Show Biz
Former Miss America to be in bank ads

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Editor

NAMES 'N' FACES: Look for Angela Perez Baraquio, the Miss Hawai'i who became Miss America last year, to be the "face" and pitch person for First Hawaiian Bank's media campaign next year. The bank had a winner of a marketing personality in the earlier "Yes!" man, Pat Morita, and there's every reason to believe Baraquio will deliver, too ...

Loretta Ables Sayre will be the opening act for James Brown on New Year's Eve at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. A couple of years ago, she did similar chores for The Four Tops at the Hilton. Ables Sayre is awaiting the release of her first CD this week ...

R'yn Sabado, one of the mobile marvels in 24/VIII Danceforce, is the one who licks Britney Spears on the face in her sizzling "Slave 2 One" video. Local boy makes good ...

Daniel Bess, the localite who appears on Fox-TV's hit drama, "24," wore a plaid shirt in the early segment of the TV hit. Because the program is shot on real time, identical costumes were needed and his vintage plaid — a one-of-a-kind — had to be replicated,with similar fabric and look-alike plaid, according to the show's designer Jim Lapidus, who spent a week's holiday here. "It cost $1,000 to do the (copied) shirt," Lapidus said.

Bess, too, will be Christmasing in Hawai'i with his parents, Benjamin "Buddy" Bess and Ann Rayson, and brother David ...

SEASON'S GREETINGS: Kevin Iwamoto sings with Local Divas tonight at the "This One's for You, Loyal" tribute at the Hawai'i Ballroom, Sheraton Waikiki. He is a Hewlett Packard travel booker quoted in a story about business travel last week in the Wall Street Journal ...

Also opening tonight: "Slava's Snowshow" at the Hawai'i Theatre. A blizzard of fun for the whole family, even if show founder Slava Polunin is not part of the cast this year ...

Eddie Kamae & the Sons of Hawai'i — no longer active on the music scene — will be seen and heard on their award-winning TV special, "Christmas Time With Eddie Kamae & the Sons of Hawai'i," at 7 a.m. and noon Christmas Day on KHON-2. Kirk Matthews will introduce the vintage special, which dates back to the '70s.

Interesting note: The Honolulu Boy Choir is among the guests, and Jeff Rasmussen, now an adult, has a solo. Worth a peek if only to see the kiddie Rasmussen ...

If Keali'i Reichel's guest slot on Ho'okena's Christmas concert Sunday evening at the Hawai'i Theatre is any indication, Reichel could make a career out of singing and doing Christmas music annually; his "Merry Christmas Darling," with Ho'okena support, was superb. He could go the Christian music route, too; his "I Will Testify for Love," with Kawaiolaonapukanielo adding jubilant choral backup, was also fine. If Jim Nabors is forsaking the multiple night stand at the Hawai'i, Ho'okena could fill the bill; theirs is a show of varying enchantment, with both Hawaiian and contemporary components appealing to old and young alike ...

And: I'd go back to a Na Leo Pilimehana Christmas shindig, if only to hear "Ave Maria" with simple harp accompaniment. The trio's Honolulu Symphony holiday special, with Daniel Ho as a guest star, could become a yearly habit. But I'd open the evening with "Ave Maria," have the group do a couple of songs, then return after intermission. Far too long a wait for their harmonies ...

And that's Show Biz ...

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