Gillioms take roles in new film 'Tomcats'
By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Editor
COOL CATS: Amy Hanaiali'i Gilliom and her brother Eric Gilliom have small roles in "Tomcats," a comedy written and directed by their friendGregory Poirier, which opens on Isle screens Friday. Eric is now living in Los Angeles, where he has completed taping the pilot for "The Jamie Foxx Show" (he portrays a wedding planner). In "Tomcats," Eric plays the Mistaken Groom, but also shows up as a guitar-strumming musician when Amy sings her signature "Hale'iwa Hula," which, of course, was written by her grandmother, Jennie Napua Hanaiali'i Woodd. Eric performs "Moondance" and "Feel Like Making Love" – so the movie was a family affair . . .
PEOPLE IN PARADISE: Congrats to Catherine E. Toth, my colleague at The Advertiser (we share cubicle space and gossip), named the 2001 Cherry Blossom Festival Queen Saturday night, the contest's first-ever without a Japanese surname. When she first entered the competition late last year, I asked her if she had seen "Miss Congeniality," the fictional pageant film starring Sandra Bullock. She had; we joked about the queen's wave and the cliche'd "world peace" queen speeches. I turned over my "Miss Congeniality" press kit, which now has Toth's face covering Bullock's. In her on-stage appearances at the Sheraton Waikiki Saturday, Toth demonstrated that she is bright, sweet, genial, confident, assertive, a quick thinker. She's the first Miss Congeniality (an honor bestowed by vote of the contestants) to also be named CBF queen. She will represent the Japanese community – and the state – well . . .
RANDOM NOTES: When singer-author-storyteller George Kahumoku was in town Saturday for a book-signing at Bookends, Shop Pacifica and Native Books School Street, Puanani Higgins was hoping to sneak in a rehearsal for a "Celebration of the Arts" High Tea with the Queen event April 12 at the Ritz-Carton Kapalua. Higgins, Kahumoku and Luanna Farden McKenney are involved in the program but practice time has been so scarce and Kahumoku so busy and popular, rehearsals never materialized. Kahumoku returns to Native Books Merchant Street at 11 a.m. Friday and gives a concert at 2:15 p.m. Saturday at Ward Warehouse . . .
Stone Phillips, the chiseled-faced anchor of NBC's "Dateline," was spotted at the Halekulani Hotel. "He looks a lot like a '40s movie star," said David MacArthur . . .
Augie Rey closes an 8à-year run this Saturday at Harry's Bar, the watering hole a stone's throw from the waterfall at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki. The hotel seems to be downgrading operations (its Texas Rock & Roll Sushi was shuttered last month) and less costly acts will likely be booked. Rey is sad to leave, but happy that he had a good run and that the venue has enabled his entertainer daughter Tahiti to jump-start her own career.
"Someone once said, 'Don't cry because it's over; smile because it happened,'" said Rey, who's taken on that credo. His stream of recent guests (who likely will be stopping in tonight through Saturday's closing) have included Jimmy Borges, the Local Divas, Kimo Kahoano, Cecilio Rodriguez, Albert Maligmat, Tony Ruivivar, Jonathan Von Brana, Cathy Foy, Azure McCall, John Rutledge and Rolando Sanchez . . .
And that's Show Biz . . .
Wayne Harada's Show Biz appears on Wednesdays and Fridays; he can be reached at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com, 525-8067 or by fax at 525-8055.
