Shari Lynn, the versatile singer, actress and music teacher, is on her annual work-and-play trip to New York.
She’s been absorbing sessions at a Broadway Teaching Group teachers’ workshop, a network for music and drama instructors from all over the country, to prep for her theatrical endeavors when she’s back home. Guest lecturers over the years have included Stephen Sondheim, Chita Rivera and Tony Danza (this year’s speaker was not disclosed at the time she left); the Music Theatre International, a show licensing organization, commonly rolls out products and ideas “aimed at making school productions look and sound as professional as possible,” said Lynn, who is the music teacher at La Pietra – Hawaii School for Girls.
Lynn’s ticketed to see “Carousel,” “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” “Mean Girls,” “Once on This Island,” “My Fair Lady” and a Yiddish rendering of “Fiddler on the Roof” at the Museum of Jewish Heritage.
Lynn is quite the organizer, too — she researches and plans six months in advance — and slated treks through Central Park, breakfast at Zabar’s and lunch at 2nd Ave Deli, commonly hooking up with pals in the Big Apple.
Longtime buddy Fabienne Herold (“Shear Madness”) joined her for a week; Suzanne Green (“Sweeney Todd,” “It Shoulda Been You”) will be a companion for another week; directors Brad Powell and Brother Gary Morris planned New York trips to coincide with her plans, too.
Oh, and Lynn finally landed a single orchestra seat for “Hamilton” at a reasonable price, but in the name of friendship, she sold it so she could visit with pal Andee Gibbs, who is doing “Ruthless” in Las Vegas, to take in her performance instead. …
Meanwhile, La Pietra’s arts program gets a boost this fall, when Eden Lee Murray, former Hawaii Theatre Center education director, and adjunct professor of theater and director of the Paul and Vi Loo Theatre at Hawaii Pacific University, joins the prep academy faculty. Murray has earned eight Po‘okela Awards, Lynn has amassed 10, that’s quite a potent combo. …
‘NEWSIES’ NOTESIES
Disney’s “Newsies,” a dance-centric musical known for its “Seize the Day” outcry and hit song, opens Friday at Diamond Head Theatre. Already five additional performances have been added to the original July 13 through Aug. 5 run: 7:30 p.m. Aug. 2; 3 p.m. Aug. 4, 3 and 7:30 p.m. Aug. 11; and 4 p.m. Aug. 12.
New Yorker Tammy Colucci is directing and choreographing an energetic cast, based on characters featured in the under-appreciated 1992 film, about an 1899 newsboy strike that became a cult hit after its Broadway run from 2012 to 2014.
Hopefully, DHT’s vision will embrace the trilevel scaffolding set, from which choreographic magic unfolds. This is the dancing-est show you’ll see this season, with agile young men dominating the cast, led by Nicholas Amador as Jack Kelly, the role originated by Jeremy Jordan, who earned a Tony nomination.
Newsies include Crutchie (Isaiah Graham), Davey (Kai Durkin) and Les (Rocco Bechirian), and lots more, actually.
Kira Stone plays Katherine Plumber, sympathetic to the striking lads; Shane Noel is publisher Joseph Pulitzer and Will Thomson is Gov. Teddy Roosevelt. …
HERE ‘N’ THERE
A week after celebrating her 87th birthday, Joy Abbott wound up at Straub Hospital’s emergency room to tend to pain and clots in her left leg, a byproduct from an earlier tube from a surgical procedure on the mainland. She’ll be in physical therapy for a spell, so she had to postpone a planned right shoulder surgery. With earlier repairs (her other shoulder, knees, hip, etc.), Abbott’s earned a “Bionic Woman” nickname. …
Heard from Konishiki (aka Saleva‘a Atisanoe), who’s been cruising and performing aboard the Japanese cruise ship Asuka II; he arrived in Japan Wednesday. …
REMEMBERING ELI
Eli Thompson, late son of Jack and Cha Thompson, was remembered — 25 years after his accidental strangulation death at the family’s Portlock home — with a pair of plaque unveilings Monday at Saint Louis School, where he was an all-star linebacker. One was at a royal palm tree-planting site, a second at his favorite lunchtime spot.
“It was beautiful,” said mom Cha about the unexpected tribute, attended by Principal Glenn Medeiros and former coaches Cal and Ron Lee, along with three pals who spoke at Eli’s 1993 funeral.
“Unbeknownst to us, he was supplying many poor kids with athletic shoes and was like a big brother,” said Cha. Eli also prevented bullies from harassing younger boys.
“Miss him even 25 years later,” said Mom. …
DATES TO LOG
Blue Note Hawaii shows on the radar:
>> Willie K, one show only at 6:30 p.m. July 17.
>> Robert Cazimero, 6:30 and 9 p.m. July 19.
>> Melveen Leed, 6:30 and 9 p.m. Sept. 1, supported by Jeff Peterson, Lopaka Colon, Rodney Villaneuva, Peter Tau Espiritu and Iwalani Tseu.
>> Tower of Power, celebrating its 50th anniversary with a four-night stand, at 8 p.m. Nov. 29 and Dec. 2, and at 6:30 and 9 p.m. Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. …
And that’s “Show Biz.” …
Wayne Harada is a veteran entertainment columnist. Reach him at 266-0026 or wayneharada@gmail.com.
