It’s hana hou for "Here Lives Love," the David Byrne–Fatboy Slim disco musical about Imelda Marcos. The hit musical will be revived beginning April 14 in an open-end run at The Public Theatre in New York, with islander Ruthie Ann Miles, who earned praise as the shoe-doting diva, reprising her role as the first lady of the Philippines during the reign of Ferdinand Marcos.
I saw the groundbreaking show last summer in its limited run, with most of the audience standing, observing and/or dancing on the main floor (with audience movement coinciding with the shifting sets and staging areas). For folks like me who want to sit and watch the proceedings, there are limited balcony seats overlooking the performance space — at no extra cost — but reservations are necessary. The score is lively and danceable, the singing loud to compete with the volume, and the curiosity factor certainly carries the show; I mean, a discofied Imelda?
Alas, the story tracks the Marcoses from early days through their political turmoil, ending as they seek asylum in Hawaii. …
AROUND TOWN: Frank De Lima will do a Secretaries Day buffet show April 23 at the Jade Dynasty restaurant at Ala Moana Center. It’s $238 for a table of 10, should office gangs be interested; call 947-8818 for other arrangements. …
T-Shirt Theatre, the Farrington High-based theatrical ensemble led by George Kon, is prepping "Untold Stories," a play set for two free performances at 4:30 p.m. April 6 and 7:30 p.m. April 10 at the Kaimuki High School auditorium.
Because the T-Shirters became homeless when the Farrington auditorium’s roof collapsed in a November 2012 storm, the shows by Kalihi youths ages 13 to 18 have been relocated to the Kaimuki site, fueled by a vigorous student outreach program that tapped social media. Thus, teens from Kalihi and Kaimuki are expected to bond — adding foundation and resilience to the ongoing challenges of presenting the production. Details: www.rehearseforlife.com. …
HERE ‘N’ THERE: While performing in Thailand, Hawaii’s Bruno Mars visited a marketplace on a day off, discovering four pirated CDs on sale. He managed to smile and posted photos with the bootlegged discs online, confronting the stall salesman who was unaware Mars was the buyer: "I think these are a bit dodgy." To which the guy responded, "Yeah mate, I agree, but you can see why the record company wanted a slicker Michael Buble, can’t you?" Mars’ posted message: "Whataya gonna do?" …
By the way, Mars’ track in the upcoming "Rio 2" animated film is called "Welcome Back." It’s one of 14 originals on the soundtrack. …
Albert Pyun, the indie filmmaker from Hawaii, still is undergoing treatment for multiple sclerosis at the Cleveland Clinic’s Neurological Institute in Las Vegas and is trying his best to move forward with career options, like producing a TV series with Sasha Mitchell and a career retrospective of his 50 films in Melbourne. But he took a giant step in his personal life, wedding his longtime partner and producer, Cynthia, Feb. 5. "So things aren’t all bad," he emails. …
CINEMASCOOP: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson appeared at CinemaCon 2014 in Las Vegas to promote Paramount’s unveiling of the trailer for "Hercules," in which he plays the title character. The film hits theaters July 25. "I was born to play this role," he tells USA Today. …
Jason Momoa, the former Honoluluan starring on TV’s "The Red Road," will be in "Sugar Mountain," a dark comedy-thriller also featuring Cary Elwes, to be directed by Richard Gray. It’s a tale set in Australia but filming in Alaska. …
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.
