Jazz cats and chef hats join a single stage

Dinner and a show takes on a whole new meaning when “Coolin’aire: A Culinary Jazz Odyssey” takes the stage at Windward Community College’s Paliku Theatre on Saturday.

John Richards, dean of career and technical education at Kapiolani Community College, created the show. He described “Coolin’aire” as a culinary concert that covers cooking and human nature.

The show has a “chef,” played by “Little” Albert Maligmat, giving a Gordon Ramsay-like “Hell’s Kitchen” treatment to his pastry chef apprentice, played by Annamarie Love. She is oblivious to the chef, however, as she is consumed with her passion for chocolate.

Student culinarians will be on stage preparing food and playing the percussion parts of the jazzy, hip-hop score, joined by recording artist Zanuck Kapala Lindsey (guitar), Rocky Holmes (wind instruments), Keith Montross (keyboards), Richards (bass) and Konrad Kendrick (percussion).

Kendrick, a former “Stomp” performer, has been working with the students on their percussive contributions to the show.

Maligmat, formerly of Hawaii’s famed Society of Seven, is perhaps better known for singing all manner of melodious tunes from the 1950s to more current pop music and show tunes, so fans may be surprised to see him take a turn at rap.

The show is not so much “gin and juice,” a la Snoop Dogg, as it is about the legendary Georges Auguste Escoffier, a French chef, restaurateur and writer who popularized French cooking methods that now are taught around the world.

The onstage, real-life culinary students will employ those Escoffier techniques as they prepare food for onstage guests.

“This is something I’ve wanted to do as a marketing and fundraising vehicle for our programs, which are very expensive,” Richards said. He plans to stage the production at sister campuses, at high schools and even beyond Hawaii’s shores to raise money for the Culinary Institute of the Pacific. The production has involved the Culinary, Hospitality, Business and Legal & Technology programs at KCC; the MELE Music Program at Honolulu Community College; and the Culinary Training and Paliku Theatre operations at Windward Community College.

Proceeds support the Hiilaniwai Foodservice Innovations Training program at Windward Community College, as well as the Kapiolani Community College Culinary Competition team.