TGIFr!day

Week of Friday, August 8, 2014 | Vol. 2, No. 32

Grinds & Da Kines For Your Weekend

‘Ninja Turtles’ opens today at Kukui Grove Cinema

BOOK SIGNING • TREASURE OUR CHILDREN • THE FERAL PIG Out & About, Island Calendar and much, much more!

2 | TGIFR!DAY | August 8, 2014

IN THIS ISSUE: 2. OUT & ABOUT:

Top picks for the week

3. FUNRAISER:

Treasure Our Children

4-5. DINING OUT KAUAI:

The Feral Pig

6. FLICKS:

‘Ninja Turtles’

7. FEATURE: Mark James

8-9. CHECK DA SCENE: Kauai Music Festival

10. FEATURE:

Talk story with HCT

11. MUSIC:

Pandora deal

OUT & ABOUT: TOP PICKS FOR THE WEEK FRI SAT SUN KEEP IN MIND:

EVENTS ARE SUBJECT TO BE CANCELED / DELAYED DUE TO HURRICANES ISELLE AND JUILO.

BLOOD DRIVE 8:15 A.M. TO 2 P.M. GRAND HYATT KAUAI, KAUAI BALLROOM EWASTE COLLECTION 7:45 TO 4:15 P.M. KAUAI RESOURCE CENTER All brands of electronics accepted.

241-4841 SWIM AQUATICS 5:30 P.M. YWCA OF KAUAI An Open House Night for new and current members and meet SKA coaches, swimmers, and ohana and learn more about the team. Kids 5 to 18 years old are welcome to join.

ART NIGHT 6 TO 9 P.M. HANAPEPE TOWN Meet local artists and gallery owners, enjoy live music and food.

MOONLIGHT & MUSIC The National Tropical Botanical Garden A torch lighting ceremony will start off the festivities, followed by a poi supper with wine and beer. There will be live entertainment, silent auctions and more. This event is now sold out. 332-6500 DOG FANCIERS 10 A.M. KUKUI GROVE CENTER Dog Fanciers of Kauai will be having their dog orientation and registration for fall classes. Owners and handlers need to attend.

GARDEN ISLE ARTISAN FAIR 9 A.M. TO 3 P.M. KAPAA BEACH PARK The event offers a selection of handcrafted products with food, and entertainment.

TALK STORY 10:30 TO NOON KAUAI MUSEUM Jocelyn Fuji, author of “Stories of Aloha,” will speak about her new novel.

Contact Us: www.thegardenilsland.com facebook.com/TheGardenIsland @thegardenisland

MAHAULEPU SUNSET TO FULL MOON Join the Sierra Club on a open hike starting out mid-afternoon from Shipwreck Beach walking along the coast to Mahaulepu.

246-9067 BIKE RIDE Join the Sierra Club on a bike ride cruising the South Shore.

212-3108 SLACK KEY & GUITAR CONCERT 3 TO 5 P.M. HANALEI COMMUNITY CENTER. $20

THU START A BUSINESS 9 A.M. TO NOON THE LIHUE PLANTATION BUILDING Participants will learn steps involved in starting your own business. $20.

Learn about Kauai’s coral disease Wednesday at Princveille Library with Christina Runyon.

MON TUE WED UNITY EVENT 5 TO 8 P.M. KAUAI CONVENTION HALL The Kauai Democratic Party will bring national, state, and county candidates together for the unity event. The event will include visiting with Democrats and election candidates, pupus, dinner and desserts. $10.

COMMUNITY YOGA 6 TO 7:30 P.M. NAWILIWILI YACHT CLUB Hosted by the Kauai Sailing Association, weekly on Monday.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Bill Buley | bbuley@thegardenisland.com | 245-0457 TGIFRIDAY EDITOR/CALENDAR: Chloe Marchant | cmarchant@thegardenisland.com | 245-0451 ADVERTISING: displayads@thegardenisland.com | 245-0425 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING: tgiclassified@thegardenisland.com | 246-0325

USED BOOK SALE 9 A.M. TO 4 P.M. LIHUE LIBRARY KUGA DANCE CLASS 3:15 TO 4 P.M. ORGANIC FUNCTIONAL FITNESS Instructor Rebecca Owen will be offering dance classes. $16.

JOE & BLAINE KANEHOLANI 4 TO 6 P.M. ROB’S GOOD TIMES BAR AND GRILL

TALK ABOUT CORAL 6 TO 7:30 P.M. PRINCEVILLE LIBRARY Christina Runyon will speak about coral disease.

