×

Maui Connections

I’m not the only Maui guy spending time on the Mainland these days.

Hana’s favorite resident music legend, Kris Kristofferson, traveled to Tulsa, Okla., last week to receive the Woody Guthrie Prize, honoring him in the tradition of the great “This Land is Your Land” singer, songwriter and activist.

The award presentation was made in Cain’s Ballroom, which holds a special place in my distant memories. I lived in Tulsa in my high school years way back when — Mauian Bill Pie did too — and I went to shows at Cain’s. One featured an act called Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks, who became better known when they changed their name to The Band and backed an artist called Bob Dylan.

The Guthrie Prize honors “someone who uses their art to speak for the less fortunate.” Pete Seeger was the first recipient, Mavis Staples the second.

Presenting the award, Deana McCloud of the Woody Guthrie Center acknowledged Kris’ career as a Golden Globe-winning film actor, as well as a hall-of-fame songwriter whose compositions have been recorded by more than 450 artists.

The Guthrie Prize came amidst a crazy-busy touring schedule for the icon, whose 80th birthday seems to have unleashed his inner Energizer Bunny. Kris’ wife, Lisa, tells me they just did a monthlong tour of Scandinavia, followed by concerts and more honors, including induction into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame, plus more shows in Texas, California and Nashville.

“He played to a huge crowd in Golden Gate Park for the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, where he looked out at the expanse of people and said, ‘There’s so damn MANY of you!’ The crowd was mind-bogglingly responsive and hung on his every word,” Lisa writes.

It’s interesting in these final days of the most demoralizing presidential election in memory to elect the leader of the free world and embodiment of what American stands for, that guys like Kris and Woody and Bob — called rebels, outlaws, communists and worse for the art they created — are now being recognized as the truth tellers, the moral consciences of our times.

And, note to the Nobel Prize committee, which reportedly can’t find Bob Dylan to tell him he just won one: He was in Phoenix last week, playing another show on the endless highway.

* * *

Actor Branscombe Richmond, a versatile entertainer well known to Maui audiences, was featured on the NBC series “Chicago Med” last week. Fittingly, his scenes in the show took place in a Hawaiian-themed restaurant where the Windy City got a crash course in the meaning of aloha.

Earlier this year, Branscombe was featured in “Roadies,” the Showtime series about life in the music business created by industry heavyweights Cameron Crowe and J.J. Abrams. Branscombe played Puna in six episodes of the show.

And he turned in a memorable performance among many in the cast of “Kuleana,” the mystery-drama set on Maui in 1959 and 1971, written and directed by Brian Kohne.

“‘Kuleana’ is and has always been an island- and community-wide team effort — and the project continues to unite creative professionals for a common goal,” says Brian. “It’s deep into postproduction and inching toward completion and on to marketing and exhibition.”

Among local folks involved are Adi Ell-Ad, “on the home stretch with the final edit.” Postproduction supervisor Andrew Rice is putting finishing touches on a new teaser/trailer to debut at Maui ComicCon in early November, where Brian will do an interview with Barry Wurst.

Second Unit director of photography Reece Pottorff and prop master Nick Fournier recently completed a few days of reshoots. Associate producer Kathy Collins has written a number of radio bits from the era that she will voice along with fellow island airwaves veterans LD Reynolds and Michael McCartney.

Sound designer/composer Johnny Wilson and Willie K are at work on the score. Don Lane is completing the animated credit sequence and Scott Johnson of Dogtowne Design is working on the poster and titles.

Producer Stefan Schaefer is beginning to shop the project to sales agents and distributors with plans shaping up for a domestic and international festival run in 2017.

As someone once said, it takes a village — or in this case, an island — to raise a movie.

* * *

Speaking of films and festivals, “2307: Winter’s Dream,” co-produced by award-winning Maui filmmaker and festival producer Ken Martinez Burgmaier, just won its fourth festival prize from Florida’s Orlando Film Festival. Next stop for the film, described by one reviewer as “a grand scale sci-fi epic,” is the 10th annual Redrock Film Festival at Zion National Park in Cedar City, Utah.

* Rick Chatenever, award-winning former entertainment and features editor of The Maui News, is a freelance journalist, instructor at UH-Maui College and documentary scriptwriter/producer. Contact him at rickchatenever@gmail.com.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper?
     
Support Local Journalism on Maui

Only $99/year

Subscribe Today