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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, September 26, 2002

SHOW BIZ
Former island TV guy turns up on 'West Wing'

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Editor

TUBULAR TOPICS: Ross Shimabuku, former KGMB-9 sports anchor who's now with KTBK-TV in Phoenix, has just completed a bit part on NBC's "West Wing." He plays a TV reporter named Derek Wentworth and tosses out a tax-related question in an episode to be aired in a month. ...

Georja Skinner, executive director of the Hawai'i Filmmakers Initiative and an independent producer, was on camera briefly on Sunday's Emmy telecast on NBC. She was sitting next to Elma "Pem" Farnsworth, a long-time friend and the widow of Philo T. Farnsworth, the inventor of TV. Elma Farnsworth, the first woman whose image was flashed on the tube, donned that Christina orchid lei that Skinner helped get to the Emmycast; Skinner herself wore a white Micronesian-style ginger lei. ...

Janel Parrish, who's nearly 14 now, is off to Hollywood to film a guest-starring role on "The O'Keefes," a WB series expected to be a mid-season replacement. It's a recurring role, so if it's a "go," she may become a regular. ...

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NAMES 'N' PLACES: Don Ho was at Don Ho's Island Grill to help Nicki Livingston, spouse of restaurant owner Fred Livingston, celebrate her birthday a few nights back. Don Ho's Island Grill is the new home of Variety Club Hawai'i Tent 50, one of Ho's favorites for charity work, and it's not surprising that a benefit concert with Ho as headliner is in the works. ...

Jimmy Borges, one of the troupers in Saturday's Aloha Festivals Royal Ball, will be performing at Studio 6 next Tuesday. Borges, a senior citizen who surely doesn't look or act it, is the ambassador for the weekend Hawai'i Senior's Fair, tomorrow through Sunday at the Blaisdell Center. ...

Jim Nabors, who not only sings a great song but spins out a great story or two, was a hit at the Hawai'i Theatre's annual meeting last week at the Kahala Mandarin Oriental Hawaii. Nabors, who is an advisory board member of the theater, shared some show biz reflections, including a tale about his mother cooking southern specialities for Elvis, and another on his first (and only) musical for Burt Reynolds in Florida. Nabors is readying his annual "A Merry Christmas With Friends and Nabors," Dec. 6-8 at the Hawai'i Theatre. ...

The Glover clan will be performing at the Maui Country Fair Oct. 3-5. Dawe Glover's "Elvis: An American Legend," in which he appears in three Presley looks (gold lame, leather, white fringes), also features his wife Jade and daughter Aubrey. Eric Fields is emcee, and Chrystal Godrey, daughter of Les and Terry Au (of "The Magic of Les Au") is hula stylist...

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SHOW BITS: The Royal Hawaiian Hotel kicks off a new tea service next Tuesday, with an "East meets West" musical concept. Winston Tan (with his eight-string classical guitar) represents the West, and Rocky Holmes and Lizbeth Smith (on shakuhachi flute) represent the East. Holmes will perform with Tan from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. weekdays, and Tan will be joined by Smith on Saturdays and Sundays. ...

Lisa Gershten, an American living in Kyoto, is a wizard in Japanese doyo (children's songs). She was here for a week memorial for the Ehime Maru ...

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.