AARP MEETING 11 A.M. PIIKOI BUILDING, CONFERENCE ROOM B Guest speaker Debra Duda from ‘Share the Care.’

KKCR MEETING 6 P.M. SMALL TOWN COFFEE The KKCR Programming Committee will meet to continue its work.

BASKET WEAVING 3 P.M. KAUAI MUSEUM 90-minute basket weaving classes with Uncle Onio weekly on Thursdays. Class fee is $25 which includes admission to Museum.

WEIGHT WATCHERS NOON & 5:15 P.M. KAUAI MEDICAL CLINIC AND ST. MICHAEL’S ALL ANGELS CHURCH ‘CHOICES’ 4 TO 5:15 P.M. LYDGATE BEACH PARK CSL Kauai, a new and growing spiritual community is reaching out to teens ages 13 through 17 with their youth program, “Choices.”

TGIFR!DAY | August 8, 2014 | 3

‘Friends’ fundraiser postponed Darin Moriki

F

riends of the Kauai Children’s Justice Center board members say weather advisories issued earlier this week for Tropical Storm Iselle prompted them to reschedule their annual Treasure Our Children fundraiser planned for today. “We’re going to wait until things calm down, and we have go through the stages again of contacting our entertainment and our venue to get the event back up and running,�

Friends of the Kauai Children’s Justice Center President Holly Walker said.

The pau hana event, before it was canceled, was to be held at the Nawiliwili Yacht Club and feature live entertainment from Stuart Hollinger and Band along with Tahitian dancing with Ori Uvira. “Even if it turns out just to be a bad storm, we don’t want our supporters and board mem-

Sean Carillo shared his music at 2013 “Treasure Our Children.�

bers to be out unnecessarily,�

Walker said.

In all, about $10,000 was raised during last year’s pau hana fundraiser at Kauai Marriott Resort on Kalapaki Beach in Lihue.

Tickets that were purchased to attend the fundraiser, Walker said, will be honored on the rescheduled date. “The board really hasn’t had a chance to sit down and talk about whether we’re going to refund money for those who request that or if we’re going to ask them to donate the

money,�Walker said. “We don’t have an answer to that yet, but we’ll answer those questions after things calm down and we can meet together as a board.�

The event is one of the main fundraisers that benefits the Kauai Children’s Justice Center, a Lihue-based nonprofit that assists local children who have been abused.

For more information, contact the Friends of the Kauai Children’s Justice Center at fcjckauai@live.com or call Sue Maruyama Strickland at 651-4694.

Shops, Restaurants & Services at Ching Young Village: aFeinPhoto Gallery Aloha from Hanalei Aloha Juice Bar Hanalei Gifts & Gallery Big Save Bouchons Blue Tiki Tattoo DeCamp Construction Divine Planet Flop Shop Chicken in a Barrel BBQ Hanalei River Healing & Bodywork

Hanalei Surf Backdoor Hanalei Strings & Things Honua Engineering Hot Rocket Hula Moon Gifts of Hanalei Kalypso Kauai Nut Roasters Kauai Vacation Rentals Kayak Hanalei Hokonut Kids L&L Hawaiian BBQ Lee Acupuncture

Na Pali Catamaran Na Pali Properties On the Road to Hanalei Pedal and Paddle Puka Dog Reside Kauai LLC Robin Savage Gifts & Gourmet Spinning Dolphin Timeshare Resales Village Snack & Bakery Village Variety

Book signing at Tahiti Nui Aug. 17 Tom LaVenture

W

ho wants a boring old book signing when you can have a party?

Jill Marie Landis, who is Kauai’s own award-winning author of historical romance and women’s fiction, will be signing copies of her latest book in the Tiki Goddess Mystery Series, “Too Hot Four Hula� on Sunday, Aug. 17, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., in the Luau Room of Tahiti Nui, 5-5134 Kuhio Highway in Hanalei.

The date was moved from its original Aug. 10 date in the event the anticipated storm would keep people from attending. The event is free and open to the public with pupus and

a no-host bar. The “hula maidens� of Hui Hula O Kehaulani, of which Landis is a member, will be on hand to perform in celebration of her latest book.

