SHOW BIZ
Joe Moore play offers look behind TV news
By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Editor
THIS JUST IN: Joe Moore's new play, "Dirty Laundry," will be produced by Manoa Valley Theatre at the Hawai'i Theatre in April. It's a comedy-drama, which Moore describes as a "no-holds-barred, behind-the-scenes look at TV news. It will definitely offend some people in the business (names will be changed, to protect the 'victims'), but in my opinion, only those in need of offending." Moore has typecast himself as an aging news anchor, and casting will be under way shortly. Karen Bumatai will direct. It will be a MVT fund-raiser, and a brow-raiser for those in broadcast journalism who see elements of their lives on stage. ...
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SIGHT 'EMS: Kids may know her as the voice of Nani, Lilo's older sister, in the just-out DVD, "Lilo & Stitch," but older fans will remember Tia Carrere as a former "Brown Bags to Stardom" winner who went on to star in a handful of box office hits, including "Wayne's World," "Rising Sun" and "True Lies." Now she's a cover girl, in the just-out January Playboy, and it's a revealing 10-page project in which Carrere bares a lot more than her soul. ...
The surprises continue to warm up audiences at the Honolulu Theatre for Youth/Kumu Kahua co-presentation of "Christmas Talk Story." A couple of "firsts" are involved — the first time there's a live music component, with Mark Lutwak of HTY and Harry Wong III of Kumu playing in the band, and the first time outsiders sit in to perform. Tanner Henderson of Chant did Al Green's "It Feels Like Christmas" at one show, and Cheryl Bartlett did "Amazing Grace"; more celeb voices are in store. ...
When comic Jeff Kino launched his "Half Nuts" CD at the Esprit at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel, he drew a packed house that included a number of performing guests such as Jesse Gamiao, Kimo Kahoano, Tino of Tino & the Rhythm Klub, William Daquioag, Johnny Helm, Star Angels and Taylor Jordan and her Hyper Squad crew. Kino had a rude awakening of sorts, however, when he was preparing to get into his Aunty Berna character. The dressing room was closed; only thing he could do was strip in the hallway, amid smiles from passersby. ...
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SEASON'S GREETINGS: Frank DeLima, who's doing his Christmas show at the Ohana Reef Towers' Palace Showroom, has added a new twist to an abbreviated local-style "Scrooge." It's a Filipino "take," with ghosts of Christmas past, present and future all with Filipino idiosyncrasies. And yes, DeLima's seasonal sizzler, his Filipino Christmas number, is done without his lighted Christmas tree costume but with maximum laughs intact. His Don Ho impersonation gets better and better; his revivals of early musical parodies should connect with holiday revelers. Milton Goto and an Aloha Airlines crew were in the house the night we stopped by, and a few got up on stage to help enact "The Twelve Days of Christmas." ...
When Kit Samson does his New Year's Eve special with his Sound Advice group at the Ala Moana Hotel, he's adding a guest singer — Alfredo Romero. ...
Jack and Maydell Cione depart today for a Princess cruise — their annual ship-shape way to celebrate the holidays. They return, however, on Dec. 18. He is a producer of Randy Smith's Frank Sinatra tribute shows at the Esprit, which wind up New Year's Eve but will reopen at another venue next year, with Smith already rehearsing with a live-music component, handled by Frank Diehl. ...
And that's Show Biz ...
Wayne Harada's Show Biz is published Tuesdays and Thursdays; e-mail him at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com, phone 525-8067 or fax 525-8055.
