Show Biz
Iolani graduate to receive alumni award

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Editor

SHOW BITS: Chris Lee, the Iolani grad (class of '75) who's a Hollywood bigwig, will be honored with the Alumni Service Award for 2001 at "A Touch of Iolani," from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday on the school courtyard. Lee was a producer of the animated film, "Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within," and earlier was president of motion picture production for Columbia Pictures and TriStar Pictures ...

Natasha Tabandera, one of the Islanders who appeared in the Broadway company of "Miss Saigon" before it closed last year, is back in action as an ensemble member of a touring company of "Mamma Mia," now in Chicago, but destined to play Boston, Minneapolis and Detroit, among other cities. Her Honolulu aunt, Nancy Daniels of the Outrigger Hotels, isn't sure if Tabandera will be in the Broadway cast when the show opens this fall at the Winter Garden Theatre ...

Jennifer Love Hewitt will be able to tell folks what she did this summer — spend some time at Ka'anapali's oceanfront restaurants, including Hula Grill and Leilani's on the Beach. At the Grill, she and her pals danced during pau-hana merriment, then dined at Leilani's. Remember when she was a pre-teen co-star of the short-lived "Byrds of Paradise" series here? ...

PERSONALITIES: Hoku Ho was a surprise guest on Michael W. Perry and Larry Price's Hanohano Room show at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel last Saturday, where she debuted "Do You Love Me, Too," a freshly-written, as-yet-unreleased tune she hopes to include in a local CD sometime soon. After the past few nights with dad Don Ho at the Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel, Hoku returns to her California base in anticipation of launching a singing tour ...

Not only was it a reunion for Keola and Kapono Beamer when the brothers joined forces to sing "Honolulu City Lights" at the memorial celebration for the late Kimo McVay, their early manager, but bassist John Kolivas, who has been gigging with Keola (including Thursday night's Waikiki Aquarium show) over the years, said it had been 19 years since he backed up the Beamers. Following the aquarium show, Keola, wife Moana, mom Nona Beamer and longtime musical friend Donald Yap ventured to Kolivas' house for post-show kau kau. Kolivas will be playing music, under Yap's baton, when Diamond Head Theatre presents "Jekyll and Hyde" ...

HERE 'N' THERE: Frank DeLima has launched his annual Chevron-backed tour of local schools, bringing the message of a drug-free and study-hard life to youngsters. Those who've inquired about his whereabouts in the Waikiki spectrum will have to wait; he's talking with a couple of places, not necessarily in Waikiki, ever since closing at the Captain's Table at the renamed Aston Hawaiian Waikiki Beach Hotel ...

Rip Taylor dined with friends at Auntie Pasto's in Kapahulu, literally taking off with the shirt of manager Darryl Slate's that said "Fuhgeddaboutit!" And he lunched with Keo Sananikone and friends at Sananikone's Waialua farm house. "First time I've been beyond Waikele," said the comedian, who left with mangoes and flowers from Sananikone's crops ...

And that's Show Biz ...

Wayne Harada's Show Biz runs Wednesdays and Fridays; reach him at 525-8067, e-mail at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com or fax at 525-8055.