This is not the first book signing party that Landis has held at Tahiti Nui. Landis The previous ones have gone over very well and are a lot of fun, said Julia Whitford, a bartender and daytime manager of Tahiti Nui. “We have a full house,�

Whitford said. “We have all kinds of entertainment and hula. There is no charge to come. Be ready to get a book and have some fun.� “Too Hot Four Hula� (Bell

Bridge Books) is the fourth book of a comedic mystery series that features crime-solving sleuth Em Johnson of Kauai.

In this episode, Em goes to Honolulu with her Uncle Louie, the owner of the famous “Tiki Goddess Bar� on Kauai.

The two are to participate in the Cocktail Shake Off Competition until Uncle Louie’s legendary “Booze Bible� is stolen. Then, Em’s ex-husband winds up dead and becomes the top suspect without an alibi.

Landis was born in Indiana, and moved to California at age 10. She graduated from California State University at Long Beach with a degree in history and elementary education.

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in 2002 left him paralyzed. He paints in an expressive and loose style with a touch of impressionism, using bold colors to create strong, colorful pieces of art inspired by Love of Life and Music. Mo, along with a display of his artworks, is at Ching Young Village Shopping Center on Weekends.

4 | TGIFR!DAY | August 8, 2014

Photos by Daniel Lane

Above: Scott Kessinger, Dave Power and Adam Watten in front of the bar at The Feral Pig. Right: Potatoes George an appetizer with potatoes, caramelized onions, blue cheese and SASS.

Freshening up the Feral Pig

TASTE OF KAUAI

MARTA LANE

I

’ve been a big fan of The Feral Pig since they opened nearly three years ago. My husband and I frequent the Nawiliwili restaurant because of the warm and friendly

service, excellent handcrafted cocktails and reasonably priced meals. But things have gotten even better.

About six months ago, the kitchen struggled when their main cook left. Instead of being behind the bar mixing craft cocktails and sharing the history of each drink, co-owner Dave Power stepped into the kitchen to help out. After hiring executive chef Adam Watten about six weeks ago, Power is back behind the bar.

Before opening The Feral Pig, Power was a bartender at Town, an Oahu-based restaurant whose

motto is “Local first, organic whenever possible, with aloha always.”

Last August, Power was mentioned in HONOLULU magazine’s article “Movers and Shakers: Hawaii’s Up and Coming Bartenders.” Author Natalie Schack cited him as one of Hawaii’s most influential bartenders. Julian Walstrom, bartender at 12th Ave. Grill, was quoted as saying; “Power showed me that there’s really something more to cocktails than pouring wine and beer, or making a martini.”

Bartender’s Choice ($10 and up) gives Power permission to

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BAMBOO GRILL & SUSHI “Local Food at Its Best” Breakfast is served from 7 a.m to noon, lunch is from 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., and dinner is from 5:30-9:30 p.m. Happy Hour is from 3:00-5:30 p.m.

They offer free Wi-Fi, and they can also cater any occasion.

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Bamboo Sushi and Grill, formerly Richie’s Restaurant 2978, is located in the Anchor Cove Shopping Center next to ABC Store.

Dining can be done inside, or on one of the patio dining tables which has a view of the Kalapaki Bay.

Daily to Kama’aina guests.

For more information, call 245-6886.

create a custom cocktail based on the customer’s preferences.

He made me a well-balanced cocktail with Jim Beam Double Black whiskey, Hawaii Bitters Co. Kiawe Wood and Pineapple bitters and an orange twist garnish.

About 14 years ago, Jeff Wood, a former chef at the French Laundry in Napa, California, mentored Watten.

Later, a job at a James Beard award-winning restaurant in Washington, D.C. inspired a passion for farm-to-table cooking. Recently, Watten was the executive chef at Red Salt in Poipu’s Koa Kea Resort.

Since Watten has been at The Feral Pig, he has hired an experienced kitchen crew, refined cooking techniques and made some changes to the menu. For example, gravy in the Loco Moco is now made from scratch. A stock is made with beef bones from grass-fed cattle raised in Kapaa, which are roasted then simmered overnight.

Chicken wings are brined for two days and then slowcooked in the oven with olive oil and bay leaves. The wings are cooled in the cooking liquid to infuse them with flavor. The liquid is reused to concentrate flavor and then added as a base in other dishes. Wings are deep-fried to order and tossed in either a jerk sauce

TGIFR!DAY | August 8, 2014 | 5

Above: The Feral Burger with local, grass-fed beef and house-cured pork belly. Right: Jim Beam Double Black whiskey, Hawaii Bitters Co. Kiawe Wood and Pineapple bitters and an orange twist.

or Guinness glaze.

