Sizzling summer sounds
| • | Other summer series |
By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer
| |||
 |
|
||
| |||
|
|
||
| |||
|
|
||
|
|||
|
|
||
You know it's summer when the Starbucks Wildest Show in Town, a Wednesday fixture on the music calendar, is on the horizon. It kicks off next week at the Honolulu Zoo and throngs will congregate in a mini festival-like environment, with even the zoo population chiming in with some bonus notes.
But it's not the only game in town. There are several — largely outdoor — music series that feature a heavy dose of Island sounds by some of Hawai'i's favorite performers. A luncheon affair is a newbie, with a radio element; a club series has a television component. Convention is tossed out the window — you don't need a formal concert stage to put on a program. So it sounds like it'll be a long, hot summer.
The 10-week "hump day" zoo event represents the ideal family outing. It's the right time of year for fun after the sun sets. It's a mid-week event, which breaks up the workweek or summer-school ritual. And it's pau hana, meaning you can look forward to something after the daily grind.
For organizer Roy Sakuma, the 'ukulele master and teacher who has been assembling the Wildest Show roster of performers for 21 years, it's more fun than work.
"It's still the greatest event for families," he said. "Once they experience the show, they keep coming back, year in and year out."
He gets a particular charge watching folks gather to share kaukau, fellowship and then the music.
And it's not hard to sign up entertainers. "No matter who we ask to perform, there's always a willingness to support the program," he said. "And the event's grown over the years."
The concept embraces a couple of missions and opportunities:
And with "The Lion King" descending on Honolulu from September to December, the musical will have a promotional presence this year, said Sakuma, with merchandise giveaways such as stuffed animals and beach towels. "After all, the lion lives at the zoo," he said. "So we're working hand in hand with the show."
Sakuma always traipses through the crowd and has noticed that the bulk of the audience is local. "But there are visitors, from the Mainland and from Japan," he said.
Attendance varies; 5,000 to 6,000 would be considered a huge crowd, since the festivities unfold from the modest stage and an open lawn. "Our largest crowd, some years ago, was when we had 'Sesame Street' characters. On that particular show, 11,000 people came; it was such a huge crowd, it took an hour to move one block (because of traffic jams)," said Sakuma.
The seasoned Wildest Show-goers know to arrive early, with time to spare for the 4:35 p.m. gate openings, just minutes after the zoo's customary 4:30 p.m. closing. Street and lot stalls, along Monsarrat Avenue and neighboring side streets, provide ample parking.
"By now, the regulars know the drill; they know where to find that parking spot," said Sakuma.
STARBUCKS WILDEST SHOW IN TOWN
6-7 p.m. Wednesdays, June 13-Aug. 15*; doors open 4:35 p.m.
Honolulu Zoo
$2 donation at the door
Entertainment schedule:
Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com.
