SHOW BIZ
Music world calls 'Lion King' actress

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

ON THE RECORD: Jewl Anguay, who has been playing Nala in "The Lion King" in Los Angeles, is leaving the company at the end of the month to start work on her first CD. She has just signed a contract with Sony-Columbia, after being courted by two industry luminaries: David Foster at Warner Bros. and Tommy Mottola of Sony. Mottola (who handled Mariah Carey's career, at the start) won. ...

Speaking of singing: Islander Randall Duk Kim has one of the leads in the David Henry Hwang revival of "Flower Drum Song" (previewing from Sept. 23, and pegged for an Oct. 17 launching at the Virginia Theatre on Broadway), and will make his singing and dancing debut. He's struggling with the tasks, since he's always been a dramatic actor. He'll even wind up on the soundtrack, inasmuch as the star is Lea Salonga, a proven Broadway favorite. Though he was in a previous musical, "The King and I," his part was the lone noncrooning, nondancing role. ...

ITEMIZATIONS: Tia Carrere just signed up to do that anticipated "Lilo and Stitch" direct-to-video (and DVD) sequel, plus the 44 television episodes that start airing in September. You recall she provided the voice of Nani, Lilo's older sister ...

David Hasselhoff, in town for "Baywatch Hawaiian Wedding" filming, was spotted snacking with his parents at Cinny Yums in Waikiki last week. ...

Frank DeLima does a benefit show for Tree Center and the Student Enrichment Program from 3 to 5 p.m. Sept. 29 at the Wisteria. Tickets are $25; call 591-9276. ...

The "Gifts of Aloha" group, journeying from Hawai'i to the Big Apple last week for the 9/11 anniversary goodwill mission, started with the aloha even at JFK airport's baggage claim.

A woman was struggling to get her luggage cart operational, the group offered help — and recognized it was Peggy Lipton, of "Mod Squad" fame. "The beautiful and still-youthful looking Lipton got a kick out of knowing that her old series had fans in Hawai'i," said Mona Wood, one of the locals on the aloha trek. ...

Singer Nohelani Cypriano has been tapped by the American Cancer Society Hawai'i Pacific Inc. to be an Ambassador to the Celebration on the Hill Relay for Life, set for tomorrow and Thursday in Washington, D.C. On Thursday, several thousand such ambassadors will assemble at the Capitol Reflecting Pool to honor cancer survivors and salute those who lost their lives. Luminaria candles will be lit, too, and Cypriano will perform "Pulelehua (My Precious Butterfly)," in memory of her late mother, Leina'ala Simerson, and also Loyal Garner's "Mama, I Love You," which Cypriano has recorded in Garner's memory. Krista Leilani Duncan, one of Cypriano's dancers from her Navatek show, also is making the journey. ...

SHORTS OF SORTS: Charly Espina, part of the morning drive team at KCCN-FM, is broadening her island experiences since getting engaged to Mark Takahama. He took her to her first bon dance in Makawao. "Like doing a Japanese country line dance," she observed. Takahama, from Kihei, plays taiko and used to drum up musical support in bon dances on Lana'i. ...

Not to be outdone, Billy Van Osdol, Espina's partner on radio, brought his wife, Sawako, and their new baby, Billy V, to their first bon dance — at Koganji in Manoa. She's from Japan and marveled at the flourishing cultural event. ...

And that's Show Biz ...

Wayne Harada's Show Biz is published Tuesdays and Thursdays; e-mail wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com, phone 525-8067 or fax 525-8055.