Pastrami Sandwich ($13) starts with beef brisket that’s been dry rubbed and refrigerated for four days. After a quick rinse, it sits in brine for two days. Hickory and mesquite are used to smoke the brisket, which is then braised overnight. Thick slices of rich meat are topped with a slaw of cabbage and SASS (spicy aioli secret sauce). Avocado, sharp cheddar cheese and homemade whole grain mustard are layered on top and the whole is served on toasted rye bread.

Watten gave me an offthe-menu tour of the kind of food that will be added to The Feral Pig’s menu. The Feral Burger ($12) begins with a blend of ground grass-fed Kauai beef and house-smoked pork. Burgers are topped with SASS, caramelized onions, cheddar cheese and housecured pork belly. It’s served on a taro brioche bun made by Passion Bakery in Kapaa. The decadent bombshell comes with a pile of homemade fries, which take three days to make.

Feral Sliders are perfect for those with a lighter appetite.

Panzanella Salad ($12) is loaded with Govinda’s Farm arugula, radish and purple carrots. Kailani Greens, local avocados and Kauai Fresh Farms cherry tomatoes are combined with crunchy cubes of sourdough bread.

Everything is tossed with a salsa verde dressing made

of Thai basil, arugula, mint, parsley and capers.

Sabre Kennedy, general manager of Garden Island Seafood, was the opening chef for Roy’s Tavern in Princeville.

Watten hired him to cook in the Pig’s kitchen and showcase whole fish just caught off Kauai shores.

Specials, such as Pan Seared Uku Collar, are based on what’s in season. The collar is a cut right behind the gills that runs top to bottom. Omega rich flesh, tucked inside the collarbone, easily slips free with a fork. Watten tops the gray snapper with toasted garlic, local honey, homemade guava vinegar and patis sauce.

Power and Kauai-based attorney Scott Kessinger

opened The Feral Pig in August 2011. On Aug. 9, the owners will celebrate the restaurant’s three-year anniversary with a special dinner. The evening will showcase locally sourced ingredients and the farmers, ranchers and fishermen who provide them. A multi-course meal will be paired with craft beer and Power’s cocktails.

Reservations are required.

For more information, call 246-1100. ttt Marta Lane, a food writer on Kauai since 2010, offers farm to fork food tours and is the author of Tasting Kauai: Restaurants From Food Trucks to Fine Dining, A Guide to Eating Well on the Garden Island. For more information, visit TastingKauai.com.

Sueoka’s Snack Shop Now Open Tuesday to Sunday - 9:00am to 5:00pm Closed Monday

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6 | TGIFR!DAY | August 8, 2014

REVIEW THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER JUSTIN LOWE

Made-over ‘Turtles’ return in a reboot

R

ebooting the popular franchise after Paramount acquired the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle” rights, producer Michael Bay and director Jonathan Liebesman have taken on a full recap of the turtle’s origin story and their epic conflict with the dastardly Foot Clan crime syndicate. As a late-summer entry arriving just before the school year begins, “Turtles” could see some moderately enthusiastic if somewhat unpredictable response from the film’s target audience, since many of the series’ fans may have already moved on in the seven years since the last outing.

The newest addition to the series opens with New York City lifestyle TV reporter April O’Neil (Megan Fox) looking to get a lead on some hard news, but her boss Bernadette (Whoopi Goldberg) couldn’t be less interested and even her regular cameraman Vern (Will Arnett) isn’t sure she has what it takes to report on the crime wave sweeping the city, as the notorious Foot Clan

terrorizes New York residents.

When April witnesses a stealth vigilante attacking Clan goons one dark night, she stumbles upon the story of her career, tracking down a quartet of sixfoot-tall, mutated talking turtles with lethal ninja fighting skills.

Named after four Renaissance artists, teenaged Raphael (Alan Ritchson), Michelangelo (Noel Fisher), Leonardo (Pete Ploszek) and Donatello (Jeremy Howard) make their home in the city’s sewer system with the sagacious rat known as Splinter (Danny Woodburn), who has trained them in the skills of ninjitsu, making them martial arts experts.

