SHOW BIZ
Hapa's Flanagan earns honor from Hawaiian Air

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

THE LOCAL ANGLE: Marisa Wahl, an 'Iolani School grad and University of Southern California film student, has had a busy summer so far, serving as a production assistant for a pair of CBS series, "The District" and "CSI — Crime Scene Investigation." She's also working on the upcoming Tobey Maguire "Spider-Man 2" sequel, but she'll be on screen — in a spectacular New York car chase scene. ...

Keith and Carmen Haugen, long-time Royal Hawaiian Hotel entertainers, will open Aug. 19 at Nepture's Garden at the Pacific Beach Hotel, where they'll do their vocal-and-hula thing from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays. ...

"Step Into Liquid," Dana Brown's surf doc that's been three years in the making, is borrowing promotions strategy from "The Blair Witch Project." The new film (now showing at The Art House at Restaurant Row), which opened in Honolulu, New York and L.A. and will expand to 50 cities, has built swells of positive buzz from mainstream media despite its limited release. It's part of distributor Artisan Entertainment's savvy grassroots approach, used successfully on "Blair Witch." Having celebrated surfers at the premiere screening Aug. 5 didn't hurt. ...

Daniel Thiebaut's restaurant in Waimea marks its third anniversary this month with special events including a Wines of the World Mystery Series dinner tomorrow, and a "Cook up a Storm" evening with women chefs Aug. 30. Information: (808) 887-2200.

HULA VIEWS: Paul Shimomoto, an attorney with the law firm of Char, Hamilton, Campbell and Thom, performed Andy Cummings' "Waikiki," and won the Hapa-Haole Hula Vocal Contest last Wednesday at the Royal Hawaiian's Monarch Room, while Charlene Ku'ulei Hazlewood, entertainment coordinator at the Outrigger Reef's Chief's Hut, won the Hapa-Haole Hula Contest, performing to Jack Pitman's "Beyond the Reef." The event, coordinated by kumu hula Vicky Holt Takamine, also showcased exquisite vocal and hula artistry of Nina Keali'iwahamana and Beverly Noa, respectively, and should become an annual fixture with wider exposure and participation. Shimomoto wins a Hula Records contract; Flip McDiarmid, Mamo Howell, Pi'ilani Smith, Ray Abregano, and Nola Nahulu were judges.

And the competition could become a cousin to the popular Frank B. Shaner Falsetto Singing Contest, particularly if it hooks up as part of the annual Aloha Festivals. There were two thrilling moments: Noa's hula to "Lovely Hula Girl/Lovely Hula Hands," a flashback to the time when she graced that Monarch Room stage nightly, and the "Blue Lei" hula rendered by Takamine, expressly for the late composer R. Alex "Andy" Anderson's family sitting in the audience. And with Mahi Beamer on keyboards and Gary Keawe Aiko on fiddle bass (he also sang), it was a nostalgic evening that solidified a common lament: There ought to be more regular nights of this kind of relaxing romantic artistry. ...

And that's Show Biz. ...

Wayne Harada's Show Biz runs Tuesdays and Thursdays. Reach him at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com, 525-8067 or fax 525-8055.