For the first time in its 28-year history, Pupukahi i ke Alo o na Pua — Mid-Pacific Institute’s student hula halau — will celebrate “May Day Is Lei Day in Hawaii” on May Day (May 1) at Hawaii Theatre. Led by award-winning kumu hula Michael Lanakila Casupang, Pupukahi will assemble a huge student cast for this lei-is-paramount tradition.
May Day traditionally is a time to celebrate lei and the aloha spirit. Remember when the Brothers Cazimero staged Lei Day extravaganzas annually — for 30 years — at the Waikiki Shell? Only a memory now.
But Casupang, a former hula student of Robert Cazimero, kumu of Na Kamalei o Lililehua, remembers that era and even has adopted his former kumu’s mantra, “Make a lei, wear a lei, give a lei.”
Pupukahi will collaborate with all the arts disciplines on the campus to mark the 25th anniversary of the Mid-Pacific School of the Arts with the perfectly timed show. Students in the inaugural year of a Hawaiian-studies certificate program are providing research for the show as part of their learning experience.
Tickets: $50, $35, $30 and $20 at the Hawaii Theatre box office. Call 528-0506. …
MONUMENTAL ‘MORMON’: Bumped into Linda Coble and Kirk Matthews at a performance of “The Book of Mormon” last week at Blaisdell Concert Hall, and she said the outing with laughs aplenty was just the tonic for his next-day round of chemotherapy to combat his ongoing cancer battle. Humor helps healing. …
As for “Mormon,” it is a monumental hoot, possibly better than the Broadway original I saw a few years back with Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells. Man up and go see A.J. Holmes as Elder Cunningham and Billy Harrigan Tighe as Elder Price, clearly cohesive as the unlikely duo sent to Uganda to spread the message of the Mormon Church. The plot is a mix of competitiveness and camaraderie, fear and ambition, success and failure. Yes, there are expletives undeleted and repetitive obscene gestures, sufficient red flags to turn off some folks not accustomed to the antics and artistry of “South Park” creators and “Mormon” mavens Trey Parker and Matt Stone, collaborating with Robert Lopez (“Avenue Q”). Two surprises: Alexandra Ncube, as Nabulungi, the naive villager and eager Mormon convert, and Brian Beach, as the effervescent and cheerful Elder McKinley.
The Mormon Church is playing a supportive role, buying three full pages of ads in the playbill (one says, “You’ve seen the play, now read the book”) and dispatching hawkers in tell-tale necktie with white shirt/black pants garb to offer the real “Book of Mormon” as crowds exit. …
Nice addition: The official show posters at Blaisdell’s entry corridors depict a knees-bent elder jumping, with the photo edited to show him wearing lei, an endorsement of local tradition. Bad omission: The playbill neglects to provide the roster of song titles and performers — customary must-haves for any professional show. …
THE LOCAL ANGLE: A Hawaii chef competes Thursday on the Food Network’s “Beat Bobby Flay” show. Shaymus Alwin, chef de cuisine at Azure at the Royal Hawaiian hotel, will vie against Boston’s Jeremy Sewall. The winner earns a shot to cook against Flay. …
Aidan James’ composition “The Girl on the TV Screen” made the cut in Nashville’s International Songwriting Competition. If he’s on the final ballot, he’ll return there. Alas, his entry in the preliminary Na Hoku Hanohano Awards single category didn’t glide to the final ballot, but his “Echoes” made the cut for contemporary album of the year, so he’ll be home for the May 28 event. …
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 staradvertiser.com.