Technically still in training, the turtles are unprepared to take on the Foot Clan fighters and their fearsome leader Shredder, but their interference with his criminal network has made them targets. Meanwhile, April turns to billionaire industrialist and old family friend Eric Sacks (William Fichtner) for assistance deciphering the turtles’ origins, unsuspecting of his secret

alliance with Shredder. When the turtles and Splinter take her into their confidence, she discovers Shredder’s plan to subjugate New York and the key role the turtles may play in defeating the dreaded Foot Clan, if they can only manage to overcome their petty rivalries and work together.

Screenwriters Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec and Evan Daugherty devote a substantial amount of time setting up April’s

investigation of the mystery vigilantes, which provokes a frustrating delay before the turtles finally appear onscreen.

Extensive use of flashbacks and explanatory dialogue that reveal her lifelong connection with the mutants also have a dilatory effect (while laying groundwork for future sequels), but provide an authentic account of the turtles’ origins while keeping the humor pitched at an appropriately juvenile level.

Not much of that easygoing style rubs off on the human characters, however, as Fox spends much of the movie acting bewildered as April tries to keep up with rapidly shifting plot developments and Fichtner delivers a generically styled, simplistically motivated baddie. Arnett has the only role that comes close to matching the turtles’ verve, but doesn’t get enough time onscreen to create a lasting impression.

The cast members portraying Splinter and the turtles achieve a persuasive level of realism that was never possible with the elaborate puppetry required for the original film series and adequately fulfill expectations for their characters.

Liebesman relies on his genre-film resume to keep events moving at a brisk clip and the motion-capture process employed to facilitate live-action integration with cutting-edge VFX looks superior onscreen, sharply and smoothly rendering some thrilling action scenes and delivering impactful 3D character detail. However, the drawn-out 101-minute running time and the nonstop cartoonish violence may deter some would-be fans, or perhaps the adults who pay for their movie tickets.

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” a Paramount Pictures release, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for “sci-fi action violence.” Running time: 101 minutes.

TGIFR!DAY | August 8, 2014 | 7

Jammin’ with Mark James

M

ark James is like a human jukebox, chock full of Hawaiian tunes and oldies from the 1950s through ‘80s.

“And it’s all by request,” he said of his live performances.

The 66-year-old has been playing and performing for more than 50 years and has written more than 200 songs.

In eighth grade, he bought his first guitar and taught himself to play. The rest, as they say, is history.

For years, James played in either a duo or as a solo act in his hometown of Phoenix. Then, in the 1980s, he started visiting Hawaii, specifically Kauai.

“It’s the only island I like,” he chuckled.

In 2001, he made the move to the island and immediately began playing backup guitar for the legendary Larry Rivera.

Eventually, he landed enough of his own gigs and ventured off.

For the last five years, James has been playing three times a week at Lemongrass Grill in Kapaa.

This weekend he performs from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Above all, James says he enjoys the variety of people

who come in, as well as the array of requests.

“We get everybody from all different countries,” he said.

“We get people of all ages. We sometimes get movie stars, rock stars. It’s really a varied crowd.”

Early in his career, James said he was critical of his music. Over the years, however, he learned to accept his sound.

When asked if he still has the motivation he had as a younger man, James said, “More so. I’m enjoying it more. I think I’ve progressed to the point where I’m happier with what I do.”

And the reward is having people commend him for his music, often telling him he has the best variety they’ve ever heard.

“Any time you can make

CHRIS D’ANGELO TGIFR!DAY

Above: Mark James during a recent performance. Below: Dancers move to the music of Mark James.

people smile, and sometimes make people cry, you’re touching them emotionally,” he said. “It’s a really cool thing to do.”

James is working on his 14th

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album. He has also authored to have published soon.

For more information about eight children books and The Lemongrass Grill is at Mark James or to sample his recently completed a Kauai 4-885 B Kuhio Hwy in Kapaa music, visit www.tunecore. guide book, which he hopes and can be reached at 821-2888. com/music/markjames.

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8 | TGIFR!DAY | August 8, 2014

CHECK DA SCENE Pierce Bivens, Kilauea

McKenna Pascua, Keri Silva and Violet Asuncion

Miss Meaghan Owens

Laurie Williams, Lihue

Chris Dornan with Tonni Riley and singer Madison

Brandi Miller, Princeville

Singers and guests take in the sounds.

TGIFR!DAY | August 8, 2014 | 9

A musical world M

usicians from around the world converged on Kauai last weekend for the 12th annual Kauai Music Festival. The workshops, open mic nights and networking offered composers the opportunity to grow. Top songwriters were selected in a competition where Glenn Erickson won first place for his composition of “Margarita,” and Annie Dingwall came in second place for her inspirational writing. Cameron Williams came in third. More than 200 songwriters and composers attended the festival at the Courtyard by Marriott in Kapaa which culminated in two concerts featuring both professionals and aspiring musicians.

