CONCERT REVIEW
Nabors, friends sparkle in yuletide show
By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Editor
Gollee. Jim Nabors put on his Christmas best at the Hawai'i Theatre the past two nights, transforming the downtown facility into a true jewel box of musical sparklers.
Advertiser library photo • Nov. 1, 2001
For his sixth "A Merry Christmas with Friends and Nabors," the beloved actor of "Gomer Pyle" fame piled on the glitz and the glimmer of the holidays in his best-yet outing, reuniting his standby talents in what has emerged as the real Honolulu City brightener of the season.
Jim Nabors of Gomer Pyle fame piles on the glitz and glimmer of the holidays in his best-yet outing at the Hawaii Theatre in the performance of "A Merry Christmas with Friends & Nabors."
The good news: he's already signed on to extend the holiday tradition in 2003, with dates to be announced later; hopefully, they won't collide with the City Lights opener as it did last night, jamming access to the Hawai'i Theater.
The bad news: Only one more performance (2 p.m. today) remains this year, so it would be prudent for you to gift yourself with this yuletide pleasure.
Nabors' winning formula? Corral top singers (Emma Veary, Karen Keawehawai'i, Jimmy Borges), youngsters who sing and dance (the Diamond Head Theatre Shooting Stars, directed by John Rampage; Carolee Nishi's Hula Hui O Kapunahala O Nu'uanu YMCA); add a choral ensemble, The Company Singers, led by Chuck Anctil; weave in a hula halau, Chinky Mahoe's Halau Hula 'O Kawaili'ula; tap the amazing dexterity of Phillip Huber & the Huber Marionettes (with an assist from David Alexander).
Finally, enlist the Honolulu Symphony conducted by Matt Catingub; when stirred in with Nabors' country-spun affability and Gomerisms, you've got a show that integrates the feeling of 'ohana, the diversity of cultures, the universality of holiday memories, and, blessedly, showmanship to spare.
'A Merry Christmas with Friends & Nabors'
Director Tom Hansen moves his cast up and down stairs, in the orchestra and balcony, with military precision, surrounding Nabors with color, voices and dances that spell project the joys of the season.
Of course, Nabors is the glue that keeps the elements together. His opening song, "You Meet the Nicest People Everywhere Around Christmas," is probably the least known in this outing, but it galvanizes his theme and wisdom of sharing holiday goodwill. His "Children See Him," pinpointing the diversity of how children see the baby Jesus from their own respective cultures, punctuates the melting pot elements of his serenades. His "O Holy Night" is matchless.
In Veary, you finally get Ol' Golden Throat doing her "Kamehameha Waltz" signature. OK, it's not Christmas, but what an endearing present her fans have been waiting for, for years.
In Keawehawai'i, you get comedy and a big, booming voice, challenged only by the garden of surprises that bloom in her head each time she re-enters the stage.
In Borges, there's suave, smooth, silky jazz-tinged notes — classy all the way — with even a little bit of soft-shoeing.
Hubert makes pulling strings look easy; his puppets are remarkable in his hands, doing acrobatic turns on the trapeze; the reluctant skating bear and ol' Frosty the Snowman will please kids from 9 to 90.
And Catingub even has a front-and-center vocal solo, reinforcing the versatility of this home-grown orchestra.
Producer Burton White adds the right bows and tinsel everywhere, making the Hawai'i Theatre a perfect match for Nabors and Friends.
