As another year ends, it’s time to reflect and reveal the 2019 Wayne Winners to acknowledge achievement and accolades within the entertainment community.
No, you didn’t have an opportunity to vote, since this is solely a one-person observation.
But instead of the conventional best-of categories, we honor those who stood out in a slightly different realm.
Drumroll, please:
CHART CHAMP
As I mentioned some weeks back, Hawaii’s Israel Kamakawiwo‘ole has demonstrated incredible star power and chart supremacy on Billboard magazine’s world charts, the weekly ranking of what the industry classifies as “world music” in 2019. BTS, the K-pop group, dominated the chart with 11 of the 25 spots (with three in the Top 10) in the World Digital Song Sales ranking. That’s incredible strength. But whoa, Bruddah Iz has held on steadily (and quietly) with his iconic “Somewhere, Over the Rainbow,” which claimed the No. 1 spot and denying BTS bragging rights for supremacy. So kudos, to Iz, the top winner of this year’s Waynies. …
GHOST ENCOUNTER
Derek Mio, who has island ties (his ojiichan, or grandfather, was born in Pahoa, on the Big Island), topped the cast of a creepy, horror TV mini-series, “The Terror: Infamy,” on the AMC channel. Mio, who was raised in Southern California, portrayed Chester Nakayama, a Japanese American photographer in a World War II concentration camp, which gave viewers a horrific (literally) glimpse of this engaging slice of history, from both Japanese and American perspectives. George Takei’s presence as an incarcerated figure gave the series star power, but the Mio character’s haunting, taunting and recurring encounters with obake (ghosts) made this must-see television, mystifying and chilling especially for survivors of wartime family members illegally imprisoned. Japanese ghostliness has an eerie, chicken-skin edge. …
POSITIVE THINKING
Willie K, battling stage 4 cancer, has been putting on a positive face and has continued his monthly residency (one Tuesday a month) at Blue Note Hawaii. The fact is, he has good days and bad days, as he goes on with his routine, cutting back to one show instead of a grueling two. He is the epitome of perseverance, a model of professionalism and a poster boy for hope, with an upbeat spin of making every moment of his life count. So, a shout-out for his courage and his conviction, and for sharing his story so others can follow his inspiriting spirit. …
SUPER TROUPER
Just after she got offstage at a recent Tuesday Hawaii Symphony Orchestra holiday concert at Blaisdell Center where she was a vocal soloist, Shari Lynn knew something was irregular. She suffered a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital where she remained two nights for observation. On the subsequent Saturday and Sunday nights, however, she was back onstage for “Not Quite Christmas,” her holiday revue with colleagues Kip Wilborn, Annie Renick and Buz Tennent, doing solos, duets and parodies at Medici’s at Manoa Marketplace. The audience didn’t know of her emergency crisis, and Shari said not a word about her health, carrying on that show-must-go-on spirit. So bravo, to a super trouper, and may the new year bring stability to her health and continued substance to her musical repertoire. …
CULTURAL TREASURE
Robert Cazimero is truly a cultural icon, and his followers know this and support his infrequent gigs. But since he has so much on his plate, with private gigs and Japan appearances competing for his time and attention, his agenda is loaded. Further, he’s taking his hula halau to the Merrie Monarch Festival next spring. This could mean his Waikiki appearances will be sparse, but he’s also a master of scheduling, so we can only hope there will be live concerts. …
ROAD WARRIOR
Local boy Joseph Morales has been playing Alexander Hamilton in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton” all year, in a continuing volley of road tour sellouts crisscrossing America, frequently returning to a playhouse for a hana hou in selected cities. You’d think someone would stage the show here, once and for all, for hometown audiences, but that’s not been in the cards. Wishful thinking, perhaps, but really, shouldn’t Honolulu get a shot, too? …
THE WOW FACTOR
You won’t likely see or experience a show anytime soon like Tihati Productions’ 50th anniversary gala, which attracted 900-plus at the Sheraton Waikiki earlier this month earning wows galore. It featured 100-plus dancers from the Tihati ohana, who filled the stage from one end to the other, with scores more performing in a central aisle. Sol3 Mio, the New Zealand-based operatic trio comprised of Samoan-born belters, topped a parade of local headliners, and yes, company co-founders Jack and Cha Thompson and their next-generation leaders Afatia Thompson and Misty Thompson Tufono, are still basking in the afterglow of a glorious and triumphant spectacle. So, onward toward the next 50 years. …
PARODY PARADISE
You gotta admit, Frank De Lima’s the unchallenged prince of parodies and he uncorks a newbie every time something’s trending on the news channels. His latest: Impeachment, sung to the tune of “12 Days of Christmas,” trolling the madness of the current impeachment situation. No name mentions, but the whistleblower that no one can see, is the No. 1 entry in this entry. Think about it: De Lima has so many parodies, he could do a whole show or routine about his bulging comedic catalog. Clearly, he’s one of a kind. …
And that’s “Show Biz.”
Wayne Harada is a veteran entertainment columnist. Reach him at 266-0926 or wayneharada@gmail.com.
