'Wildest Show' will continue

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

That Honolulu Zoo summertime twilight concert series, a favorite for families and the pau hana crowd, will return in abridged form July 6.

Jazz musician Noel Okimoto will headline the July 6 "Starbucks Wildest Show in Town" concert on the Honolulu Zoo lawn. Advertiser library photo

"AT&T was our sponsor for many years, but the nature of its business has changed here, and they were forced to bail out," said Sakuma. "Things were not looking good — we thought we had to cancel — until Starbucks decided to help us keep it going."

So instead of the customary June launch, the Wednesday evening ritual won't begin till July 6 and will continue every "Humpday" through Aug. 10. Because of the financial strain, admission also has been raised, from a $1 donation at the door, to $2.

"We felt a mini-series was better than skipping a year," Sakuma said.

With fewer play dates — a total of six, compared to the usual 14 — Sakuma said he had to be a lot more selective in booking acts, to provide a gamut of entertainment that would be appealing to all segments of the community. To crank up interest, the periodic 'ukulele giveaway has been expanded so that two attendees will each receive one when jazz rules July 6, with Noel Okimoto & Friends in the limelight, with one 'ukulele to be given away the rest of the summer run. (See box for schedule).

Barbara Thacker, a Honolulu Zoo Society volunteer who helps organize the twilight series, said the zoo was not able to absorb the overhead costs — $14,000 for the usual 14 weeks — which enable zoo staff to coordinate crowd control, provide a sound system for entertainers and clean up afterward. "There were no funds for the infrastructure of presenting the show," Thacker said.

Sakuma said his working relationship with Starbucks — which is a title sponsor of his annual 'Ukulele Festival at Kapi'olani Park bandstand — enabled him to talk the coffee business into signing on late in the year. "Because this wasn't in their annual budget, we had to put on a scaled-back series," he said.

To help the zoo raise additional money, Starbucks will sell Frappucino each week, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the zoo, said Sakuma. Thacker said the proceeds will support the construction of a new feature for the enclosure of Rusti the orangutan.

A keiki coloring contest will be held for youngsters. The "Wildest Show" format includes dusk tours of part of the zoo to those who sign up early. It's an opportunity to see the zoo animals at a time when they're a lot more active and visible than during normal daytime visits.

Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com, 525-8067 or fax 525-8055.