fey.
“I debuted at the Haha Cafe in NoHo (North Hollywood) and performed at the world-famous Comedy Store and Flappers in Burbank,” she said of her early gigs. “My aim is to follow other stand-up (Asian) legends like Margaret Cho, Ken Jeong, Jo Koy and Ali Wong, and Hawaii’s own Paul Ogata,” Shaoling said.
Despite her newbie status, Shaoling has played the Funny Women Fest in Los Angeles and the China International Comedy Festival in Shanghai, and has the Laugh Riot Grrrl Festival at Tao Comedy in Los Angeles in June. …
IN THE PINK
Melissa Manchester, of “Don’t Cry Out Loud” and “Through the Eyes of Love” acclaim, will grace the Monarch Room of the Royal Hawaiian hotel June 23. The Grammy Award-winning songstress will take the fabled Waikiki supper club’s spotlight backed by the Blue Note Orchestra, directed by Robert Slack. The gig coincides with National Pink Day, a chance to don pink and glow at the Pink Palace. Tickets: $95 (includes meet-and-greet), $75 and $55. Proceeds will support Susan G. Komen Hawaii’s breast cancer research. Dinner-show package ($200 VIP seating, $180 premium seating), from 5:30 p.m. at Azure Restaurant, available at honoluluboxoffice.com. …
ITEMIZATIONS
>> Kokua for Lanai: Kuana Torres Kahele, prolific Na Hoku Hanohano Award-winning singer, composer and choreographer, concertizes at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Hulopo‘e Ballroom of the Four Seasons Resort Lanai. He’ll sing Lanai-linked tunes from his “Music for the Hawaiian Islands Vol. 5, Lana‘ika‘ula” CD. Tickets: $75, $50, $25, at 565-7177, to benefit the Lanai Cultural & Heritage Center. Workshops from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the resort’s terrace level lobby. …
>> Hot “Hamilton”: There’s no stopping “Hamilton.” Its Broadway cast recording, released in 2015 and a Grammy winner in 2016, beat “Moana” (with Hawaii’s Auli‘i Cravalho voicing the titular character) with a Billboard Music Award on May 21 as top soundtrack/cast album. Lin-Manuel Miranda, the man behind “Hamilton,” won and lost, since he also composed “How Far I’ll Go,” the best-known “Moana” tune. The “Hamilton” CD has surpassed sales of 3 million copies; the show’s Broadway gross last week was $3.1 million. …
And that’s “Show Biz.” …
Wayne Harada is a veteran Honolulu entertainment columnist. Reach him at 266-0926 or email wayneharada@gmail.com.
