Remove ImagesPicks of the Week
June 04, 2009
Friday (June 5), 7pm, Iao Theater, Wailuku
Adding to the First Friday festivities this month will be a staging of the David Penhallow-penned production Bonsai Darling. Columnist extraordinaire Paul Janes-Brown directs this chronicle of one Eudora Whitney. It's set on Maui in 1934 and depicts the unraveling of Whitney's world amid greed, family struggles and racial tension, all over the course of the holidays. Lauren Burgess, Ute Karolina Fitch and Dane Brown are among the cast, and Janes-Brown even makes an appearance. This will no doubt serve as a rare glimpse at life in an exponentially different time. Since this Pick mentions First Friday, we feel compelled to reiterate that Maui Time will not be participating in this month's festivities, not because we don't think it's a cool event but because apparently some other Market Street dwellers don't dig what we do. Please though, don't let that stop you from checking out this play.
East meets East
Friday (June 5), 7:30pm, Castle Theater, MACC
Saturday (Jun. 6), 7pm, Napili Kai Resort
Perhaps it's just a matter of grass-is-greener, but I find the various aesthetics of the East—near, middle, far, you name it—absolutely dazzling. In comparison, stained glass mosaics aside, the visual and auditory elements of Western culture often seem extremely drab. Puritanical. Prude. (Burqas notwithstanding, mind you.) An Indian sari blows away even the most elaborate of Elizabethan getups. This weekend's show blends the music, dance and aesthetics of India and Japan. Organizers say that Dhvani, the production's title, refers to "an aesthetic concept of Indian poetry [that] denotes expression through the power of sound." Odissi (an Indian dance form) choreographer Sarala Dandekar and Yosakoi (a form orginating in Japan) dancer—and Maui resident—Akari Ueoka are among those who collaborated on the visual aspect of this performance. Tabla player Ty Burhoe and Steve Oda (on sarode, a stringed instrument employed in classical Indian music) provide the dramatic musical element. A YouTube montage of the performance (search Dhvani Maui) gives a good appetite-whetting taste. $28/$18 (Friday); $25 (Saturday).
Kwon for the road
Friday (June 5) 10pm, Hard Rock Café, Lahaina
Wu-Tang Clan is one of the most influential hip-hop groups ever. Among most their most notable works is the 1993 song "C.R.E.A.M.," the title of which is the somewhat depressing acronym for Cash Rules Everything Around Me. The group wasn't just a band of three or four dudes; it was a collective featuring nine phenomenal lyricists, among them Method Man, Ol' Dirty Bastard and Raekwon. The latter, ambiguously nicknamed "the Chef" due to his ability to, um, cook, may have a slightly more obscure identity than the aforementioned, but he's been writing and recording copiously over the past decade and a half, often collaborating with fellow Wu-Tanger Ghostface Killah. Raekwon comes to Maui just ahead of this summer's release of his latest, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2, the sequel to his highly acclaimed 1995 release Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. Dr. Dre is listed among the record's producers, and Linx 2 features appearances by Method Man, Busta Rhymes and others. This show is a must for anyone remotely into smart, innovative hip-hop. Maui hip-hop veterans Amphibeus Tungs and DJ JP open.
Cool thing
Wednesday (June 10), 7pm, South Shore Tiki Lounge, Kihei
According to a dream interpretation Web site, seeing an octopus in a dream indicates a personal sense of entanglement or cloudiness. On the other hand, it could also signify that the dreamer is being possessive in some waking life situation. Regardless of the meanings we subconsciously assign them, octopi are pretty damned cool animals. To me they represent versatility and strength. This is why it seems auspicious that Maui Thing Clothing Co. adopted the octopus for its logo. This Wednesday, the super-hip local designer is teaming up with Tiki Lounge to raise funds for Kihei Youth Center. A portion of funds raised from the "Summer Dreams" cocktail will help the center purchase sports, art and educational supplies. Every $5 you donate gets you entered into a drawing for sweet prizes. Plus: Erin Smith will rock out.