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Two prominent Hawaii entertainers — Cha Thompson and Loretta Ables Sayre — are in the midst of filming separate movies on two islands.
Thompson, co-founder of Tihati Productions and a veteran of Polynesian show productions with a variety of TV credits, is portraying a Hawaiian soothsayer in "Behind the Rainbow," a German movie directed by Judith Kennel being filmed on Maui.
Ables Sayre, a singer-actress best known for her Tony-nominated Bloody Mary role in a Lincoln Center revival of "South Pacific" several years ago, is doing a short film, "Dress," co-written by Henry Ian Cusick and his wife, Annie Cusick, in Honolulu. Henry, who was Desmond on ABC’s "Lost," is directing his first film.
Thompson has been commuting to the Valley Isle. "I have four separate days of shooting, the last day is May 29," she said. The movie deals with a mom seeking closure after losing her 18-year-old son to the waves. "It was chicken-skin," said Thompson of her part; in real life, she lost her 18-year-old son, Eli, in 1993.
In discussing the character, she suggested to director Kennel that the movie — set in Hawaii — lacked the Hawaiian language. So Thompson solicited the services of revered kumu hula Hokulani Holt-Padilla, who heads the cultural program at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center, to write a funeral chant.
"Every time I do it (the chant), I go into a trance," said Thompson. "It’s powerful; I never had that experience before." While she was practicing and chanting at home, her niece Suafu heard her laments and "ran down the stairs crying," wondering if someone had died, she said. …
Ables Sayre said director Cusick gives his actors space. "Some of the dialogue is impromptu," she said of the widower Ben Granger (played by Cusick) struggling to connect with his children after his wife’s death.
The cast includes Dennis Chun, Celia Kenney, Kathy Young, Riley Graves-Lock, Maile Holck, Kordell Kekoa, Sam Merritt, Junior Tesoro, Valery Watanabe, Margaret Jones, Ho‘ano Au and Asher Morgado.Annie Cusick, Angela Laprete and Matt Locey are producers. The five-day shoot in the Kailua-Lanikai area should be pau by now. Next stop: the Hawaii International Film Festival this fall. …
BY THE WAY: The aforementioned Ables Sayre is awaiting word about a film remake of "South Pacific"; the casting wish list includes Michelle Williams as Nellie Forbush, Hugh Jackman as Emile De Beque and Justin Timberlake as Lieutenant Cable. So here’s a shout-out: Why not the Broadway Bloody Mary (Ables Sayre) to re-create her role? …
"Nights of Fire," that late-night Holiday Inn WaikikiBeachcomber Hotel attraction featuring Roni Benise, shut down two weeks ago after a trial Sunday matinee performance. It just opened in March. …
Santa Claus is coming to town shortly. Well, to Maui, where "Aloha Santa" will be filmed at the Maui Film Studio, with Eric Gilliom co-producing with Jonathan Yudis and Mark Bakshi. Gilliom will appear in the film. …
PERSONALITIES: Joy Abbott, widow of Broadway legend George Abbott, was in the Big Apple for the "Mr. Abbott Award" gala honoring Jerry Mitchell at B.B. King‘s Blues Club. Mitchell, who was in the chorus of Abbott’s "On Your Toes," is a Tony nominee for the hot new musical "Kinky Boots" this season; he previously choreographed or directed such Broadway hits as "La Cage Aux Folles," "Hairspray" and "The Full Monty." Joy’s isle pals Elva Yoshihara and Barry Chun were there to support. …
That was actor Rob Lowe dining at BLT Steakhouse in the Trump Tower the other night. …
When Hapa assembles for two shows (7 and 9:30 p.m.) Saturday at the Turtle Bay Hotel’s Surfer, the Bar, former Miss Hawaii USA Radasha Ho‘ohuli (Hapa calls her "our Nanakuli Cinderella") will provide hula magic. Hapa will preview "Tuahine," its new CD due in August.
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 www.staradvertiser.com.
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