Lights, camera, action! A Hollywood extravaganza graced the beaches of Waikiki this past Sunday, as the cast and crew of NBC’s TODAY Show broadcasted live from the sand. With an array of sets, from sitting poolside to standing alongside Tahitian dancers to overlooking Diamond Head and the West Side, the backdrop for stop number 1 of 5 on The Great American Adventure was spectacular. While hosts like Matt Lauer, Savannah Guthrie, Natalie Morales and Willie Geist awed over the scenery, fans awed over them, and I awed over the entirety of the event.
Staged with enough lights to power a neighborhood, the production behind this event was simply fantastic. Happening between 1:00am and 4:00am Hawaii time, the natural lighting was obviously pitch black, however judging by the amount of artificial luminosity, you would have thought it was broad day. Then there was the Hawaiiana décor. And I’ve got to say, NBC’s team did a terrific job representing the island in the best way possible. Really capturing the aspects of Hawaii that make it unique and enticing to visitors, TODAY Show viewers most likely got the feel that Hawaii had come right to their living rooms.
The famous Royal Hawaiian hotel partnered with NBC’s TODAY Show to highlight Oahu and Waikiki as a great travel destination. Part of the series, The Great American Adventure, Waikiki kicked things off with some culture and festivity. Over 75 people were flown to the island to aid in the production of this event, and it showed in the impressiveness of it all.
A huge mahalo to Associate Producer Megan Kopf and Social Media Coordinator Anthony Quintano, who shepherded us around to the various sets. Part of an intimate group of press only, I felt well taken care of and the night seemed to run very smooth. Everyone from NBC was so gracious and nice, which really helped make the experience that much more enjoyable. With full access to all the behind-the-scene happenings, this live broadcast was quite the creation. You can tell someone really did their homework because everything, down to the flower leis the hosts were all wearing, was very well thought out for the accurate representation of Hawaii.
At about 11:30pm, fans and guests arrived to witness the production. Standing behind metal bars, there were hundreds of people holding up signs, taking pictures, and yelling out to their favorite NBC host. The best part about it was the kindness Matt Lauer showed all these people. He took time to specifically reach out to the fans on the beach; chatting with them, posing for photos, and just enjoying the company of these Oahu residents.
Speaking of Matt Lauer, I nabbed a stand-up interview with him and Savannah Guthrie, which transpired effortlessly. Matt mentioned he was impressed by the aloha spirit so far on Oahu and that he really didn’t quite know what to expect. But when sitting down on the beach with a friend who lives onisland, he really understood the magic of the islands. “Is it like this here everyday?” He asked his friend, gesturing to the warm, blue skies and beautiful ocean. And his friend said laughing, “yes!” How lucky we are that we live here, on this island in Hawaii. Savannah made a comment about how everyone seems so happy here, and I guess no one can really complain. After all, Hawaii did get ranked as the happiest US State! But Hawaii is known for a certain hospitality that traces back to tradition, roots, and culture.
The one thing that Matt did anticipate while staying in Waikiki was calm, gentle waves. But when a fifteen-foot swell pushes through the south side, you can only describe the ocean conditions one way, gnarly. And this is exactly how Matt said they were. Doesn’t sound like he got much swimming done in Waikiki. His only “complaint” about Oahu was the traffic. “You guys have a serious traffic problem!” Matt laughed. It was so neat to see the true demeanor of this guy, despite all the negative hype he gets from the media. Matt was gracious, humble, good-natured and effortlessly polite.
Other highlights of the event included Clark Little (North Shore big wave photographer), CJ Kale and Nick Selway (the Big Island lava chasers), and activities like outrigger canoe rides and poi pounding. The collaborative efforts during this night really made for a fantastic press party. I’m so pleased with the interviews and the turnout, as I’m sure NBC is too. What better way to share Hawaii with the world than to present it in its best light; with aloha spirit, happy people, and beautiful backdrops. Well done NBC, now it’s off to your next great American adventure, Yellowstone National Park!
