Hawai‘i Ties: Locals Making It Big
Here are some people from the Islands making headlines across the nation and world, from athletes to actors.
Hawai‘i-born singer/actress Nicole Scherzinger won this year’s Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical, playing Norma Desmond in the revival of Sunset Boulevard in London. The former Pussycat Dolls singer will star in the same Andrew Lloyd Webber production on Broadway beginning in October. The Olivier Award is considered Britain’s most prestigious award for theater.
Former Saint Louis School star quarterback Marcus Mariota joined the Washington Commanders in March, signing a one-year contract. During a call with reporters after the announcement, Mariota said he’ll be ready to play. “Whatever this staff, whatever this team needs of me, I’m going to do it to the best of my abilities,” he said.
In other NFL news, four Hawai‘i athletes were drafted in April—wide receiver Roman Wilson, another Saint Louis grad, was picked in the third round by the Pittsburgh Steelers; former Punahou standout Marist Liufau to the Dallas Cowboys; former UH linebacker and Mililani Trojan Darius Muasau to the New York Giants; and former UH edge rusher Jonah Laulu by the Indianapolis Colts.
Bruno Mars opened a new lounge, The Pinky Ring, at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The lounge, which opened in February, features live performances and signature cocktails. “I’ve been performing in Vegas for years, and I’ve always wanted a place where I could throw glamorous parties when I’m in town—a place that felt like my personal penthouse suite, with live music and sensational cocktails,” the Roosevelt High alum said in a statement.
In April, Kamalei Kawa‘a of Maui wowed judges on NBC’s The Voice with his performance of John Legend’s “All of Me,” which he said was the first song he sang for his wife. Legend, a coach on the show, saved Kawa‘a from elimination for one more week. “I was really into your version,” Legend said, calling Kawa‘a’s rendition “beautiful.” Honolulu’s Gabriel Goes also got through The Voice’s blind audition this season, but the Kaiser High grad was sent home after being pitted against Kawa‘a in the battle round.
Will Ireton, a former baseball player at Mid-Pacific school, has been getting major airtime, serving as Shohei Ohtani’s new Japanese/English interpreter for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Japan-born Ireton, who moved to Hawai‘i as a teenager, has served as the Dodgers’ performance operations manager since 2020 and was also an interpreter for Japanese pitcher Kenta Maeda.
O‘ahu’s Jack Johnson released a new track, a collaborative reimagining of his previously released song “Home,” with reggae and dub band Stick Figure. The release on April 26 commemorated Earth Day and Johnson’s Kōkua Hawai‘i Foundation’s 20th anniversary, with all proceeds going to the foundation.
Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle and former Punahou standout DeForest Buckner signed a two-year extension of his contract, reportedly for a whopping $46 million.
