Johnson Enos’ original environmental musical, “Honu by the Sea,” will make a second appearance Oct. 8-10 at the Tokyo Sea Life Park.
And yet another new Japanese song, “Joshiki Dayo (Common Sense),” composed by Enos, will debut when the show plays nine performances to mark the park’s 28th anniversary.
“The entire cast has been taking classes once a week for the last month to prepare and learn this song in Japanese,” said Enos.
Last year two tunes were performed in Nihongo.
Enos intends to eventually translate the entire score into Japanese as an upgrade toward earning international credits.
“Ken-san (an official) from Tokyo Sea Life Park is very excited to be sharing our message in Japanese so everyone can understand,” said Enos.
“Honu” is Hawaiian for turtle. The show is about a Hawaiian lad, Kainoa, who spends a day under the sea after he finds a magical starfish. He meets Honu, a female sea turtle, and learns humans are polluting the ocean with harmful debris and contaminants.
Honu Ocean Ambassador, a larger-than-life costumed turtle mascot, has proved to be a popular pre-show meet-and-greet element for the Nippon crowds and will appear again. Enos said hula and perhaps the ukulele will expand the goodwill.
Enos continues to shape “Hoku” into a two-act, Broadway-style extravaganza, with another Honolulu tryout at the Blaisdell Concert Hall in the next year or two. A traveling miniversion also is likely to play in an off-Broadway house in the Times Square area of New York in 2018. …
ALL IS BRIGHT
Clarke Bright, musical conductor of I’m a Bright Kid Foundation’s “The King and I” hit at Paliku Theatre, arranged for oldest son Chris to return home to surprise his grandmother Mo Bright at the musical’s opening night. It brought tears of joy, of course, for Mo, widow of beloved theater director Ron Bright.
Coincidentally, Chris — an employee of Walt Disney Animation Studios — was able to see his young cousin Drew Bright, son of Michael Bright, as the Royal Child (one of the king’s many sons, who wipes his hands on his clothes before touching Anna) — the role Chris played in a 1998 Castle High School production directed by his grandfather. Kathleen Stuart, a New York-based actress, played Anna in that earlier show and now in the Paliku version. What goes around comes around. …
“The King and I” has been extended, with additional performances at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 6 and 7 and 4 p.m. Oct. 8. It’s a sumptuous revival that serves as poignant homage to “Mr. B” and those he inspired. His notes from the 1998 script he directed motivated the cast. The “Shall We Dance” number with Stuart and Michael Ng as the King, with her hoop skirt awhirl, is the take-away moment. Read my review at staradvertiser.com. …
NAME DROPPING
Joseph Morales, the Sunday lead actor in “Hamilton” in the Chicago cast of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s megahit musical, was in town for a quiet vacash, largely a reunion with his ‘Ohia Productions colleagues. …
Patricia Lei Anderson Murray will mark her 75th birthday in November, and as a birthday gift, hubby Harry is taking her to New York after scoring tickets to Bette Midler’s “Hello, Dolly!” She hopes to bring a fresh lei to present to the Divine Miss M after the performance, and I suggested she pack a sturdy orchid lei, keep it refrigerated and seek entry at the Shubert Theatre stage door. A lei from Hawaii is hard to resist in The Big Apple. …
And that’s “Show Biz.” …
Wayne Harada is a veteran Honolulu entertainment columnist. Reach him at 266-0926 or email wayneharada@gmail.com.