Since 2006 Bruce Fisher has been publishing the Hawaii Vacation Blog and the Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast which, create daily content about Hawaii Travel and Tourism. This Blog is the only online resource providing Hawaii-based information aimed at travelers seven days per week. Postings reflect the Hawaiian Islands, their culture and their lifestyle as accurately and thoroughly as possible.
Nightlife in Hawai‘i can sometimes get monotonous, and you may be thinking that you’ve already done everything there is to do in the islands. There’s always Waikīkī to fall back on, with its restaurants, shops, bars and clubs, but you did that the other nights and want something new; something fresh. Same goes for Ala Moana and Chinatown.
If you’re itching to stray away from the typical island nightlife, look in the direction of the local universities or community colleges. Most offer brilliant entertainment, workshops and classes – all for an affordable price.
For instance, my sister’s boyfriend, Noa, performed with his Jazz Ensemble class at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Family and friends filled the music hall theater, but anybody from the community could attend. This performance was part of the class final; however, it reached beyond what I had expected. They were as good (if not better) than the pros! So good, in fact, that they have been performing throughout the community this semester at local jazz venues.
You’ll be pleased to know that many other classes at the universities and community colleges offer similar awe-inspiring experiences. In addition to jazz, classes like piano, guitar, hula and opera showcase their talents with public performances.
Consider exploring the different shows, like the jazz one, and you won’t be let down. It will literally bring music to your ears.
Since 2006 Bruce Fisher has been publishing the Hawaii Vacation Blog and the Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast which, create daily content about Hawaii Travel and Tourism. This Blog is the only online resource providing Hawaii-based information aimed at travelers seven days per week. Postings reflect the Hawaiian Islands, their culture and their lifestyle as accurately and thoroughly as possible.
Lewer's Lounge is an elegant shift from the touristy persona that is Waikīkī. The evening chic venue takes guests back in time, to an era when jazz and romance mingled beneath a moonlit night. An era captivated by a sophisticated – yet charming – ambiance found almost nowhere else on the island.
Lewer's Lounge, located in Halekulani, offers live jazz music every night of the week. We were enchanted by the smoky voice of longtime jazz vocalist and pianist Maggie Herron. She teams up with the multitalented Rocky Holmes on the sax, flute and clarinet. Together, they're like the fine wine served to guests, flowing smoothly through your soul.
In addition to wines, Lewer's Lounge features contemporary and classic cocktails, like the Sunset Martini I sipped on throughout the night. A soothing blend of fruity concoctions, topped off with a tropical flower that gave it that high-class oomph felt throughout the swanky lounge.
The warmly-lit venue makes for a great spot to get early evening or after-dinner drinks with friends. Maybe even a romantic date spot, too. I like that the live entertainment isn't absurdly loud, like some places that force their guests to shout all night. I also enjoyed sinking into those comfy, velvet couches while being consumed by jazz.
With fancy music and fancy drinks comes fancy attire. Lewer's Lounge is a reason to pack that nice, sparkly dress and high heels or collared shirt, for the guys. The venue has a strict dress code for guests that includes evening attire for the ladies and covered shoes, dress shirt and pants for the gentlemen. As you can see, it's a big step up from the typical Waikīkī bar you might stumbled upon while on vacation.
LEWER'S LOUNGE / Halekulani, 2199 Kalia Rd., Honolulu, HI 96815 (Map) / Opens: Mon-Sun 730pm-1am / Dress code: Evening attire for women; covered shoes and collared shirts for guys / 808-923-2311 / Validated parking available
Since 2006 Bruce Fisher has been publishing the Hawaii Vacation Blog and the Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast which, create daily content about Hawaii Travel and Tourism. This Blog is the only online resource providing Hawaii-based information aimed at travelers seven days per week. Postings reflect the Hawaiian Islands, their culture and their lifestyle as accurately and thoroughly as possible.
