A Daring New Show That Dazzles

Wednesday - August 19, 2009 By Susan Sunderland

Heartbeat Hawaii, the new show at Royal Hawaiian Theater at Level 4, is truly eye-opening. First, it is a visual delight that is fascinating and entertaining. But in its innovation and daring cultural breakthrough, it’s a metaphor for the future. This is a show that is ahead of its time. But leave it to entrepreneurial showman Roy Tokujo to open our eyes to something new and different. He is a master at taking our myopic and provincial views of Island entertainment and showing us how to dress it up. Consider his track record with Paradise Cove luau, Ulalena on Maui and Magic of Polynesia. They redefine “typical tourist” shows. So it is with Heartbeat Hawaii, although visitor audiences will likely be the market to sustain it as a must-see attraction. In its debut run, local folks are curious to see what has replaced the Cirque-like Waikiki Nei show. It’s unlike anything we’ve seen here before, except in theatrical touring shows that dazzle us for a few days and then leave town. Heartbeat Hawaii is an action-musical that “celebrates the spirit of Hawaii.” Don’t look for more “Hawaii” in the production than that. Its creator, Dennis K. Law, M.D., delivers a different form of entertainment that fuses high-energy acrobatic and martial arts action with sophisticated dance movements. Nonstop action - no intermission - is presented with unique music, stirring percussion and electronic music soundscapes. A cast of 75 dancers, martial artists, acrobats and musicians trained in China interpret subtle Hawaiian themes, like the Islands’volcanic origins and fusion of Asia-Pacific cultural influences. There is no storyline or narration. Rather it is a kaleidoscopic matrix of Hawaii’s ethnic diversity. Once you figure out that “fusion” and “diversity” are at the heart of this show, you appreciate the artistry and glamour in which it is presented. Otherwise, you will be confused or even disappointed. It might seem like one mixed-martial-arts routine after another, in elaborate costumes. That would surely be the wrong vision and interpretation of this show. The two-hour show, incorporating 17 numbers, moves through a tapestry of cultural themes including Hawaii, Japan, Korea (my favorite segment), China and America. Following a percussion intermezzo with audience participation, a sense of contemporary art or Polynesian Picasso takes over in a tribute to island fusion. Dancers interpret Hawaiian gourds, hibiscus, bamboo, Hawaiian quilts, birds and kapa. The closing number is a specially written song, Hawaii is the World, a sound-alike to Michael Jackson’s We are the World. Should you rush out to see this show? Yes, for the dazzling and amazing production that is presented. Yes, to be among the first to see how a specially trained troupe from China has created a new attraction in Waikiki. Yes, if you’re into martial arts, acrobatics and dance. The ability to mesh these usually separate disciplines into fluid movement and showman-ship is inspiring. No, if you want a show that teaches you about Hawaii’s history, traditions and arts. No, if you’re not ready for an entirely Chinese company - with the exception of co-producer Tokujo and art direction consultant Amos Kotomori - to take credit for a Hawaii-based show. No, if you don’t want to pay the price to see how Hawaii’s diversity is interpreted by a talented and skilled writer, producer and director like Law. And, no, if you’re not amazed that Law put together a customized show for Hawaii in just over three months, complete with special choreography, music, fabulous costumes and a fond aloha for the Islands. Well, those are pros and cons of Heartbeat Hawaii from where we sit. Law hopes audiences will come away from his show with “a sense of well-being.” It should leave you with a positive “aftertaste.” Tokujo, in his usually understated, modest persona, is optimistic about the show. A seasoned tourism executive, he knows Hawaii must prepare for a new generation of visitors and jaded repeat guests. “If we don’t give them something new, they’ll go somewhere else,” he says. That’s not “selling out,” in Tokujo’s view. That’s being smart and looking ahead to the opportunities that Hawaii has to carve a niche for itself in the global market. “Look what we’ve done with fusion cuisine,” Tokujo asserts, referring to celebrated regional chefs such as Alan Wong and Roy Yamaguchi. “We can do the same thing for entertainment with out-of-the-box shows like Heartbeat Hawaii.” Tokujo and Law, a retired thoracic surgeon from Colorado and frequent Isle vacationer, know they’re taking a risk on the action-musical concept. Is a travel destination that’s perceived as romantic sunsets, hula and mai tais ready for this? It must be, in their view. “It’s the 21st century and the China century,” Tokujo reminds us. “Hawaii will either take advantage of that paradigm or miss the opportunity.” That’s not putting our economic and social destiny all on one stage production in Waikiki. But it’s something to think about. If you want to see how Hawaii can celebrate its diversity in an engaging art form, go see Heartbeat Hawaii. Be open-minded. Isn’t that the essence of aloha? Shows Tuesday-Sunday, 7 p.m. at Royal Hawaiian Theater, Royal Hawaiian Center. Phone: 931-6100. Kamaaina rates available.

