Cazimero bears gifts of lei, aloha in visit to Ables Sayre

Robert Cazimero, the kumu hula and Hawaiian entertainer, turned ambassador of aloha bearing fragrant lei when he visited Loretta Ables Sayre in London. He took in her Tony-nominated Bloody Mary performance in "South Pacific," which played at the Barbican Theatre, with Tony-winning Brazilian artist Paulo Szot as Emile De Becque also re-creating his Great White Way role. "He brought maile lei and aloha and it was magical," said Ables Sayre in an email. "London wuz 1derful n Loretta n Paulo amazing," Cazimero said via smartphone. …

"South Pacific" will tour as follows: Oct. 12 to 22 at the Milton Keynes Theatre, Oct. 25 to Nov. 5 at the Palace Theatre Manchester, Nov. 8 to 19 at Theatre Royal Glasgow, Nov. 22 to Dec. 3 at the Bristol Hippodrome and Dec. 3 to 31 at the New Theatre Oxford. So it’ll be a British Christmas for Ables Sayre. …

Cazimero also had dinner with Broadway veteran Baayork Lee, his longtime pal dating back to the first "A Chorus Line" touring show here. Her life was the source of the Connie Wong character in her late pal Michael Bennett‘s backstage musical. …

HULA LOOP: The aforementioned Cazimero and Lanakila Casupang are choreographing and rehearsing with five male leads in Keo Woolford‘s "Under the Hula" film. They are Saitia Faaifo as Kaleo, Chris Latronic as Timo, Tauarii Nahalea-Marama as Yosh, Cedric Panganiban as Solomon and JD Tanuvasa as Lee. …

The main character, Jonny Kealoha, is still sought; he needs to be handsome, 30-ish, charismatic with a strong background in hula, and of mixed Hawaiian-Polynesian ethnicity, to play a gent returning to his cultural roots as host of a luau. Information: thehulanation.com or email underthehulamovie@gmail.com. …

WHEE, THE PEOPLE: "Hawaii Five-0" star Alex O’Loughlin visited the ‘Iolani School campus, not as Steve McGarrett, but as a dad. The resulting buzz among students is that his teen son Saxon (wonder whether he will go by Alex’s birth name, O’Lachlan?) would be enrolling there or already is there. Asked for confirmation, a "Five-0" publicist said, "We do not comment on any of our actors’ personal lives/matters." …

"Phantom of the Opera" director Ron Bright missed the Oct. 1 performance of the hit musical at Paliku Theatre at Windward Community College because he and wife Mo were at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children to witness the birth of their seventh grandchild, Mia Rose Malulani Stein. Their daughter Jodi Bright Stein delivered the healthy girl, who was 8 pounds, 51⁄2 ounces and 211⁄2 inches long. Her lungs, according to grandpa, are "definitely Broadway material." And he insists Mia looks like him. Of course, cast members have been getting all the details. "Phantom" runs Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays through Oct. 23. …

THE LOCAL ANGLE: Na Koa Ali‘i, the Hawaii All State Marching Band, is prepping for its participation in the 85th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day program live from New York and on TV Nov. 24. …

Manoa DNA has been in Japan, hitting Sapporo, Tokyo and Yokohama, "trying to spread the aloha," said dad member Lloyd Kawakami. …

Julia Ogilvie, daughter of actor Bill Ogilvie, is in her final year at Juilliard, where she and friend Nalini Sharma co-wrote and completed the first six episodes of a new Web series titled "Shakespeare, Hashish and Ish." It’s a tale of two offbeat women, friends since childhood, embarking on different adventurous paths. "Both are desperately lonely, and each thinks she wants the life of the other," said Julia, who is in the film with Nalini. To reconnect they go on a weekend retreat, "hurled into mayhem by a mysteriously odd Russian drug dealer, Shakespeare and a whole lotta ish."

The women have launched indiegogo.com, seeking funds to complete their editing. To kokua, act promptly — donate over the next few days. Lewis Stout is another islander involved as production consultant; director is Alberto Bonilla. …

And that’s "Show Biz." …

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Wayne Harada is a veteran entertainment columnist; reach him at 266-0926 or wayneharada@gmail.com; read his Show and Tell Hawaii blog at www.staradvertiser.com.