Show Biz
Broadway veteran gets starring role in Isle play

PLAYING ALIVE: Lisa Matsumoto, the actress, author and playwright ("Happily Eva Afta," "The Princess and the Iso Peanut," etc.), is prepping her next production, "On Dragonfly Wings," based on her children’s book, "Wailana the Waterbug." Initial auditions for the lead character, Wendy, have been held, and Janel Parrish has been cast, with general auditions coming up April 27 and 28 prior to a July 13 premiere at Leeward Community College Theatre. Parrish, a veteran of Broadway (she was Young Cosette in "Les Miserables"), said of Wendy: "I’m really excited, because it’s an original play and the part is gonna be written for me. I get to sing, dance and act!" Matsumoto and Roslyn are collaborating on the tunes ...

HERE ’N’ THERE: Congratulations to Honolulu Symphony maestro Samuel Wong and wife Hae-Young; they greeted a son, Christopher, Feb. 7, in New York. It means Ariana has a baby brother. The second-time daddy will conduct the Mozart concerts Sunday and Tuesday at Blaisdell Concert Hall - and betcha there’ll be a sprightly tempo ...

Gene Schiller succeeds the late Alan Bunin as music director at Hawai‘i Public Radio. He’ll continue his "Sunday Brunch" program from 9 a.m. to noon on Sundays but also will be heard on "Morning Concert" from 8:30 a.m. to noon daily and on "Masterworks Hour" from 3 to 4 p.m. ...

Hula stylists from across generations will be featured in the Sheraton Moana Surfer’s Centennial Celebration tonight. Beverly Noa, a former Miss Hawai‘i (1952) who was a Top 10 finalist in the Miss America pageant, is one; she still has the loveliest of hula hands. Merrie Monarch Festival’s 1990 Miss Aloha Hula Natalie Ai Kamau‘u also will be a soloist, along with next-generation performers Lacey Chong (Miss Keiki Hula 1999), Chaz Kamau‘u (Master Keiki Hula 1999) and Keali‘i Akiyama (Master Keiki Hula 2000) ...

Restaurateurs Fred and Nicki Livingston marked their 15th wedding anniversary last Valentine’s Day at their Matteo’s restaurant on Seaside Avenue, where, in the wine room, Danny Kaleikini sang the Hawaiian wedding song for them. Happily, he stopped by during the anniversary fete to offer a Hawaiian prayer, and other diners that night included singer Dick Jensen and Don Ho ...

Ming-na Wen and Eric Zee have started their own recording company featuring Asian artists. Their first project is a boy band group ...

That recent "Flashback!" show starring Gregg Hammer & Da Cuz'in'z was a big hit with attendees, including boxer Jesus

Salud ...

Minnie Ruiz was tickled when Ron Mizutani joined her class to learn "The Cha Cha Slide," the current rage at Rolando’s Salsa Club at Kahala Mall, where the likes of George Raymond, Danny Kaleikini and George Vincent have been spotted ...

NAMES ’N’ PLACES: Jack Cione was on the Internet the other day and noticed that one of his acts from the past, the late Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, has a long-playing album, "A Nite at the Forbidden City," up for bid on eBay. Interestingly, the disc, done in Hawai‘i years ago at Cione’s old nightclub, also features Augie Col—n among the musicians ...

Linda Letta, co-chair of the Hawai‘i Theatre’s docent program, thought she was attending a routine meeting the other day but fellow docent Don Conover, the keyboardist, led a chorus of "Happy Birthday." With cake, of course. Theater tours are held at 11 a.m. every Tuesday ($5 admission) ...

And that’s Show Biz ...

Wayne Harada’s Show Biz appears Wednesdays and Fridays; he can be reached at 525-8067, fax at 525-8055 or e-mail at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com

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