Posted on: Friday, April 19, 2002
SHOW BIZ
Branscombe Richmond to play mob hit man
By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Editor
WHEE, THE PEOPLE: Though he's a biker at heart off camera, Hawai'i actor-singer Branscombe Richmond, now filming "Destiny" in Phoenix with Casper Van Dien, William Forsythe and Dennis Hopper, doesn't play a biker in this one. Instead, he's a hit man for the mob. His latest biggie is "The Scorpion King," premiering today, in which he portrays Jesup, the brother of the title character, played by The Rock ...
Actor Cuba Gooding Jr., a frequent Isle visitor, returned to Nick's Fishmarket Maui and Sarento's on the beach in Wailea for back-to-back dinners with his family. Meanwhile, at Sarento's, Jim O'Brien of "Entertainment Tonight" had such a memorable dining experience that when he spotted his server, James Allen, lunching with chums at Tommy Bahama's at The Shops at Wailea, he stopped by the table to extend his gratitude and quietly picked up the tab ...
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WHAT'S HOT: When the Hawaii Chamber Orchestra Society kicks off Gilbert & Sullivan's "The Mikado" tonight at Unity Church of Hawaii, there will be some HOT times in the cast. That is to say, there will be quite a presence of Hawaii Opera Theatre types — Cathy Foy is Katisha, and she was HOT's Opera Ball chair; Stephanie Conching, HOT's education coordinator, is Yum Yum; and Tricia Marciel is Peep Bo, and she is HOT's "Little Red Riding Hood" in the current traveling show. Among other HOT types in the "Mikado" cast: Dan Barnett, Haigh Roop, Dean Conching, Pam Maiava, Stuart Naga, Teresa Bomberger, Dennis Proulx and Phil Hidalgo ...
There's no space at Grandma's House, since HOT's "Red Riding Hood," playing selected dates and sites, is sold out. But Grandma holds an open house 6:30 p.m. June 12 at the Salt Lake Public Library, when the public can come see a free show ...
Actor Don Pomes is off to Newport, R.I., to do "The Caretaker," tackling the title role that Donald Pleasance famous. It's a hefty role, with pages of stream-of-consciousness dialogue. "A bitch to learn," he said of the challenge ...
Singer Fiji is back from Samoa, where he was in a pre-Flag Day program that included a promotional quest to see how many Josephines would emerge at the event — linked to the fact that his "Sofefina" (Josephine in Samoan) recording is a hit there ...
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RANDOM NOTES: When Lisa Redman, Ruth's Chris Steak House manager, showed up at work Tuesday, she found flowers at the door of the Restaurant Row eatery. They were from Ruth Fertel, founder of the chain, ordered earlier to congratulate the local crew on its 13th anniversary. Only later did Redman and the gang find out that Fertel, one of the world's real "characters," had died Tuesday in New Orleans at the age of 75 after battling cancer. The arrival of the blooms showed what a classy lady she was — and a reflection of the kind of operations Ruth's Chris is world-wide. The local restaurants are owned by Randy Schoch's Desert Island Restaurants ...
The Lomi Shop in Windward Mall was closed a couple of days this week in memory of Moe Keale, who died of a heart attack Monday. "Mahalo nui loa to everyone for their support, prayers and aloha at this time of healing," said Ka'uhane Lee, a member of The Lomi Shop's Va'a Crew. Na oiwi will help Windward Mall and KINE Radio remember Uncle Moe with a memorial concert at 6:30 p.m. today at the mall, where calabash donations for the family will be accepted ...
And that's Show Biz ...
Wayne Harada's Show Biz runs Wednesdays and Fridays; reach him at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com, phone 525-8067 or fax 525-8055.
