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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, April 24, 2003

SHOW BIZ
Student comedians warm up the stage

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

COMEDY TONIGHT: Andy Bumatai's 15 students, who want to learn the ropes of stand-up comedy, took to the Brew Moon stage last Sunday with determination and spunk. OK, not everyone's quite ready for a legit booking, but a few showed potential. It's a grand idea to extend the comedy class into a real-life situation. The students will appear again the next few Sundays through May 11, serving as warm-up to Ray Bumatai's Mental Tilapia troupe, featuring Ray, R. Kevin Doyle, Robb Bonnell, Stephanie Sanchez and Elitei Tatafu, whose planned and improv sketches are often riotous. Great models for the future stand-ups. ...

Lanai and Augie's recent radiothon on KDNN 98.5 FM raised $6,500 during 985 minutes of pitching. Supporters stopping by included Brian Viloria, Mufi Hannemann and Miss Hawai'i USA Alicia Michioka. ...

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TRADE WINDS: The Tihati 'ohana has been celebrating like crazy with the arrival April 11 of the fifth grandson of Jack and Cha Thompson. The baby, named Eli Hunter Matagitokelau Thompson, is the son of Afatia and Nicole Thompson (he's an ex-footballer in the musical group Reign). The baby is named after Afatia's late brother, Eli. According to Cha Thompson, the baby weighed seven pounds seven ounces, was 21 inches long, and "he's fair as can be, with giant hands. Baseball? Football?" Cha's cheer- and song-leading experience from her Farrington days came in handy as she led the hurrah; of course, she was in the delivery room when Eli arrived. Husband Jack stayed in touch via phone for updates. The other proud grandparents are Nicole's parents, Reggie and Cookie Maldonado. ...

Kristian Lei, who was Kim in the Germany company of "Miss Saigon" for two years, is back in Hawai'i and singing with Arsenio, a band that has been frequenting the party and convention circuit. Now they'll launch a Wednesday and Thursday gig, from 8 p.m. to midnight, starting May 7 at Monterey Bay Canners at Pearlridge. ...

And Sam Kapu III has joined the family of performers at Don Ho's Island Grill, taking the stage from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturdays. The lineup includes "Al Waterson and You" from 7 to 9 p.m Tuesdays and Wednesdays, Ned Ka'apana from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursdays, Mihana Souza from 7 to 9 p.m. Fridays and Sani and Friends from 7 to 9 p.m. Sundays. ...

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RANDOM NOTES: Joe Moore's venture into his personal world of TV newsrooms — the fact-inspired fantasy "Dirty Laundry," which played four shows over three days last weekend at the Hawai'i Theatre — drew loyal crowds eager to sniff out real-life people and situations that may have prompted the KHON-2 anchor to write and act in this play. While a tad preachy, Moore has the guts to call 'em like he sees 'em. A nod, too, to director Karen Bumatai, who kept the momentum going. ...

Show Biz is published Tuesdays and Thursdays.