There’s no mistaking where Matt Lauer, Savanna Guthrie and Natalie Morales are starting their weeklong “Today’s Great American Adventure” cross-country trip, as they are seen here with a dancer from Tihati Productions during the “Today” live broadcast from Waikiki May 20. (Star-Advertiser photo by Krystle Marcellus)
BY MIKE GORDON / mgordon@staradvertiser.com
Never doubt the resolve of true fans, especially if there’s a chance of meeting a favorite celebrity and being seen on national television at the same time.
That was the attraction earlier today, May 20, when NBC’s “Today” show brought its three-ring circus to Waikiki Beach in a broadcast that started at 1 a.m. so it could be seen live in its regular time slot on the East Coast. More than 250 people were on hand when the show started, standing in the sand at the water’s edge outside the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.
There was no shortage of colorful signs at the live broadcast May 20 on Waikiki Beach. (Star-Advertiser photo by Krystle Marcellus)
They held colorful signs and took photos with their smart phones. Two fans held small, bewildered dogs overhead. A pair of clowns showed up and Waikiki resident Paul Simon wore a rubberized horse head and held a sign that read, “Hi mom.”
The 38-year-old Simon didn’t have an answer for the obvious question of why.
“Because,” he said. “I don’t know. Why not?”
That wasn’t the case for Melissa Kim, a 28-year-old event planner from Kailua. She arrived at 10:30 p.m. so she could get a prime spot along a plastic barrier the separated the crowd from “Today” hosts Matt Lauer, Natalie Morales, Savannah Guthrie and Willie Geist.
“I have the biggest crush on Matt Lauer,” Kim said. “Don’t tell my husband. Today’s our wedding anniversary. He’s at home with our son.”
The broadcast was the first of a five-stop, cross-country tour that NBC calls “Today’s Great American Adventure.” The show’s anchors finished the show at 4 a.m. and cleared the hotel by 6 a.m. in order to catch a flight to Bozeman, Mont., and Tuesday’s broadcast from Yellowstone National Park. After that they will travel to Chicago, Orlando, Fla., and the Jersey Shore in New Jersey.
It was the show’s second visit to Hawaii. NBC brought the “Today” show to Maui in 1995 but that show was recorded in the afternoon and not broadcast in the dead of night.
Jake Shimabukuro performed during the live “Today” broadcast on Waikiki Beach May 20. (Star-Advertiser photo by Krystle Marcellus)
The Waikiki broadcast was a sometimes raucous event that included Tahitian dancing from Tihati Productions, complete with drums, Jake Shimabukuro on ukulele, luau food, North Shore wave photographer Clark Little, poi pounding and a visit by Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie.
“Today” show production crews also were in Hawaii last week to prepare taped segments that included surfing lessons, a canoe race and a visit to Pearl Harbor.
After stage manager Dave Auerbach waved the crowd into a cheering frenzy to start the three-hour show, the first taped segment gave viewers a reality check about life in Hawaii: breakfast cereal that sells for nearly $6 a box and some of the nation’s worst traffic.
But the vast majority of the show was light and fun as Lauer described “epic” surf on the south shore and Guthrie noted that their hula lessons would definitely make the Christmas blooper reel.
“Today” co-hosts Natalie Morales and Willie Geist watch Azure chef Jon Matsubara prepare a dish during the “Today” broadcast. (Star-Advertiser photo by Krystle Marcellus)
Missing from the broadcast was “Today” weather anchor Al Roker. He got a call at lunch Sunday detailing the devastating Oklahoma tornadoes and caught the next flight out of Honolulu. He didn’t even finish his mai tai.
The trip to Hawaii was also short for host Willie Geist, who flew in Sunday from a good friend’s wedding in Nashville, Tenn. His entire Hawaii trip was about 12 hours.
Geist, who works on a morning show for MSNBC called “Morning Joe,” said he didn’t mind the early start today.
“I’ve been working on morning TV so long that sadly, I’ve gotten used to it,” he said. “I lost the distinction between night and morning.”
But fellow anchor Morales, who arrived in the middle of last week, battled jet lag.
“We’re all on New York time, so it’s been a difficult adjustment,” she said. “I’ve been doing a lot of 5 a.m. runs. It’s nice and peaceful, though.”
The “Today” hosts get help backstage with their ti leaf skirts. (Star-Advertiser photo by Krystle Marcellus)
Lauer felt better than he thought he would. He said he was expecting the show to be a blur.
“But you get to a location and you meet local people and the crowds turn out no matter the time and the adrenalin kicks in,” he said.
That said, the show’s Hawaii visit was special and he credits the fans, Lauer said.
“The postcards and the tourist information always says that people are kind and generous and warm,” he said. “You know what? Every state writes that. But the fact of the matter is that since we have been here over the weekend is it is absolutely true for every person we have come in contact with and I think that is what we walk away with.”