Ruivivar felt at home during ‘Blue Bloods’ stint

Hawaii native Anthony Ruivivar spent 10 days in New York recently, filming an episode of CBS’ “Blue Bloods” titled “The Thin Blue Line,” airing Friday as the series’ season finale.

“I play a heavyweight veteran detective, Oscar Calderon, who comes in to investigate a crime in Jamie’s precinct,” Ruivivar said. “Most of my scenes are with Jamie Reagan (portrayed by Will Estes.)”

Ruivivar said it felt like old home week because “Blue Bloods,” the cop series heavy with family values, utilizes the soundstages once occupied by NBC’s “Third Watch,” the TV drama that featured Ruivivar as Carlos Nieto for 132 episodes from 1999 to 2005 — his very first procedural on network TV.

“I even was in my first dressing room of ‘TW,’” he said.

Tom Selleck, a onetime Hawaii resident when he starred in his breakout “Magnum, P.I.” show, heads the ensemble cast of Friday night’s most-watched series. “Blue Bloods” is returning for an eighth season.

ALL IS ‘BRIGHT’

Eight months after August’s “Brighter Still” tribute to Ron Bright, his disciples and ohana have announced two projects that aim to continue and illuminate the late director’s theatrical legacy.

Through the I’m a Bright Kid Foundation, two productions are set:

>> “On Dragonfly Wings,” an inspirational musical co-written by Roslyn Cattrachia and the late Lisa Matsumoto, July 21-23 at the Pearl City Cultural Center. Directed by Jade Stice, the show, with its message of hope, is based on real-life leukemia victim Alana Dung of Hawaii. It will climax a six-week summer training program for youths that begins in June.

>> “The King and I,” the Rodgers and Hammerstein evergreen directed by Mary Hicks, is slated for weekend play dates Sept. 22 through Oct. 8 at Paliku Theatre, Windward Community College. Clarke Bright, eldest son of Ron Bright, will conduct the orchestra, with Miguel Cadoy overseeing choral work. Hicks, who teaches music at ‘Iolani, said “The King and I” was selected because it offered “a story with heart, would appeal to Hawaii audiences and included children in the cast — and Mr. B loved working with children.”

Bright, a beloved director and drama teacher who died July 7, 2015, at age 81, was known for mounting lavish musicals such as “Les Miserables,” “Miss Saigon” and “The Phantom of the Opera.” Many of his students — earlier in the Castle High School theater that now bears his name, and more recently at Paliku —became Broadway troupers.

“Dragonfly” director Stice, who first became a Bright student as a sixth-grader, was one of the locals who made the leap to Broadway as a young adult.

Allan Lau, production assistant to Bright with a 30-year alliance, said the I’m a Bright Kid Foundation aims to develop a love of theater and the arts in children and young adults, encourage future theater educators and thespians through scholarships and, in partnership with Paliku, produce community plays and musicals in “his spirit and heart.”

His widow, Mo Bright, said the foundation is off to a great start, with two theater scholarships to be announced, coinciding with the summer and fall shows.

And that’s “Show Biz.”

Wayne Harada is a veteran Honolulu entertainment columnist. Reach him at 266-0926 or email wayneharada@gmail.com.