Castle High alum touring with 'Miss Saigon'
By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Editor
Understudy smitten with lead actress
THE LOCAL ANGLE: Cliffton Hall, Castle Performing Arts Center alumnus, is in rehearsals for the Asian touring company of "Miss Saigon." He is expected to trek later this year to exotic ports such as Singapore. According to his Hawai'i mentor Ronald E. Bright, Hall will be the understudy for Chris, the GI who falls in love with Kim. Off stage, Chris already is smitten with Kim; that is to say, DeDe Magno (who enacted the Kim role on the last national tour where she met Hall) and Hall are now an "item" ...
Local actor Johnny Pastor has been performing in "Tony and Tina's Wedding" at the Henry Fonda Theater in Hollywood. He recently had a reunion with Mandy Taketa, wife of "Whose Line Is It Anyway" star Wayne Brady, when Brady held a fund-raiser for slain actor Anthony Lee. Taketa and Pastor are Castle alums. Pastor is branching out into directing, taking on "Once Upon This Island," this fall ...
Kirk Torigoe, former Islander and ex- Show Kidz member, is awaiting word on a slot in the "Fosse" touring company ...
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SIGHT 'EMS: That rhinestoned cowboy, Glen Campbell, enjoyed down-home food and Island hospitality the other night at Duke's Waikiki. Some fans managed to get his John Hancock and a Kodak moment ...
And at Karen's Kitchen: KITV-4's Robert Kekaula devoured his garlic chicken ... and Cherry Blossom Festival Queen Catherine E. Toth ordered up her favorite lunch snack, Spam musubi ...
Out Maui way, model-actress Angie Eberhard dined oceanside at Lahaina's pacific'O a few nights back, delighting in chef James McDonald's signature Coconut Macadamia Nut Crusted Fish ...
And Leilani's on the Beach customers at Ka'anapali were treated to a first-rate jam when George Benson sat in with J.D. & Friends. Benson, of course, is a part-time Maui resident ...
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HERE 'N' THERE: Inasmuch as they often jam together when they're in Los Angeles, it wasn't too difficult for saxophonist Michael Paulo, the Hawai'i-reared musician, to be coaxed back to town for tomorrow's Kalapana concert at the Sheraton Waikiki's Hawai'i Ballroom. Kalapana's Kenji Sano regularly performs with Paulo in a jazz group whenever schedules permit; and Paulo is part of Kalapana's 'ohana anyway ...
Look for Gail Mack (the George Street regular) with Heartstrings at 10:30 p.m. April 28 at Big City Diner. The act specializes in a jazz and contemporary pop vibes ...
David MacArthur, executive producer and creative director of Hawai'i-based Gold Herringbone Productions, has been named producer for Mainland film production company Perseverance Productions LCC to handle the completion and theatrical release of "One Day She'll Darken." He's back from New York, where he huddled about the film's release, and also to check on another client, dramatic tenor Victor Morris, prepping for his operatic debut in a Milan production of "Otello" ...
Images created by New York artist-designer Thomas Woodruff are featured on the Hawai'i Opera Theatre's "Wanton Women" 2002 season brochure ...
And that's Show Biz ...
Wayne Harada's Show Biz is published Wednesdays and Fridays. Phone him at 525-8067, send e-mail to wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com or fax 525-8055.
