The classic Society of Seven, the ensemble co-founded and shepherded by Tony Ruivivar and Bert Sagum for decades, will reunite in yet another reincarnation ofold memories and new thrills in a two-show, one-night stand Oct. 25 at the Hibiscus Ballroom of the Ala Moana Hotel.
With a versatile and vivacious Lhey Bella as the new featured female singer, Ruivivar and Sagum have set "homecoming" performances at 6:30 and 9 p.m. "You have to hear Lhey sing," says Ruivivar, still with a keen ear for a vocal diva. "She’ll move you, surprise you and have you begging for more."The advance word is Bella packs the emotional wallop of a Whitney Houston and Billie Holiday.
Two other SOS regulars — Hoku Low on vocals, bass and trumpet and Wayne Wakai on keyboards, soprano saxophone and guitar — will be joined by three newbies: Michael Laygo, lead vocals; Roy Venturina, keyboards; and Jun Estanislao, drums.
Still based in Las Vegas, the SOS pop-up will blend oldie hits with Broadway favorites, amid nostalgia and theatrics. Tickets: $55; call the Ala Moana at 944-4333. …
CINEMASCOOP: That mysterious Cameron Crowe romantic comedy filmed in Hawaii and earlier called "Deep Tiki" and "Untitled Cameron Crowe Project" won’t be a Christmas Day release after all. Sony has delayed its premiere to May 29.
Shrouded in secrecy, the project stars Bradley Cooper ("The Hangover" franchise star and the titular figure in Broadway’s "The Elephant Man" this fall) as a military contractor presumed dead but dispatched to Hawaii to oversee the launch of a U.S. space weapons satellite. Hollywood A-listers dot the cast: Emma Stone (from the "Spider-Man" series), Rachel McAdams (in the new "A Most Wanted Man") and Bill Murray, along with John Krasinski, Danny McBride and Alec Baldwin. Crowe is known for his earlier hits "Almost Famous" and "Jerry McGuire." …
ON STAGE: Pomai Lopez will play Tracy Turnblad, Johnny Reed her mother Edna and Lenny Villanueva her dad Wilbur in Paliku Theatre’s"Hairspray" from Sept. 19 through Oct. 19. Director Ronald Bright also has cast these principals: Alison L.D. Maldonado, Tori Anguay-de la Cruz and Amber DeMarco as the Dynamite Girls and Chris Gritti as Corny Collins.
Marcelo Pacleb is choreographer, Clarke Bright is musical director. Call 235-7310 for tickets. …
"Smokey Joe’s Cafe," the jukebox musical featuring Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller classics, plays through Aug. 3 at Manoa Valley Theatre.An agile and cohesive ensemble, directed by Brad Powell, admirably links unrelated but familiar tunes into a tender, alternately funny and romantic valentine of sparklingmemories. Alison Aldcroft, Katja Berthold, Derrick Brown, Jonathan Causey, Sheldon Gomabon, Alison L.B. Maldonado, Ethan Okura, Miguel K. Pa‘ekukui and Lelea‘e "Buffy" Wong perform as soloists, duos, trios, quartets —and you’ll be lip-syncing along. …
Diamond Head Theatre’s "Spamalot" has added an 8 p.m. Aug. 7 performance by popular demand. …
THE PLAY’S DA THING: Hawaiian Mission Houses will stage "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)" on Aug. 8, 9, 15, 16, 22 and 23.
It’s a slapstick parody of everything Shakespearean by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield, condensed into 97 frenetic minutes. William Ha‘o directs; Adam LeFebvre, Kevin Keaveney and Therese Olival co-star. Missionaries like the Rev. Dwight Baldwin had The Bard in his private library on Maui and Hawaiian-language versions of "Julius Caesar" appeared in Hawaiian newspapers in the 1860s, well before the late (and great) James Grant Benton put a local spin on Shakespeare with his classic pidgin take, "Twelf Nite ‘O Wateva." For tickets, go to www.missionhouses.org or call Lisa Solomine at 447-3926. …
GOLDEN OLDIES: Hungry Ear Records’ Dennie Chong and Ward Yamashita present Sunday’s third annual Hawaii Record Fair at the McKinley High School cafeteria. It’s the place to secure vinyl, CDs, cassettes and memorabilia from the distant past. …
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.
