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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, March 21, 2010

Broadway trouper comes home to another 'Hair'


By Wayne Harada

Local girl Kaitlyn Kiyan, fresh from the tribe in the Tony Award-winning Broadway revival of "Hair," visited the Manoa Valley Theatre cast a few nights back. It's gratifying when a bona fide New York actor comes home to link and inspire home troupers who pursue that theatrical dream.

Meanwhile, Kiyan and her New York cast mates are off to London, where "Hair" opens a six-month run April 14 at the Gielgud Theatre (previews begin April 1). Yep, the entire New York crew will recreate "Hair" for the Brits, so Kyle Riabko as Claude and Ace Young as Berger lead the new cast continuing at the Al Hischfeld Theatre on Broadway. Also aboard as Sheila: Diana DeGarmo, the second-placer behind winner Fantasia Barrino in the third season of "American Idol" — when Hawai'i's Jasmine Trias finished third. ...

DINO-POWER: The Brothers Cazimero's "Favorites" one-nighter recently at the Hawai'i Theatre was a tour de force, with Robert and Roland putting on a career-best spectacle laced with nostalgia and seasoned with savvy and artistry to spare. With apologies to James Bond, nobody does it better than The Caz, who made it all look easy and sound breezy. Clearly, Robert was the brain and focus, and despite his self-deprecating "we are dinosaurs" view, the brothers have experience on their side, having played the Royal Hawaiian's Monarch Room for 12 years and traveling to Carnegie Hall and Washington, D.C., over their 40-year career.

With 24 gents from Robert's Hālau Na Kamalei o Lililehua and five wāhine from the Royal Dance Company, the show was blessed with "third brother" Leina'ala Kalama Heine and guest singer Lehula Kalima of Nā Leo. And here's where history counted: The Caz tapped former Monarch Room hula soloists Nani Dudoit, Jackie Boothe and Moea Defries to share their exquisite, treasured dances, while the duo rushed to seats in the theater to finally witness what audiences had seen and applauded tirelessly. Such spontaneous, inventive moments yielded chicken-skin joy and reinforced the power and prowess these vets still possess. Waikīkī needs to reinvest in such cultural spectacles because dino power lives! ...

WHEE, THE PEOPLE: Keith and Carmen Haugen's Fourth Annual Peace Concert at Kapi'olani Park Bandstand was a success, though the couple is thinking of scheduling it later in spring next year, like April or May instead of February. "Folks were wearing heavy jackets, and some were wrapping themselves in blankets to keep warm," said co-producer Carmen. Keyboardist Ron Miyashiro donned a jacket, and the musicians found the brass instruments cold to the touch. ...

Singer-guitarist Cyril Pahinui is plenty busy. Besides his kī ho'alu lessons at Bishop Museum, he holds forth Wednesdays at Kani Ka Pila Grille at the Outrigger Reef on the Beach, and he just did gigs at Gordon Biersch in Palo Alto and at The Sleeping Lady in Fairfax, Calif. Oh, and he'll get a Hawaii Music Award Lifetime Achievement Award Saturday at the Empress Restaurant, along with Kaua'i's Larry Rivera, San Francisco's Saichi Kawahara (of Kapalakiko Press and the Kapalakiko Band), Internet radio's Aloha Joe and singer-musician Mihana Souza (of the Aluli-Farden 'ohana). ...

PERSONALITIES: Vive La Danse! Gabrielle Chock, 12, a Ballet Hawaii dance student, earned the Grand Prix award in the semi-finals of the Youth American Grand Prix dance competition in San Francisco recently, which means she's bound for the finals in New York. Pam Taylor-Tongg, Ballet Hawaii's artistic director, earned teacher of the year laurels. Gabby has been studying ballet since 4. Her parents are Gwen and Derrick Chock. ...

And that's Show Biz. ...

Reach Wayne Harada at 266-0926 or wayneharada@gmail.com. Read his blog Fridays in TGIF and at http://showandtellhawaii.honadvblogs.com.