Barney, friends come to Waikiki to make world debut of new video
By Esme Infante Nii
Advertiser Assistant Features Editor
When Barney, the purple dinosaur darling of the kiddie set, comes to Hawai'i for the first time next weekend to premiere his new video, "Barney's Beach Party," the choice of locale will be by design: The program features some local faces and island-inspired themes.
The 50-minute video makes its world debut at the Sunset on the Beach events Saturday and next Sunday in Waikiki. Then Barney, along with his TV co-stars Baby Bop and BJ, will hit the stage afterward each night to lead a 20-minute sing-along.
Hawai'i's culture and natural beauty were the inspirations when scriptwriter Stephen White wrote the video while here visiting his parents Donald and Johanne, retirees originally from Indiana.
Footage was shot in the Dallas studios of HIT Entertainment, but local audiences may recognize two women from Hawai'i who lead the characters in a hula lesson in the video: Cheryl Toma, the former Miss Hawai'i, who plays Kalea; and Ana Maelia Towry, who takes the role of Leilani.
The video teaches children to "use your imagination to turn a rainy day into a fun beach outing," said Denise Landry, U.S. senior manager for public relations at HIT Entertainment, which produces Barney entertainment.
"Barney's Beach Party" takes viewers sailing, shell hunting, sandcastle building and riding in a submarine, as well as teaches about marine life, and health and safety.
That the plot, designed for an audience ages 1-8, has a touch of an environmental theme isn't surprising, since scriptwriter White's brother is the junior Don White of the environmental organization Earthtrust.
After the screenings, Barney and his buddies will lead the audience in classic Barney tunes plus new songs from the video, including "Barney's Hula Dance" and "Rain, Rain Go Away."
The songs are geared to familiarize tots with marine life and outdoor safety concepts.
Toma is expected to appear at least one evening to lead the Barney anthem, "I Love You," Landry said.
The winners of Hawai'i Public Television's Barney Song Contest also will get their chance to show off their winning form singing the "I Love You" song.
The "Barney's Beach Party" video goes on sale April 30 at $14.95 for a VHS tape, $16.99 for DVD, but Hawai'i will get early-sale privileges on a yet-unspecified date at Blockbuster Video outlets.
More than 65 million copies of various Barney videos and more than 100 million books have sold worldwide.
Although the Barney live show has been touring the world for 13 years, it has never visited the Islands.
Barney and his fellow costumed characters are also scheduled to visit a hospital and some tourist attractions while in Hawai'i.
