As manager of Paliku Theatre, the gem of a performing space at Windward Community College, Tom Holowach is a jack-of-all-trades. He often takes an onstage role, oversees the box office and trouble-shoots tasks associated with running a theater.
His latest show, “1776 — The Musical,” playing Fridays through Sundays through Sept. 18, has been challenging. It’s a musical about the nation’s Founding Fathers clashing over the Declaration of Independence; it’s little-known, staged here only once decades ago, so ticket sales are sluggish; its middle-aged cast must act, sing and dance, portraying Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, all directed by Miles Philips. But it’s not “Hamilton.”
“There has been a lot of pressure,” said Holowach, who has assumed the role of Dr. Lyman Hall, a Georgia delegate. Because his character doesn’t appear until Scene 3, “I can work in the box office, get the show started, and then go upstairs and put on my tricorner acting hat,” said Holowach. That’s dedication.
Holowach is a pillar upholding and rebuilding in post-Ron Bright times. Tickets: 235-7310, paliku.com. …
SHOULDA, WOULDA: I shoulda mentioned Callie Doan as the forthright starring performer in Manoa Valley Theatre’s “It Shoulda Been You,” bowing Thursday. Doan plays Jenny, eldest daughter of Shari Lynn’s Judy Steinberg character, and it’s the pivotal role in the musical, which has a wedding theme. “Her story is central to the plot and very poignant,” said Shari. “And wow, she delivers.” …
Ohana Arts’ “Peace on Your Wings,” about Sadako Sasaki’s immortal tale of folding origami cranes that inspired a global peace movement, will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Friday and 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday at the Gerald W. Lynch Theatre in New York City. Hawaii ex-pats might check ’em out. Tickets: 212-237-8005, ohanaarts.ticketleap.com/peace-on-your-wings-nyc.
Gunshots in Kamilonui Valley in Hawaii Kai? Happened the other day, but it was “Hawaii Five-0” filming, so Mariner’s Cove residents were warned about the noise. …
PAIRINGS: Look for a rare Amy Hanaiali‘i-Willie K pairing Oct. 3 at the Blue Note Waikiki, in the Outrigger Waikiki Hotel. Good timing, since Hanaiali‘i’s “Remembering Napua” CD is just out, a sweet and definitive tribute to her inspirational tutu wahine, Napua Woodd, who performed at the Lexington Hotel’s Hawaiian Room in New York in 1939 and in Broadway’s “Hellzapoppin.”…
Willie K also teams up (joined by Imua Garza) with entertainer Davell Crawford — known as the Piano Prince of New Orleans — Sept. 12 at Blue Note Hawaii. Crawford is a musician’s musician, not yet a household name. But like Willie, he has a foundation in New Orleans blues and soul, and is an established participant in an annual bluesfest in the Crescent City. There’s talk that Crawford will woo Willie to join in next year. …
MARKET MATTERS: The newly reopened and reimagined International Market Place, in the heart of Waikiki, surely will be equally ballyhooed and booed. It’s grand, it’s gorgeous, it’s about time. Yet the jury is out on its relevance and reception.
I attended a preview event that featured Raiatea Helm, Jake Shimabukuro and Willie K at the Queen’s Court, which is at the complex’s piko (the center, or bellybutton). There, Tihati Productions’ history-laced Hawaiian show will be shown at dusk each night. The show recalls memories of Queen Emma and King Kamehameha IV (who lived on the site), told through oli (chant) and hula. But seating is limited for a show like this that requires sit-down, pay-attention engagement to appreciate the artistry and storytelling. A lot is lost, or not found, if you merely pause to watch a hula while hele-ing to or from a shopping or dining experience.
With 50 of 75 retailers already open, anchored by Saks Fifth Avenue, it’s window-shopping season. Restaurants on the third level are pricey, but new experiences await.
What’s missing is the pleasure of yesteryear’s sense of discovery, when island acts like Don Ho and The Aliis plus The Surfers courted fame in venues long gone.
The center lacks such night-life show spots. See my blog for more reflections. …
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.
