A number of years ago, I phoned Broadway star, singer and actor Ed Kenney Jr. (1933-2018) at his home in Kapa‘a, and when he picked up his phone and I introduced myself he surprised me by singing the opening lines of the song “You Are Beautiful” from the musical “Flower Drum Song.”
Its lyrics were “Along the Hwang Ho Valley where young men walk and dream, a flower boat with singing girls came drifting down the stream.”
Ed Kenney, the man with the remarkable singing voice, was born in Hawai‘i, the son of Edward Albert Kenney and Kaleialoha Williams.
He got his start on Broadway in 1956, when he appeared in the musical “Shangri-La.”
Two years later, in 1958, he became a Broadway leading man by appearing in his best-known role, the original role of Wang Ta in the musical production of “Flower Drum Song.”
His fellow performers included Miyoshi Umeki, Pat Suzuki, Keye Luke, Juanita Hall, Arabella Hong and Jack Soo.
Another famous Hawai‘i-born actor, James Shigeta, would later play the part of Wang Ta in the 1961 musical film version of “Flower Drum Song.”
Notable cast members joining Shigeta in the film were Miyoshi Umeki, Nancy Kwan, Benson Fong, Juanita Hall, Jack Soo, Reiko Sato, and Victor Sen Yung.
Ed Kenney followed up his leading role in “Flower Drum Song” by originating the part of Mana in the 1961 Broadway musical “13 Daughters,” with its plot set in 19th-century Hawai‘i.
Meanwhile, during 1959, he’d co-written the popular Christmas song “Numba One Day Of Christmas,” along with Eaton Magoon and Gordon Phelps.
Following his return home to Hawai‘i in 1961, he sang at Duke Kahanamoku’s restaurant, the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and at the old Halekulani Hotel, where he headlined with renowned solo hula dancer Beverly Noa, his first wife.
He was also a regular performer with Beverly, Nani Custino and other Hawai‘i entertainers on the TV version of “Hawai‘i Calls.”
During his long musical career Ed Kenney released seven solo albums.
When he retired, he lived with his wife, Judy Bailey, on Kaua‘i.
•••
Hank Soboleski has been a resident of Kauai since the 1960s. Hank’s love of the island and its history has inspired him, in conjunction with The Garden Island Newspaper, to share the island’s history weekly. The collection of these articles can be found here: https://bit.ly/2IfbxL9 and here https://bit.ly/2STw9gi Hank can be reached at hssgms@gmail.com
