Show Biz
Congress' rules keep Inouye off game show

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Editor

THE FINAL ANSWER: Sen. Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawai'i) was one of a handful of politicos pegged to appear with Regis Philbin on ABC's "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" during a weekend taping. But the final answer — nixing the game show's plan to showcase elected officials who are wartime vets in a marketing move for Disney/Touchstone's "Pearl Harbor" movie — is that an ethics panel has ruled that such an appearance would be a violation of rules governing U.S. lawmakers.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) were among others mentioned as maybes, but the rules prohibit members of Congress from receiving honoraria exceeding $2,000, even if the sum is donated to charity ...

ITEMIZATIONS: Since the cancellation of "Baywatch Hawai'i," model-turned-actor Jason Momoa has been awaiting a role call, but there hasn't been much out there, especially with the threat of the writers' and actors' strike (since averted). He's had offers for reality-based shows, in the vein of "Survivor," but he's nixed those (smart man), preferring to wait for something more substantial ...

Frank DeLima, who gives a Mother's Day concert Sunday at the Ala Moana Hotel, also will be touring the Neighbor Islands.

Constantly dieting, he uses the seat space in his favorite booth at the Wisteria as a gauge of his weight loss. "I'm losing because fit the booth better," he said of the space between his opu and the table. His good friend Norman Nakamoto is not sympathetic. Nakamoto "keeps telling me, you can cut the fin off the whale and it's still a whale, but I told him I cut off the other fin," said DeLima. "But he tells me no sense, 'cause I'm like the lizard's tail — it'll grow back" ...

WHEE, THE PEOPLE: Craig Schulman, in town for a pair of weekend Honolulu Symphony pops concerts, checked out the new Society of Seven Las Vegas at the Outrigger Waikiki Tuesday night, somewhat intimidating those three chaps in the group (Johnny Fernandez, Glenn Miyashiro, Jonathan Kaina) who portray the Phantom, one of Schulman's signature roles. Next week, Schulman brings his family for a couple of days at the Grand Wailea on Maui ...

And unbeknownst to the SOSers, they hauled up Jim Austin, new director of public relations for Outrigger and 'Ohana hotels, on stage for a hula segment the other night. The 'Aiea resident's first job as a kid? Selling The Advertiser ...

Steve Harmon, former Broadway trouper and now a Lanikai resident, is looking forward to "Laughter and Reflection With Carol Burnett," the one-nighter tomorrow at the Hawai'i Theatre. He has a photo of himself on stage with Burnett, Larry Kert (the original Tony in "West Side Story") and Bernie West (writer of such sitcoms as "All in the Family"). Harmon and Burnett were among the budding performers who used to do original revues for resort guests in Upstate New York ...

And that's Show Biz ...

Wayne Harada writes Show Biz every Wednesday and Friday; e-mail him at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com, phone him at 525-8067 or fax 525-8055.