Every year, eyes from all around the world focus on the humble town of Hilo for the Merrie Monarch Festival. The event of traditional hula and Hawaiian culture celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, a remarkable feat for something that started so low-key.
Barbershop quartets, coronation pagaents, fireworks and street dancing defined the festival in the early 1960s. That's when it began, in honor of Hawaiian King David Kalakaua's love for hula, arts and culture. He earned the nickname, the "Merrie Monarch."
Event organizers decided to focus more on the Hawaiian culture itself, eventually introducing the hula component into the mix. Today, that particular component is what the Merrie Festival is known for by the community. Dedicated and talented hula performers and kumu (teachers) work up to this particular event every year, hoping to be recognized for their style, grace and ability to uphold the Hawaiian culture to its finest.
Many visitors set their travel plans around this particular festival. They fly into Hilo to check out the Hawaiian craft fairs and Royal Parade before the multi-day hula competition. Now, there's an app for those who will be sitting in the stands or even watching from home. The app features biographies of the different halau (hula troupes) and kumu hula. It's also interactive, as spectators may vote for their favorite performances during the show and follow live Tweets on Twitter.
The Merrie Monarch Festival is definitely worth watching, even if you're thousands of miles away from its island home. Tune in on the television, the web or make a trip here to enjoy this cultural spectacle.
Since 2006 Bruce Fisher has been publishing the Hawaii Vacation Blog and the Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast which, create daily content about Hawaii Travel and Tourism. This Blog is the only online resource providing Hawaii-based information aimed at travelers seven days per week. Postings reflect the Hawaiian Islands, their culture and their lifestyle as accurately and thoroughly as possible.
There's a dragon that lives up the stairs of an aging Chinatown walk-up. The building's been there for quite some time, but the dragon itself is still fairly new to the Honolulu arts and culture district.
Upstairs, he lives in a realm of sultry jazz and smoky piano tunes. Hipsters and middle-aged jazz fiends go to him for enlightenment, finding comfort in his golden aura. He is The Dragon Upstairs.
If you've ever been to this snazzy nightclub on Nu‘uanu Avenue, you'd recognize the detailed dragon mural along the staircase. Its scaly tail leads to a blood-red room of more elaborate artwork. But it's what you hear that can best define this place. Loungey – almost lustful – jazz melodies swelter through the room every night of the week.
The best jazz musicians and singers in town have found a home at The Dragon Upstairs; even the up-and-comings. I recently watched a performance by a university jazz ensemble, who brought the room to life with every elaborate measure – almost as if awakening the dragon from his peaceful slumber.
VIDEO: The University of Hawai‘i jazz ensemble performs at The Dragon Upstairs.
On most weekend nights, the place is a packed, standing-room-only affair. A dimly-lit bar greets guests as they walk up the staircase and find a seat at one of the raised cocktail tables. The usual loud chatter comes to a subtle hush, as The Dragon awakens once again.
THE DRAGON UPSTAIRS / 1038 Nu‘uanu Ave., Honolulu, HI 96817 (Map) / 808-526-1411 / www.thedragonupstairs.com
Since 2006 Bruce Fisher has been publishing the Hawaii Vacation Blog and the Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast which, create daily content about Hawaii Travel and Tourism. This Blog is the only online resource providing Hawaii-based information aimed at travelers seven days per week. Postings reflect the Hawaiian Islands, their culture and their lifestyle as accurately and thoroughly as possible.
The riddle behind the La‘ie Lady has been solved, putting an end to the Polynesian Cultural Center's Haunted Lagoon. The fictional character of this PCC attraction kept visitors coming back for the past five years to see how the story would unfold, and to get a good scare, of course.
Every Halloween, a new version of this boat ride/haunted house attraction would debut. A spokesperson told Pacific Business News that the La‘ie Lady finally reunited with her family, so there'll be no more "terrorizing the North Shore," according to the report.