WAIKIKI'S VIBRANT 'HEARTBEAT'

The stage production replacing "Waikiki nei" swaps politics for fast-paced entertainment By John Berger POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Jul 31, 2009

The few island residents who saw either version of "Waikiki nei" during its brief run last summer at what was then known as the Waikiki nei Showroom witnessed the failure of a well-intentioned effort to share the history of Waikiki without offending anybody. It may have been an impossible mission. For instance, there were two attempts to convey the tragedy of the overthrow with a number about someone taking flowers to Liliuokalani from her estate in Waikiki. The revised staging conveyed the human side of the story tragedy more clearly but still avoided the indisputable fact that the overthrow was perpetrated by a small group of businessmen who disenfranchised almost the entire population and then engineered the annexation of Hawaii against the expressed wishes of thousands of Hawaiians. There was also an imaginatively staged number about resistance to overbuilding in Waikiki in which hula dancers performed with sticks and pipes in a choreographed "battle" with workers at a construction site. Many people feel that Waikiki has been overbuilt, but how do visitors process the messages in a number like that? "Waikiki nei" closed for the second and final time shortly after a revised version of the show opened. With "Waikini nei" as precedent, it isn't surprising that "Heartbeat Hawaii," its long-anticipated replacement, makes no pretense at being anything more than colorful, fast-moving entertainment. The idea of Hawaii as a cultural melting pot is mentioned in the playbill notes, but the show is designed to dazzle the audience with the physical abilities and technical skill of the Chinese dancers/martial artists who comprise the cast. There is no plot, no historic messages to share and no cultural lessons to impart. In one respect it brings to mind Jack Cione's unforgettable "Follies Polynesia" nightclub show of the late '70s -- a Las Vegas-meets-Hotel Street production that starred Hawaii's legendary male stripper/exotic fire dancer Prince Hanalei as a Hawaiian alii. Waikiki hasn't seen anything like this, either. The big difference is that Cione shocked the visitor industry when he brought Prince Hanalei from Hotel Street to headline a tourist show in the International Market Place. There is nothing shocking in "Heartbeat Hawaii." It is G-rated family fare from start to finish. There is seemingly nothing that would offend anybody -- at least not during the opening-night performance on July 17. However, a section of one number, "A Tribute to Hawaii," was cut an hour before the show opened. I WOULDN'T have noticed it was missing. The show is a cross-cultural potpourri of choreography and costumes inspired by the music and culture of Hawaii, Japan, Korea, China, Thailand, Taiwan, the Philippines and possibly several other Indo-Pacific cultures. One segment combines kendo and acrobatics. Others use fans with dramatic effect. Traditional Hawaiian shark-tooth weapons are used in martial arts sequences along with various Asian weapons. European-American culture is represented with numbers that feature samba, ballet and tap. The dancers are a fit and energetic troupe. The group choreography is crisp and precise; several of the men stand out with their individual athleticism. Nothing they did on opening night is likely to be mistaken for hula -- kahiko or auana. Two personable drummers add a "live" edge to the expansive electronic music tracks that provide the soundtrack for the dancers' performances. The duo gets a well-deserved number for themselves at the midpoint of the show, and they earned the audience applause on opening night. China is evidently much more conservative that Hawaii -- let alone Vegas -- when it comes to costumes. The dancers' "tights" are far from tight. The costumes are riotously colorful but more conservative in cut and design than those worn by performers in Cione's "Follies Polynesia" and "Oriental Fantasy" shows in the '70s. True, acrobats' costumes must be designed to remain in place, but some of the others could be redone without revealing more than other Waikiki visitor shows currently in production.

Director laments cut hula segment

"Ethnic Cleanliness in Paradise" or the "normal tweaks any production goes through"? No one in the audience on opening night would have noticed, but a three-minute section of the 80-minute show -- a "Modern Hula and Goddess Pele" number within the "Tribute to Hawaii" segment -- was cut from the show a little more than an hour before show time. The show's producer/director, Dr. Dennis Law, responded by going public with a lengthy press release in which he compared the decision -- attributed to either Roy Tokujo or kumu hula Manu Boyd -- unfavorably with censorship policies in the People's Republic of China. "Our intentions were sincere and our efforts were genuine," he wrote, describing the deleted "tribute to hula" as "an artistic effort that rose out of respect," while also saying, "No insult to any culture was intended, and none should be felt." Boyd responded last week that the show is Tokujo's "kuleana" (area of responsibility) and that comment on the decision to cut the number should come from him or his representatives. "It's a challenge for him, but I think it's one that he's working through right now and I think it would be more productive to talk with Roy," he said. "I don't want to make it sound so 'whatever,' but this is his kuleana." Tokujo commented through his publicist that it had been a "mistake" on his part to expect "dancers who have never danced the hula ... to learn and choreograph even basic steps with just a couple of weeks of training," noting the proficiency in hula can "take lifetimes to accomplish." "However, now that they are here in Hawaii, we can provide the proper training to polish their one number that has been temporarily omitted for regular performances ... until it is ready for a 'world premiere.'" He added that "it has always been our intent to hire 14 local performers to be part of the cast." "Hawaii being the host state, it is our goal to make the hula segment a proper tribute to the beauty of the dance."