LISA ANN CAPOZZI TGIFR!DAY Kaela Gautney, Kekaha and Dondi Iannucci, Eleele

Alesia Panajota, songwriter/composer

Joey Charles

Jesse Shiroma and Thomas Iannucci

Annie Dingwall

-SPECIALCLUB PLAY FOR JULY AND AUGUST! Groups with 12 or more players will receive: $35 per player green fee rate (Hawaii residents only) $50 per player green fee rate (visitors) Spend $75 in the Pro Shop and receive a FREE round of golf or a $10 gift card for Ho‘okipa Café

3022 Peleke Street, Suite 8 Lihue, HI 96766

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Spend $50 in the Ho‘okipa Café (does not include catering events or outings) and receive a $10 gift card for the Pro Shop or Ho‘okipa Café for your next visit

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10 | TGIFR!DAY | August 8, 2014

Child’s play

BILL BULEY TGIFR!DAY

Debra Blachowiak and Ronald Horoshko have long been dedicated volunteers for Hawaii Children’s Theater

M

ost volunteers give hours to the organizations they support. Fewer commit months to helping behind the scenes.

And then, you have Ron Horoshko and Debra Blachowiak.

The two have given years, even more than a decade, to the Hawaii Children’s Theater.

Name a task that has needed to be done, and it’s almost a sure bet they’ve done it.

Marketing? Yep. Set design?

That, too. Props? Of course.

Set up and tear down? Yes. Fundraising? Absolutely.

“It never stops,” Horoshko said, smiling.

Blachowiak has been involved with HCT since 1997 and is the board secretary. Horoshko came along about 2003 and is today vice president.

Volunteers forever, because they believe so strongly in this organization that puts kids in the spotlight.

Horoshko snaps off a list of three life priorities: Wife, golf and HCT.

“Hawaii Children’s Theater means everything to me. I love to keep kids off the streets and doing something,” he said.

Blachowiak considers HCT not just a theater, but a school.

Kids learn about art, about teamwork, about commitment and develop self-esteem.

“It’s amazing the talent we have on this island,” she said.

“It’s good to give them an opportunity.”

Ironically, while her daughter and husband have taken the stage, Blachowiak has not. Never.

“I can’t sing. I have stage fright, basically. And I’m more effective doing this. Someone has got to do this,” she said during an interview with The Garden Island.

Seeing a production through, from start to finish, is much like birthing a baby, she said.

It’s hard work, it’s not without pain, but the end result is beautiful. They talk about past plays “Alice in Wonderland,”“The Music Man,” and “Wizard of Oz”

and know it’s something they will always treasure.

“Every year we’ve got to live up to what we created from the years before, so it’s a challenge,” she said.

Next up for HCT is “Shrek The Musical,” coming in November.

It will be the Hawaii premier of the production, which is just off Broadway.

“It’s a huge amount of work,” she said. “But we have an amazing, dedicated staff.”

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Shane is with the Kauai Dept. of Vocational Rehab program.

Both believe HCT’s productions, kids and adults, are top notch. The current “after dark” adult show at the Puhi Theatrical Warehouse, “Avenue Q,” is filling seats. Horoshko, by the way is the man behind set construction and design and Blachowiak is involved with promotion.

Horoshko, owner of Birdie’s Cafe, and Blachowiak, principal broker with Sleeping Giant Sotheby’s International Realty, are no doubt busy with their careers. But each has vowed to donate what they can to Kauai’s kids. The years have been good. The applause is wonderful. They laugh as they recount stories of creating costumes, pulling together children’s shows that seemed impossible and making final preparations just minutes to the curtain going up.

They always did more than pull it off. They excelled.

Blachowiak recalls that she began volunteering because of her family’s involvement.

“I started because my daughter had to sing, had to dance, had

It’s amazing the talent we have on this island. It’s good to give them an opportunity.”

Debra Blachowiak Hawaii Children’s Theater volunteer

——

to be up there,” she said. “Then, my husband Ernie, had to be up there. I enjoy it. We enjoy it.

We enjoy making this for the community. We enjoy making amazing theater productions for the community.”

HCT tries to raise about $30,000 a year in donations to cover costs, which isn’t easy.

