TGIFr!day 020720

Week of Friday, February 7, 2020 | Vol. 7, No. 6

Check da Scene

Grinds & Da Kines For Your Weekend

‘CIRQUE D’ LOVE’ IS GOING TO BE A REAL DRAG Queens set for Saturday show at Kaua‘i Beach Resort

One of the entertainers bringing the heat on Friday night is drag queen Laganja Estranja, also known as Texas-born Jay Jackson, who JESSICA ELSE found the spotlight on seaTGIFR!DAY son six of the show “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” in 2014.

Wednesday, Laganja said aring stunts and the audience can expect a feminine wiles are taking over the thrilling performance, with a Kaua‘i Beach Resort Jasmine few twists, tricks and moves Ballroom Saturday at “Cirque that border on dangerous.

D’ Love,” a carnival of glitter, “I’m known for my sheglamor and, ultimately, drag. nanigans and my stunts.

Featuring about 10 enter- Laganja brings a wild eletainers and presented by Po- ment to the show, showing dagee Princess Productions some skin and thigh,” she and BD Couture, the drag said. “It’s an energetic perforshow combines different mance.” acts and talents under the Laganja has been doing theme of “big top,” and prom- shows on Oahu since 2014, ises to put a magical twist on and says she’s had the beauty and love just in time for Valentine’s Day. SEE DRAG, PAGE 2

D

Robert Hayman / Special to TGIFR!DAY

Laganja Estranja stops traffic in an unidentified city.

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SATURDAYS 9:30am –1pm

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Jackie and Randy Lei of

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From Farmers Market to Farm Fair The Kauai County Farm Bureau Supports Agriculture

2 | TGIFR!DAY | Friday, February 7, 2020

LOOKIN’ BACK AT THE GOOD OLE DAYS Fourth annual Old Timers’ Day set for Saturday in Hanapepe

Rev. Samuel Ruggels, a young Connecticut man who established a mission church and school at Hanapepe in the late 1810s.

JESSICA ELSE Humehume Telling the story TGIFR!DAY is Cook, a local author and Kaua‘i trustee on the board of trustees of ear stories about Hawaiian history in Hanapepe on Sat- the Hawaiian Mission Houses.

Cook said this topic comes at urday during The Storybook the perfect moment, as the Hawai‘i Theatre of Hawai‘i’s fourth annual Mission Bicentennial is being comHanapepe Old Timers’ Day, when storytellers come out to bring the memorated across Hawai‘i in the spring of 2020. good ‘ole days back to life.

Two days of events are schedIt’s a day of music, history and uled on Kaua‘i on May 2 and 3, food. Starting at 9 a.m. on Feb. with breakfasts, tours and a historic 8, the gathering features special guests out and about in Hanapepe, re-enactment of missionaries landing at the Russian Fort in Waimea. telling stories of the past.

The Ruggels story on Saturday Slides and photos are all on will take the audiance through the tap, as well as plenty of talk-story life of the young man, who took opportunities. big risks and was one of the first MCS Grill is providing lunch for two American Protestant missiona donation at 11 a.m., and then at aries to land on Kaua‘i. noon Chris Cook takes the stage The other of the two was also for the main event. named Samuel, last name Whitney.

In the spotlight this year is the

H

When the two landed on Kaua‘i on May 2, 1820, they had with them Humehume, long lost son of King Kaumuali‘i.

Humehume had Cook been sent to New England for education when he was a child.

Kaumuali‘i met the group when they landed that day, and then granted land and support to missionaries as they settled.

The story touches on the founding of the Hanapepe mission station in 1824, and provides insight to missionary life in the 19th century.

“The roots of the pillars of Hawai‘i’s modern society trace back to the contributions of the American missionaries,” Cook said.

Examples he cites are spreading literacy through printing and opening schools, making Hawai‘i Mark Jeffers / Special to TGIFR!DAY one of the most literate nations in Gerald Hirata, president of Kaua‘i Soto Zen Temple Zenshuji in Hanapepe,

Drag Continued from Page 1

Robert Hayman / Special to TGIFR!DAY

Laganja Estranja makes her grand entrance.

talks about the late U.S.Sen. Sparky Matsunaga at a previous Old Timers’

SEE DAYS, PAGE 3 Day in Hanapepe.

opportunity to explore that island in between performances, but Saturday will be the first time she’s been to Kaua‘i.

“I’m so excited. I arrive the day of the show,” Laganja said.

“There are so many reasons for doing this show, but any opportunity I have to see the rest of Hawai‘i is a blessing.”

Since strutting her stuff on the RuPaul runway, Laganja has appeared on shows including “So You

Think You Can Dance” and the new Heidi Klum-produced drag competition show, “Queen of the Drags.”

She’s been the subject of interviews for publications like Forbes and National Public Radio, and appeared on-stage at the Video Music Awards with Miley Cyrus, among other appearances.

Also among her accolades is the 2016 debut of “Laganja’s Dance School,” a dance school billed as “a high-heels master class and confidence workshop,” held in cities across the world.

Jackson said that, growing up in Texas, drag

became an outlet for expressing his feminine side, something that he always connected with strongly.

And while embodying Laganja Estranja started as a way to let loose, it turned into much more.

“It started out as escapism and turned into art,” Jackson said. “I never thought I’d be doing it eight years later.”

