SATURDAY SCOOPS
On their best behavior

Advertiser Staff and News Services

Illustration by Greg Taylor, The Honolulu Advertiser

"I love the cultural exposure my children get by going to shows," Cone said. She frequents Diamond Head Theatre, Army Community Theatre and Ballet Hawai'i productions, enabling her kids to experience the performing arts in an adult environment.

But she preps them on behavioral etiquette — and shares a few tips.

"Before they go to a show, I tell them that they need to be on their best behavior, make good choices, listen to the adults they are with and be respectful of the performers," Cone said.

When it's over, they all go home and talk story, each child offering a "review" of sorts.

Mark Lutwak, artistic director of the Honolulu Theatre for Youth, said different productions mean different expectations.

"You expect a much more vocal audience when it's a preschool show, and you encourage that interaction," said Lutwak, whose HTY does a range of family-oriented, kid-centered productions year-round, starting in the fall. Kiddie productions — which often run less than an hour — are usually abuzz with chatter. Teen-appeal shows mandate quiet attention.

"Young ones will stand up and tell a character to watch out; my favorite anecdote is about a kid, while we were doing 'Winnie the Pooh,' who was telling Eeyore, who was looking for his tail, exactly where it was. It was chaos in the audience — until that tail was pinned on. We relish those moments."

"I like to go to shows because we get to have an adventure," said Chandler Cone, 6, who will be a first-grader at Wai'alae School this fall. "I like to see people sing and dance. I really like to see other kids. I saw 'The Music Man' — it was cool. There's trouble in River City."

Her brother, Max, 11, who will enter sixth grade at University Lab School this fall, attended "Oz" with Nicholas, 3, and Max was excited because "it's a really good story and I like plays a lot better than movies, usually." Best of all, Nicholas behaved.

Quick tips for a theater outing

• Make sure children make a restroom stop before the show starts.
• Enter the theater early, so kids can get acclimated to their seats and the environment.
• Bring along a "security blanket" — a mini-toy to hold, perhaps cereal to nibble on — to combat restlessness.
• Discuss stage elements — like the darkening of the theater, the art of listening — but use a positive, not negative, approach.
• Remind children it's inappropriate to get on the stage.
• Cue youngsters to save questions for after the show.

Especially for kids

Family shows for youngsters 4 and older:

• "The Wizard of Oz," Diamond Head Theatre. Matinees are 4 p.m. tomorrow and Aug. 10 and 17; plus 3 p.m. Aug. 16. Double shows are at 3 and 8 p.m. today and Aug. 9, with an evening performance at 8 p.m. Friday. Reservations: 733-0274.
• "On Dragonfly Wings," 'Ohia Productions musical, Hawai'i Theatre. Matinees at 4 p.m. tomorrow and Aug. 10; evening shows at 7:30 p.m. today, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Aug. 9. Reservations: 528-0506.
• "Green Eggs and Ham" and "Gertrude McFuzz," Honolulu Theatre for Youth production at Hawai'i Theatre. Various school performances; public shows at 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. Sept. 6, 13 and 20 and 1:30 p.m. Sept. 7, 14, and 21. Reservations: 839-9885.

Everything's coming up roses

Flower people, check out the rose show and sale, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. today at Windward Mall. And if you're there at 11 a.m., there's a demo on haku lei-making with miniature roses. 545-5653.

Jackie Chan, 'Matrix' at sunset beach party

Cross your fingers for better weather than last weekend's: Sunset on the Beach returns with food, entertainment and movies in the great outdoors of Waikiki.

Tonight's movie is the Jackie Chan/Owen Wilson comedy "Shanghai Knights"; tomorrow's is that action-packed sci-fi thriller "The Matrix."

Sunset on the Beach begins at 4 p.m. at Queen's Surf Beach; the films are shown on that 30-foot screen after the sun goes down. Admission is free. 523-2489.

Canoe builders exhibit their craft downtown

A year ago, Wright Bowman Sr. found comfort in his Nu'uanu wood shop, where the master craftsman and canoe builder carved out pieces of history.

Today, 95-year-old Bowman is in a hospital room, with health problems that keep him from practicing his craft.

His apprentice, Kaili Chun, thinks of him as a living legend and wonders how to pass on his vision.

"Sometimes Hawai'i culture gets lost," Chun said, especially in downtown Honolulu, where the high-rise buildings and business suits reflect a different way of life.

Partly as a "thank you" to Bowman, his work and that of other canoe builders is being showcased through Sept. 26 at The Exhibit Space at 1132 Bishop St. in "Hoe Wa'a — the gathering of canoes."

Bowman, who earned a reputation as a master woodworker while teaching at Kamehameha Schools, lent his expertise when the Hokule'a and the Hawai'i Loa voyaging canoes were under development. The exhibit includes 22 1/2-foot steering paddles for the Hokule'a, as well as photos from the Hokule'a's maiden voyage.

It also features several canoes up to 150 years old, as well as one-person vessels, family canoes and contemporary team-racing units. A 40-foot canoe graces the lower entry level.

"It's not really bringing back the culture, it's just making the downtown community more familiar with it," said Bobbie Lau, the senior property manager who helped come up with the idea of reintroducing Hawai'i to downtown spaces such as the Bishop Street lobby. (Last summer, she brought a surf display to the space.)

The free exhibit is 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays, and 6:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. weekdays. Half-hour parking is free with validation at the security desk.

Act I, scenes for Kumu

Give these folks a hand: They've been toiling in summer theater classes at Kumu Kahua, and now they're celebrating with a free performance at 7:30 tonight at the playhouse, 46 Merchant St. Scenes that were written by Victoria Kneubuhl's playwriting class will be performed by students of acting instructor Keith Kashiwada. 536-4222.

Got milk carton? Farm fair free

The Makaha Sons will perform tomorrow evening at the fair. Advertiser library photo

A tip for Hawaiian music fans: The Makaha Sons will perform at 7 tomorrow night in the main arena.

Fair hours are noon-midnight today and tomorrow in the lower parking lot of Aloha Stadium. Admission is $3 general, $1.50 for kids 5 to 11, free for keiki 4 and younger. Special admission: There's free admission for two noon-6 p.m. today if you bring an empty half-gallon carton of Meadow Gold or Viva milk; admission is 50 cents if you bring an empty Pepsi can noon-6 p.m. tomorrow.

Information: 485-1770 (farm fair office); 848-2074 (Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation), www.hawaiistatefarmfair.org.