The Haunted Lagoon, which took thrill-seekers around on the center's lagoon by canoe, started during the time of the recession in 2008. I'm guessing it was to help boost interest in the North Shore O‘ahu attraction, which it apparently did. Within a year or two of its opening, the Haunted Lagoon saw crowds of more then 30,000, according to PBN.
I had been one of those thousands in the crowd a couple years back. We waited for about an hour before finally hopping onto a canoe. Luckily, I wasn't sitting on the end of the canoe. That's the seat that would get the most scares, as things popped out from around dark corners or from under the water. We had a really good time, but it's one of those things I chose only to do once because I didn't want to wait in a long line again.
Looking forward to what the PCC has in store for visitors in the coming years. In the meantime, be sure to check out this wonderful cultural center on O‘ahu and all of its other attractions.
POLYNESIAN CULTURAL CENTER / 55-370 Kamehameha Hwy., La‘ie, HI 96762 (Map) / www.polynesia.com
Since 2006 Bruce Fisher has been publishing the Hawaii Vacation Blog and the Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast which, create daily content about Hawaii Travel and Tourism. This Blog is the only online resource providing Hawaii-based information aimed at travelers seven days per week. Postings reflect the Hawaiian Islands, their culture and their lifestyle as accurately and thoroughly as possible.
Another year has passed since the deadly 2011 tsunami hit Japan, and places across the Pacific have been starting to notice. A boat, refrigerator, fishing nets and toys are among the debris that's washed ashore in Hawai‘i. Washington and Alaska have also been seeing similar debris.
But the big questions remain: Where in Japan did they come from? And did the item's owner survive that horrible day in Japanese history?
That's what Canada-based filmmakers have been trying to answer, with a documentary that tells stories behind some of the items washed up on North American shores. While still in the works, "Lost and Found" has so far tracked down three owners but is looking to feature six stories.
The description of the project on its Facebook page is quite empowering; "Our film is about 3 countries, 2 continents, separated by the great vastness of the Pacific Ocean coming together to share in the memories, mourn the losses and find great joy in the reuniting of something once thought to be lost forever but has now been found."
A little pink-and-purple sandal found in Hawai‘i may be among the items featured on the film. Thanks to an established network of contributors, the filmmakers have gotten a good idea of what kind of things have been washing ashore. People have been posting pictures to the film's Facebook page. Filmmakers hope to release the documentary by 2014, marking the third anniversary of the disaster.
Photo Courtesy: "Lost and Found" Facebook Fanpage
"LOST AND FOUND" DOCUMENTARY / www.facebook.com/lostandfoundthefilm
Since 2006 Bruce Fisher has been publishing the Hawaii Vacation Blog and the Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast which, create daily content about Hawaii Travel and Tourism. This Blog is the only online resource providing Hawaii-based information aimed at travelers seven days per week. Postings reflect the Hawaiian Islands, their culture and their lifestyle as accurately and thoroughly as possible.
Did you know that the award-winning Hawai‘i artist Bruno Mars has sisters who also sing?
In fact, the four of them are well on their way to stardom. The Lylas – short for Love You Like A Sister – already released their first single on iTunes, with plans to record a full album once they move to L.A. And from what I've been reading, it sounds like they've got pretty much all their bases covered, too.
In addition to singing, the quartet scored a modeling contract with the Robinsons Department Store and their very own reality TV show on WE tv. The television series will document their big move to L.A. from Hawai‘i as they break into the music industry.
I read a Midweek article featuring The Lylas that talked about their lives before pursuing music. Their occupations were widespread and included nursing student, manager, waitress and aesthetician. However, music has always been in their family. Their mom was a singer; their dad, a musician, and of course, their brother, a multi-talented singer, songwriter and dancer.
A career in music was inevitable for the sisters of the family. Although still making a name for themselves, The Lylas are definitely a music group worth keeping up with. They've got the looks, the talent and the genes for success. I'm excited to see them blossom in the coming months but mostly, hearing them on the radio. Best of luck to these talented girls. Make Hawai‘i proud!
