Show Biz
Local Divas scrap plans for Mother's Day show
By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Editor
UPDATE: Melveen Leed has been hired to do a Mother's Day concert at the Pacific Beach Hotel this year, so her partners in song, the other Local Divas, are backing out of a talked-about — and overlapping — show at the Sheraton Waikiki. "We don't want to bump heads with Melveen, so we're not doing a Mother's Day show after all," said Carole Kai, who, with Nohelani Cypriano completes the Divas. "We'll be there to support Melveen instead." ...
Bla Pahinui, who has been off the show circuit for three years, has been tapped to perform Jan. 26 at Anna Bannanas, in a KIPO Blues Night gig. "I didn't want to do it, but I need to get the kinks out of my body," said Pahinui. Yep, he'll sing some old faves, but also some material off his latest CD, "Guava Soul." Pahinui performs with Third Degree at 9 p.m., preceded at 8 p.m. by Jeff Said No. ...
• • •
SIGHT 'EMS: Frank DeLima, returning to the Waikiki nightlife spectrum Feb. 15 at the Palace of the 'Ohana Reef Towers Hotel — preceded by a Valentine's dinner show Feb. 14 — celebrated the comeback agreement with manager Millie Fujinaga and Outrigger Entertainment exec Frannie Kirk with dinner at Chai's Island Bistro, where the somewhat plump DeLima, eager to shed unwanted pounds to fit into some of his old costumes, managed to escape without partaking of dessert. ...
There was quite a stir over the holidays when Willie Nelson showed up at the Chart House while Tito Berinobis was performing. They wound up doing "Silent Night" together, with Nelson singing the English lyrics and Berinobis, the Hawaiian, much to the delight of the audience. A host of show bizzers have been hanging out at the club, including Henry Kapono, John Cruz, Glenn Pinho, Rodney Cazimero and Greglinn Ramseyer. ...
Members of Natural Vibrations, one of the acts featured on the Grammy-nominated "Island Warriors" CD, are still stoked about Prince's jamming with them in their Maui gig recently at Bada Bing in Kihei. ...
Carlos Barboza, formerly of The Aliis, is the latest to join Augie Rey's group at Nick's Fishmarket, starting tonight. He'll sing and man keyboards. Patricia Romero, daughter of Alfredo and Diane Romero, did a hula recently and turns out she is attending the same flight school, Emery Riddle Academy, as Rey's son, Joe. ...
• • •
COOK'S TOUR: Maui Chef James McDonald and his A-list crew — Pacific 'O sous chef Brian Noordman, I'o sous chef Jason Skandunas and former Mauians Belia Hernandez and Thomas Halligan from the St. Croix Restaurant in New York — were posing for a Gourmet magazine photo in the Conde Nast building in Times Square when Sara Moulton, executive chef of Gourmet and host of the Food Network's "Cooking Live," walked by. She graciously posed, too, for a photo with the localites. ...
When McDonald cooked at the prestigious James Beard House, Pamela Young of KITV-4 stopped by to shoot a "Mixed Plate" TV special. While there, she was recruited to garnish the fish course with orchids. Maybe she should print herself an "I Garnished at James Beard's" T-shirt to commemorate the occasion. ...
And that's Show Biz ...
Wayne Harada's Show Biz runs Wednesdays and Fridays; reach him at 525-8067, e-mail at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com or fax 525-8055.