“Being an arts organization, it’s a lot harder to come up with donations,” Blachowiak said. “We have to reinvent the wheel every year.”

But again, since it’s for the kids, it’s worth it.

The shows are popular and attract a strong cast of characters. Kids anxiously look forward to their roles.

“Not everybody is an athlete,” Blachowiak said. “These kids shine this way.”

Horoshko, whose love for theater dates back to his childhood and learning music from his mom, said he’s more than happy to help HCT, wherever and however needed, “One of the things I wanted to do was give back to the children,” he said. “I don’t sway from this at all.”

TGIFR!DAY | August 8, 2014 | 11

Pandora cuts first-ever direct deal with artists

I

nternet radio leader Pandora has come to its first-ever direct licensing deal with artists, a wide-ranging agreement with independent label group Merlin that both said would mean higher payments to artists and more play for them on Pandora stations.

That means Merlin-represented artists like Arcade Fire, Bad Religion and Lenny Kravitz could get more rotations as their representatives will be able to lobby Pandora to place their songs earlier in playlists where they fit.

Artists will also get access to Pandora data for the first time, enabling them to make informed decisions about where to tour, who to tour with, what their concert set list should be and what songs they might release next. They will also have tools to directly communicate with fans on Pandora.

For Pandora Media Inc., the move helps improve relations with artists, who have complained that royalties on digital streaming services are too low, especially as CD and digital download sales decline.

It’s a departure from its current business model, where it relies on government rate-setting bodies like the Copyright Royalty Board to determine how much it pays artists.

“In a world where it’s very difficult to get onto terrestrial radio, a deal like this gives us an incredible opportunity to get our music in front of an enormous amount of people,” said Merlin CEO Charles Caldas in an interview. “The data that comes out of the back of this should also enhance our business.”

Keenan-Bolger to star in ‘The Oldest Boy’

associated press

Win Butler of Arcade Fire performs during their headlining set on the third day of the 2014 Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Internet radio leader Pandora has come to its first-ever direct licensing deal with artists, a wide-ranging agreement with independent label group Merlin, who represents Arcade Fire, that both said would mean higher payments to artists and more play for them on Pandora stations.

Brian McAndrews, CEO of Oakland, California-based Pandora, said the deal would not have a “major impact on costs” — a concern of investors that have pushed Pandora shares down some 38 percent from their high of $40.44 in early March.

He also said he was “very excited” about the company’s first deal with a record label

group and said he hoped that others would follow.

“We are open to other deals if we feel we can find a win-win-win for labels, artists and Pandora,” he said in an interview.

Merlin, representing more than 20,000 independent labels, commands about a 10 percent share of music consumption worldwide and revenue collect-

ed from streaming platforms doubled to $89 million in the year through April.

The deal covers royalties for performances, not songwriting rights, and it comes as the Department of Justice is re-examining Pandora’s right to automatically license song rights from publishing societies like the American Society of Composers, Authors and Pub-

lishers (ASCAP) and Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI).

That process was put in place in 1941 as a counter to anti-competitive behavior by publishers, who say that the market dynamics have changed and they should have the right to negotiate songwriting royalties without the floor on rates set by the publishing societies.

C

elia Keenan-Bolger, who has portrayed shy girls and fearless young ladies, is about to try something new — playing a mother.

The 36-year-old Tony Award-nominated actress said Wednesday she has signed on to star in Sarah Ruhl’s new play “The Oldest Boy.” It begins previews Oct. 9 at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater at Lincoln Center.

“I’ve never gotten to play a mother onstage,” Keenan-Bolger said. “I’ve barely gotten to play a grown-up. So I’m really excited.”

In “The Oldest Boy,” she will play the mother of a toddler who is believed to be the reincarnation of a high Buddhist teacher.

Keenan-Bolger said she has been a big admirer of Ruhl, whose other works include the Pulitzer Prize finalist “In The Next Room, or the vibrator play” and “Stage Kiss.” Her admiration only deepened when she read the script for “The Oldest Boy.” “I had never read anything like it,” Keenan-Bolger said.

“It explores themes of what it is to be a parent and to be confronted by a different culture and religion. And it talks about teachers and students, which is something I think we don’t talk about that much in America.”

To get into the role, Keenan-Bolger has been reading heavily — including “The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying” — and she plans to go on a Buddhist retreat in the coming days. “I feel like my world just got so much bigger just by getting to do this play,” she said.

12 | TGIFR!DAY | August 8, 2014

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