Ruivivar memorial June 24 at Outrigger showroom

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Editor

Memorial services for Broadway entertainer Francis Ruivivar will be held at 4 p.m. June 24 at the Outrigger Waikiki's Main Showroom, a venue he once played.

A coterie of Island entertainers, including his brother Tony Ruivivar's Society of Seven group, will pay tribute to Francis Ruivivar, in music and in words.

Francis Ruivivar died of chronic myelogenous leukemia in Las Vegas on May 25 at age 40, in the midst of working with the SOS spinoff group, Society of Seven Las Vegas.

Kimo Kahoano, veteran deejay and media personality, will be master of ceremonies for the tribute, which will include an array of performances and remembrances.

Among others lined up so far:

• The SOS Las Vegas.

• Jimmy Borges, singing "I'll Be Seeing You."

• Cathy Foy, performing "Ku'uipo."

• Anthony Ruivivar, "Third Watch" co-star, who is the son of Tony Ruivivar and nephew of Francis Ruivivar.

• Frances Kirk, director of Outrigger entertainment.

• The cast of the "YES! Hawai'i Encore" show, which was directed by Ruivivar.

Others are expected to be added.

Francis Ruivivar, who was born in Hong Kong and graduated from Kalani High School, is widely known in theatrical circles as the first Asian actor-singer chosen for the controversial Engineer role, originated by Jonathan Pryce, in the Tony Award-winning "Miss Saigon" on Broadway.

In New York, Ruivivar also originated the role of Lord Toranaga in "Shogun, the Musical," and also starred in "Passion."

He also was associated with such touring shows as "Cats," "Evita" and "The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber," and most recently starred as the Lion in "The Wizard of Oz" in New York and the evil priest Frollo in "Notre Dame de Paris" at the Paris Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

Ruivivar frequented Honolulu, headlining short-run revues at the Outrigger Waikiki and the Polynesian Palace of the Outrigger Reef Towers Hotel.

His wife, Cathryn Croft, a Las Vegas entertainer who also has performed in Waikiki, will be here for the memorial service.

Donations in Francis Ruivivar's memory made be made to Friends of Frankie, c/o Outrigger Entertainment, Outrigger East Hotel, 150 Kai'ulani Ave., Honolulu, HI 96815.

Information: 923-SHOW.