Since 2006 Bruce Fisher has been publishing the Hawaii Vacation Blog and the Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast which, create daily content about Hawaii Travel and Tourism. This Blog is the only online resource providing Hawaii-based information aimed at travelers seven days per week. Postings reflect the Hawaiian Islands, their culture and their lifestyle as accurately and thoroughly as possible.
Thanks to Hawai'i's community thespians, there's plenty of opportunity for visitors to watch a play or a musical during their stay. Even though the performances don't make it onto the "big stage" of the Hawaii Theatre or the Neal Blaisdell Center doesn't mean they aren't good shows. In fact, many of these small, local productions have won national awards; their actors continuing on in the L.A. and New York spotlights.
"Oklahoma" was one of many local productions in community theater.
The lead roles in Wicked and Funny Girl started out in Hawai‘i's community theater scene years ago – only to return when the shows stopped in the islands. You can bet that it's always big news when they do, too. Local media write about them, or the performers end up on the morning news. The audience just loved when Hawai‘i-born Cliffton Hall of Wicked held up the double shakas after each show. To that, they gave him a standing ovation.
Hall got his start with the Castle Performing Arts Center (CPAC), which is a program that caters to students going to schools in the windward O'ahu district. My younger sister got a chance to perform in a musical when she was in the sixth grade, and most recently, my niece. It's a wonderful program that gives kids a head start in finding their passion for theater.
Like most community plays, CPAC shows take place at a local high school auditorium. Others make their debut at Diamond Head Theatre, like the musical Funny Girl. The lead, who played Fanny Brice, also went to a Hawai‘i high school.
Hawai‘i-born Isabelle Decauwert starred in the hit broadway "Funny Girl."
Watching a community play gets visitors out of the mainstream and into the core of Hawai‘i's theater scene. The best part is that there's usually a different show going on every month, so there's lots to choose from.
Since 2006 Bruce Fisher has been publishing the Hawaii Vacation Blog and the Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast which, create daily content about Hawaii Travel and Tourism. This Blog is the only online resource providing Hawaii-based information aimed at travelers seven days per week. Postings reflect the Hawaiian Islands, their culture and their lifestyle as accurately and thoroughly as possible.
There'll be no more rainbows for the men's sports teams at the University of Hawai‘i. The school axed the "Rainbow" and "Rainbow Warrior" nicknames for the guys and will be using just "Warriors" instead. It's turning a big page in the history of this century-old institution that prides itself on traditions colored with green, black and white.
Mostly, it's the fans that will have to get used to the change next time they're cheering from the stands. With the current mishmash of team nicknames, I could see it getting quite confusing…and embarrassing, if they shout the wrong name!
Right now, four of the seven men's teams go by Warriors. The basketball, swimming and diving teams go by Rainbow Warriors. And if that's not enough to remember, the baseball team goes strictly by Rainbows. There's no real reason for the difference; it just goes back to tradition and which names stuck back then.
Tourists especially love watching university games. I went to a Colorado Buffs basketball game while we were there for Christmas. It's neat to see how a community comes together. Not to mention, being able to experience a different side of the place you're visiting and seeing a different side of the locals as well. Families dressed in gold and black; even the tykes had their miniature buffs gear on. I couldn't have felt more welcomed than there in the stands.
Like Colorado, sports is huge in Hawai‘i – especially football. I'd recommend going to a game at the Aloha Stadium if you're in town. Tailgate and hang with the locals, eating some of Hawai‘i's favorite foods. When it's game time, all you'll need is some green paint and a giant foam shaka, and you'll fit right in!
Since 2006 Bruce Fisher has been publishing the Hawaii Vacation Blog and the Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast which, create daily content about Hawaii Travel and Tourism. This Blog is the only online resource providing Hawaii-based information aimed at travelers seven days per week. Postings reflect the Hawaiian Islands, their culture and their lifestyle as accurately and thoroughly as possible.
Published by Bruce Fisher
