How to Best Fill the Time Until Chappelle Gets Here

By Vanessa Wolf

The waiting is the hardest part. Courtesy image.

We understand you’re just biding time until Chappelle gets here Wednesday night.

Where has he been the last seven years anyway?

If reports from recent San Francisco shows are any indicator, you’re not likely to find out.

Still, you’ve got over five days to muscle through and only 28 Chappelle’s Show episodes on DVD to fill the hours.

What’s a person to do?

Maybe Take in a Little Theater?

The fourth annual Maui Fringe Theater Festival starts tonight at the Historic Iao Theater.

Antara Bhardwaj performs Tale of Kathaka as part of the Fringe Fest. Courtesy image.

This year’s weekend-long marathon of performing arts will include Maui’s “Adaptations Dance Theater,” and two world-premiere one-act plays, “War Stories” by Anthony Pignataro and “The Maple Street Militia” by Teresa Salyer. Additional guests include renowned San Francisco Kathak performing artist, Antara Bhardwaj plus original comedic, dramatic and musical showcase performances.

Tonight’s lineup is as follows:

• 6:30 p.m. – War Stories by Anthony Pignataro
• 7:15 p.m. – The Maple Street Militia by Teresa Salyer
• 8:15 p.m. – Tale of Kathaka by Antara Bhardwaj

Performances continue tomorrow and Sunday, as well.

General admission tickets are $10 per show with $20 Sunday passes available. Day pass includes admission into all three performances and the closing night awards party.

Maybe Enjoy Some Hawaiian Falsetto Music?

Mark Yamanaka. Courtesy image

In 2011, Hilo’s Mark Yamanaka won Na Hokus for album of the year, male vocalist of the year, song of the year and most promising artist.

Now you can find out why for yourself tonight in the MACC’s McCoy Studio Theater.

The MACC explains that Yamanaka’s talent “was nurtured from a young age by renowned musician, composer and kumu hula, Johnny Lum Ho, whose traditions produced some of Hawai‘i’s most cherished Hawaiian falsetto singers. Yamanaka takes the teachings of Uncle Johnny and adds his own flair, then spices things up by effortlessly gliding into soulful baritone.”

The show starts at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $30.

Salsa Dancing is Easy, Right?

If you’re at least half South American it probably is.

The rest of you?

Good luck with that.

Regardless, tonight at 9 p.m. Gannon’s After Dark is hosting Salsa Night.

For $10 cover enjoy Dr. Nat’s Argentinian beats until midnight and don’t forget the age-old advice: dancing is the art of getting your feet out of the way faster than your partner can step on them.

What? The Chinese New Year is Chopped Liver?

Previous Chinese New Year Festival at Maui Mall. File photo by Sonia Isotov.

Bring in the year of the Horse at the 16th Annual Maui Chinese New Year Festival on Saturday, Feb. 1 at the Maui Mall.

There will be fireworks and Steve Catugal’s Maui Martial Arts Society Lion Dancers, Chinese cultural demonstrations, Chinese cultural entertainment, a Chinese attire contest for kids, and a Chinese cooking contest.

Events start at 9 a.m. and there will be free “good luck photos” with the Kwock Hing Society’s ancient Lion Head for the first 150 attendees.

Celebrations will go until 2 p.m. and the event is free and open to the public.

Why Not Support Some Local Artists While You Wait?

From 5 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1 is the Maui Open Studios Opening Celebration and Preview Exhibition.

Held at the Maui Tropical Plantation in Wailuku, the event is billed by organizers as “an opportunity for the art-buying public to meet many of the Maui Open Studio artists, preview a few pieces of their artwork, and pick up a copy of the MOS Guidebook to design your self-guided tours.

Enjoy live music, no host pupus and a cash bar. The music portion of the evening is sponsored and produced by Arts Education for Children Group. Jazz Maui presents the Na Ali’i Big Band of King Kekaulike High School and the Chop Suey Jazz Orchestra.

The event – and all subsequent Maui Open Studios events – are free and open to the public.

Raiatea Helm. Courtesy photo.

Maybe Take in Even More Hawaiian Music?

Her album “Sweet & Lovely” sums it up.

Molokai’s Raiatea Helm performed at the Presidential Inaugural Ball in 2009 and is known throughout the national and international music scenes as a premier Hawai’i chanteuse.

The New York Times noted that her “high-voiced throwback leo ki‘eki‘e style … [is] poised and utterly elegant.”

You can enjoy her Hawaiian language and hapa haole song stylings at the MACC this Saturday, Feb. 1 at 7:30 p.m. in the McCoy Studio Theater.

Tickets are $30, $45 and $65.

Surely You Can’t Pass Up a Fundraiser at Lulu’s Lahaina

On Saturday at 8 p.m. it’s “Mo” Aloha, a benefit for missing Maui resident Moriera Monsalve & her family.

Moreira Monsalve. Photo courtesy Maui Police.

LuLu’s Lahaina Surf Club & Grill is hosting and Ikaika Beamer Music with Kana of Maoli, Mike Casil and special guest Leylani Stark, and Kalisi and The Jerry Caires Jr Band will be performing live starting at 8 p.m.

There will also be a raffle and silent auction and late night entertainment from area DJs.

Financial donations will be accepted at the door and all proceeds will go to Monsalve’s family to help with search efforts and living expenses.

If you can’t make the event but still want to help, you can do so here.