–Courtesy photo
SATURDAY, JUNE 15
Freestyle motocross pros bring their stunts to ‘Night Market’
“Honolulu Night Market” goes from food and fashion to fast and furious Saturday when the Red Bull X-Fighters perform their high-flying motocross act.
Freestyle motocross bikers Ronnie Renner, pictured, Keith Sayers and Wes Agee — all-stars in the world of high-flying stunt rides — will jump their bikes off specially constructed ramps, bridging a gap of 50 to 70 feet and doing stunts at 25 to 30 feet above the ground, according to a local representative for the energy drink.
Renner, a three-time gold medalist in the X Games, holds the world record for height off a quarterpipe jump at 59 feet 2 inches, and is known for performing monster “whips,” a twisting airborne maneuver. This is a special treat because Renner rarely performs in small venues like street fairs.
Once the bike engines die down, multitalented musician Zack Shimizu from Na Hoku Hanohano Award-winning duo Sing the Body will make some noise of his own, with local alternative rock band Busekrus taking the stage at 10 p.m. to end the night.
Barrio Vintage owner Bradley Rhea will display colorful retro summer prints in a fashion show starting at 8 p.m., and more than 15 food vendors also will be on hand.
Where: Auahi Street between Cooke and Coral streets
When: 6-11 p.m. Saturday; motocross show 6-7 p.m.
Cost: Free
Info: honolulunightmarket.com
FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JUNE 14-15
MicroFest Honolulu puts bravery on stage
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Tales of bravery mark a double bill of popular Pacific island plays today at Tenney Theatre.
A highlight of MicroFest Honolulu, part of a nationwide symposium on the performing arts, the theater will stage “Call It Courage,” an adaptation of Armstrong Sperry’s children’s story, and Tammy Haili’opua Baker’s “He Mo’olelo Hana Keaka no Mauiakamalo a me Kamapua’a: ‘Elua mau me’e Hawai’i (A play of two Hawaiian heroes, Mauiakamalo and Kamapua’a).”
“Call It Courage,” pictured, is a well-regarded production by Honolulu Theatre for Youth. It tells the story of Mafatu, a chieftain’s son determined to overcome his fear of the sea. HTY’s staging incorporates a sand table to draw images that are then projected onto a scrim to create the set.
For her play, Baker, assistant professor of Hawaiian theater at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, adapted Hawaiian oral histories for the stage. The dialogue is in Hawaiian, but Baker said a synopsis and some “very physical” theatrics will make it “clear what’s happening, even though you might not understand the language.”
She said people have enjoyed the experience of hearing Hawaiian as dialogue rather than chant.
“There’s a lot of fun play with words in our language, and I’ve tried to maintain that in the plays as well,” she said.
The heroes in her play “were both underdogs,” she said, “and they both had instances where they had to stand up for the common man and therefore they became heroes over time. … Their actions teach us lessons and teach us discipline and really help to understand relationships in a family, in a community and what one’s kuleana, or responsibility, is.”
Where: Tenney Theatre, The Cathedral of St. Andrew, 229 Queen Emma Square
When: 7:30 p.m. today; “Call It Courage” repeats at 1:30 p.m. Saturday
Cost: $10-$15
Info: htyweb.org or 839-9885, ext. 720
Also: MicroFest Honolulu includes “Ho’olaule’a o ka Pahiahia (A Celebration of the Performing Arts),” featuring M.U.G.A.B.E.E., two brothers who blend poetry, spoken word and jazz; Native American performers Guardians of the Flame; and Frank Waln, a hip-hop artist from the Rosebud Sioux tribe. See it at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Tenney Theatre. Visit ensembletheaters.net for details on other events.
– Steven Mark
SATURDAY, JUNE 15
Join and support UH football crew at Ige’s fundraiser
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Aiea restaurateur Ron Ige has a local celebrity of sorts as a regular customer — University of Hawaii Warriors coach Norm Chow, pictured. Ige has catered a couple of events for the team, and now he’s hosting a fundraiser at his Aiea restaurant.
“Coach Chow and all the coaches are expected to be there,” said Ige, owner of Ige’s Restaurant & 19th Puka. “Coach Chow’s a very nice guy and a local boy, too, so I got to make sure to take care of him.”
With school out, Ige couldn’t be sure what players would show up, but he was still planning a big spread.
“We’re going to have live bands that play at my restaurant normally, and we’re setting up a heavy pupu buffet,” he said, adding that he’ll feature his “world-famous shoyu pork” and some fresh fish. Among the expected performers are Noah Juan, Henry Kapono and Shining Star.
Aside from wanting to support the home team, Ige admitted to some enlightened self-interest. “When the UH team does good, then our restaurant does good, because we show a lot of the games,” he said. “So I want them to succeed.”
Where: Ige’s Restaurant & 19th Puka, 98-761 Oihana Place, Aiea
When: 5 p.m. Saturday
Cost: $30
Info: Na Koa Football Club (UH boosters) at 956-4513 or Ige’s at 486-3500
THURSDAY-SUNDAY, JUNE 20-23
Dance the weekend away at Puerto Rican festival
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Get a leg up on the 12th annual Puerto Rican Cultural and Salsa Dance Festival on Thursday at Vice Nightclub, then dance the rest of the weekend away.
Thursday’s official pre-party will feature a dance showcase with local and international instructors, and DJ Rod Moreno spinning the tunes. Various venues will hold salsa evenings the rest of the weekend as part of the El Dia de San Juan festival, a cultural event that unites the Puerto Rican community while getting people of all cultures to enjoy the snazzy, sexy dance known as salsa.
The various dance events will serve as a competition to choose a representative for the fourth annual World Latin Dance Cup, to be held in Miami in December. Entries to the competition are closed, but revelers can still enjoy dance workshops and other fun activities suitable for all ages. The entertainment lineup will feature the Son Caribe Salsa Band with guests artists Johnny Polanco from Los Angeles and Louis “Barbarito” Barbaran from Peru.
Instructors and performers include professional duos Rodrigo Cortazar and Selene Tovar (Argentina and Mexico), Michelle Holland and Chris Alonzo (Alaska), and Alien Ramirez (Cuba).
Packages cost from $40-$200.
Where: Vice Nightclub, 1200 Ala Moana Blvd, ages 21+.
When: 8 p.m. Thursday
Cost: $10 (not included in package)
Info: hispaniceventshawaii.com/salsainparadise.html
Also:
» June 21: dance workshops (all ages), 11 a.m -9:30 p.m., Ala Wai Golf Course Palladium Dance Ballroom, 404 Kapahulu Ave.; first night of competition, 9 p.m., Seven Palms Bar and Grille, Navy-Marine Golf Course, 943 Valkenburgh St. (ages 21+)
» June 22: dance workshops, 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Palladium Dance Ballroom; competition finals/dance showcase, 8 p.m., Waikiki Beach Hilton, 2500 Kuhio Ave. (all ages)
» June 23: Latino-style beach party (bring percussion instruments), 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Hale Koa Hotel, Fort DeRussy grounds, 2055 Kalia Road