Cannabis art is a big part of life for both Jackson and Laganja, who has been featured in media like Viceland’s “Bong Appetit” and High Times magazine.

Both in and out of makeup, Jackson advocates

for the health and mental wellness value of cannabis.

That passionate advocacy is woven into Estranja’s fiery persona, along with her lashes and sashays.

Estranja is just one of many fierce drag queens in Cirque D’ Love, which is set to start at 7 p.m. at Kaua‘i Beach Resort on Saturday, Feb. 8.

Tickets range from $30 to $40 and are available at eventbrite.com.

••• Jessica Else, editor-in-chief, can be reached at 245-0457 or jelse@thegardenisland. com.-

TGIFR!DAY | Friday, February 7, 2020 | 3

Days Continued from Page 2

the world within a gener-

ation, introducing Western medicine to combat introduced diseases that were killing off the Native Hawaiian people, bringing

Western law that complimented the kapu laws of the ali‘i, and melodious music and singing that led to the Hawaiian music of today.

After Cook’s telling of the story of the Ruggels Mission Station, Storybook Theatre is hosting a town walk throughout the afternoon,

where participants can get more information about the history of Hanapepe and its relation to the rest of Kaua‘i.

•••

Jessica Else, editor-in-chief, can be reached at 245-0457 or jelse@thegardenisland. com.-

‘BIRDS OF PREY’ GIVES HARLEY QUINN HER WINGS JOCELYN NOVECK AP NATIONAL WRITER

stallment of the DC Extended Universe.

Heartbreaking in “Bombshell” and poignant t one point in “Birds in “Once Upon a Time ... in of Prey” (three stars Hollywood,” Robbie is looking out of four), crime more and more like she can lord Roman Sionis, aka Ewan do most anything. And she’s a McGregor, sits down with producer here, too, as if being a tub of popcorn to watch a ginormous movie star at Harley Quinn suffer through age 29 weren’t enough. a brutal interrogation. He’s But back to “Birds of Prey,” a psychopath — well, so is Harley, for that matter — but or more precisely, “Birds of Roman has the right idea. As Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley portrayed by the effortlessly Quinn),” an extended title that charismatic Margot Robbie, Harley’s always gonna be the hints at what Robbie, director Cathy Yan and screenwriter most interesting person in the room — or on the screen. Christina Hodson are trying to do: free Harley once and Robbie is certainly killing it these days, and we’re not just for all from her ex-boyfriend, that Joker guy, and plant her talking about the escalating body count (especially if you firmly within a girl gang.

And even though the Joker include violence by glitter gun) in this visually arresting is all the rage these days, thanks to Joaquin Phoenix and often clever — if not in that other movie, Harley particularly profound — in••• MOVIE REVIEW

A

proves a worthy subject of her own film, especially with her intriguing background (a Ph.D. and per- Robbie haps a medical degree), her broken past, and her “obsessive-compulsive need for attention,” in her words. It’s a shame the movie doesn’t dig deeper into some of these idiosyncratic intricacies of character. You don’t need much previous knowledge to get up to speed, thanks to a clever animated intro, narrated by Harley (in a less-than-convincing Brooklyn-Gotham accent, it must be said). Born Harleen Quinzel, Harley became a shrink only to fall in love with Mr. J at Arkham, proving once again that advanced degrees are no protection against bad taste in boyfriends.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Jessica Else | jelse@thegardenisland.com | 245-0457 ADVERTISING: displayads@thegardenisland.com | 245-0425 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING: tgiclassified@thegardenisland.com | 246-0325

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4 | TGIFR!DAY | Friday, February 7, 2020

CHECK DA SCENE Cani J - New York, Margaret C - New York, Alda L - Hong Kong

DENNIS FUJIMOTO TGIFR!DAY

Doora Dahlke, Danny Dahlke, Alan Fulk, Kare Fulk - San Diego

Ku‘u Breen, Reggie Vigilia

FIRST SATURDAY SOARS

H George Texeira, Cherie Amulacion, Alexis “Sumiko” Amulacion, Cosme Amulacion

Domenic Celenza - Philadelphia, Justyce Enrique, Debbie Celenza - Philadelphia

Annie Sherwood, Emily McDaniel, Hannah Sherwood

Holly Ka‘iakapu, Aaron Abalos

Emily Hartshorn, Kai Shimmelfennig, Keoni ‘Chicken Man’ Cannizzaro, Kaile McKeown, Misha Parkfield, Sara ‘Cheese’ McKamey

Kamuela Sabebong, Kameron Sakihama-Haumea, Aiyana Lagazo, Dynielle Decker, Zhairyn Navarro, Beau Furumoto

olly Ka‘iakapu said Saturday was her first experience at First Saturday Art Walk Kapaa, presented by the Kapaa Business Association in downtown Kapaa.

Ka‘iakapu joined other Westside businessespeople like Ku‘u Breen and the Amulacion ‘ohana in bringing their specialties to the event that feature food wagons, a multitude of craft and other vendors, as well as musicial and entertainment groups setting up for what supporters call “the best party on Kaua‘i.”

And yes, it is on the first Saturday of each month from just before the sun sets until it’s pau — rain, or shine.

Kahele Pa, Kaimi Nabeshima