RADIO SPOT FOR HEARTBEAT HAWAI  ～ KKOL 107.97/10/09

THE PREPARATION FOR THE WORLD-PREMIERE HEARTBEAT HAWAII ACHIEVES ANOTHER MILESTONE

This week, the preparation for the world-premiere Heartbeat Hawaii achieves another milestone. The costumes are being delivered to Sight, Sound & Action's production facility in Beijing by all its four manufacturing vendors. These hundreds of costumes had to be ordered from four different companies, because they each had different expertise and handicraft in costume manufacturing. This division of labour ensures that Heartbeat Hawaii gets the best of what it needs.

～ Pulse Report

SURGEON PUMPS 'HEARTBEAT' IN WAIKIKI SHOWROOM

By Jason Genegabus Posted: 01:30 a.m. HST, May 29, 2009

The final nail was driven into the coffin of "Waikiki Nei" last week, when a Denver-based director-producer arrived in Honolulu to start promoting its replacement at the newly renamed Royal Hawaiian Theater. Dr. Dennis Law, a retired surgeon, has developed what he calls an action-musical titled Heartbeat Hawaii which will open July 17. It will be his eighth such production. "When my company started in 2001, I noticed there was an acrobatic dance ability in China ... that isn't found anywhere else," he said last weekend in an interview at the Sheraton Waikiki. "I'd never seen these types of dance movements (before)." Law plans to bring 75 cast and crew members to the theater. Many top jobs, including costume designer, supervising composer and lead choreographers, are held by Chinese nationals. The only "Waikiki Nei" holdover is Roy Tokujo, who remains as co-producer of Heartbeat Hawaii. Law said the production will be similar to a Broadway show while incorporating Hawaiian themes. He also plans to draw upon his experiences as a tourist to develop material. "I don't think a show in this kind of a market should ever try to teach too much," he said. "I believe (audiences) want to be entertained within the context of this location, (and) action is a universal language”...

http://www.starbulletin.com/features/20090529_Surgeon_pumps_Heartbeat_in_Waikiki_showroom.html

～ Star Bulletin

NEW SHOW HOPES TO PUMP UP THEATER

By Taylor Hall Advertiser Staff Writer

Heartbeat Hawaii, a theatrical show, will be the first production inside the newly renamed Royal Hawaiian Theater after the closing of "Waikiki Nei" last fall. The musical production, scheduled to open July 17, is looking for eight male and six female local dancers to join an estimated 60 performers, marital artists and aerialists from Beijing. The theme for the show is "Hawai'i is the world" and will focus on Hawai'i as a "melting pot," said Roy Tokujo, managing partner for the Royal Hawaiian Theater and Level 4, a nightclub that shares space with the showroom in the Royal Hawaiian Center in Waikiki. "The show fits the present market coming to Hawai'i," Tokujo said. It will be the eighth production for Dr. Dennis Law, a retired surgeon who started his Denver-based production company, Sight, Sound & Action Ltd., in 2001. Heartbeat Hawaii will be a joint venture between the Royal Hawaiian Theater and Sight, Sound & Action Ltd. Law's previous production, Heartbeat, toured through Hawai'i several years ago, although Tokujo said there is no connection between the two shows. "Waikiki Nei" closed in October for what Tokujo called "a variety of reasons," including low ticket sales. Tokujo also said Heartbeat Hawaiiis not going to conflict with Level 4's late-night schedule. The show will run Tuesdays through Sundays, starting at 7 p.m. The Royal Hawaiian Theater and Level 4 nightclub space cost an estimated $20 million to build and morphs from a theater to a club for dual space requirements. The second round of auditions for the show will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Royal Hawaiian Theater on the fourth floor of the Royal Hawaiian Center. Registration is at 9 a.m.

SHOCK AND AWE ENTERTAINMENT

One of Dennis Law’s Action-Musical, Tang Concubines uses a unique story line that compares the treacherous power of one concubine with the immortalized love and sacrifice of another. The show takes advantage of the glamour and impact of women in that period of history and takes a stage show to unprecedented heights of visual splendor through costumes, scenic design and amazing action. Tang Concubines made further history for Chinese shows in the international arena by winning two Canadian Dora Awards for musical theater in 2006 in the categories of Best Choreography and Best Costume Design. “Shock and awe entertainment” ～ Paula Citron, the Globe and Mail September 9, 2006