What's Up!

"Dance Korea," with contemporary choreography by South Korean artist Jeong Ho Nam, celebrates the 100th anniversary of Korean immigration. Ten of her students from the Korea National University of the Arts will join University of Hawai'i-Manoa dancers in a performance of her work "Wanderers." Nam's students also will offer a world premiere of another of Nam's works; a finale will feature Korean drum dances choreographed by localite Mary Jo Freshley. Tickets: $12 general, $10 seniors, military, and UH faculty, $8 students, $3 UHM students.

• 8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays, Feb. 14-23 / Kennedy Theatre / 526-4400, 956-7655

CONCERTS: Feb. 14, 15

How about some music for your valentine? The Hawaiian Blues Mango Band, featuring Bla Pahinui; and Rick Shea, a California singer-guitarist, will team up in a pair of concerts Feb. 14 at Waimea Falls Park and Feb. 15 at Anna Bannanas. Tickets: $20, on sale starting Jan. 25 at the venues and at Tower Records and Flavormania ice cream shop in Hale'iwa.

• 8 p.m. Feb. 14 at the Pikake Pavilion at Waimea Falls Park, 9 p.m. Feb. 15 at Anna Bannanas / 638-851, 946-5190

DANCE: Feb. 15

A sensual blend of ancient Chinese forms and modern dance is what the Lily Cai Chinese Dance Company is all about. The award-winning troupe also brings dazzling costumes, original music and multimedia designs Feb. 15 to the Leeward Community College stage, culminating a multi-island tour. Tickets: $20-$25.

The troupe also performs at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 8 at the University of Hawai'i-Hilo ($20 general, $18 seniors, $15 youths, faculty, staff, $5 UHH and Hawai'i Community College students); and at 7 p.m. Feb. 12 at the Big Island's Kahilu Theatre ($15, $25, $30).

• 8 p.m. Feb. 15 / Leeward Community College Theatre / 455-0385

FITNESS: Feb. 17

The 19th annual Great Aloha Run — an 8.15 mile route — will be held Feb. 17, beginning at Aloha Tower downtown and continuing on an ewa-bound route to the Aloha Stadium finish. You can run, walk, skip, stroll — it's one of those fitness events that's geared to a variety of levels of distance walk/runs. There will be entertainment and encouragement along the route, too. Advance sign-up required.

• Staggered starting times, Feb. 17 / Aloha Tower to Aloha Stadium / 528-7388

CONCERTS: Feb. 21-23

Grammy winners Inner Circle, below, and Ky-Mani Marley, two of reggae's best, headline Budweiser True Music's Superstars of Reggae Tour 2003, heading this-a-way for three playdates on as many islands.

The playdates:

• O'ahu — Feb. 21, 6:30 p.m., Waikiki Shell. Gates open at 5 p.m. Reserved tickets: $30 pool, $25 first terrace, $23 second terrace; grass seats, $18 ($23 on show day); at the Blaisdell Center box office and Ticket Plus locations. 526-4400, 591-2211.
• Big Island — Feb. 22, 6:30 p.m., Edith Kanaka'ole Stadium, Hilo. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. Tickets: $25 in advance, $30 at the door on show day; at MJS Music and CD Wizard in Hilo, Byrd's Audio in Waimea, Mele Kai Music in Kona. (808) 962-0651.
• Kaua'i — Feb. 23, 5 p.m., Kuku'i Grove Park. Gates open at 4 p.m. Tickets: $25 in advance, $30 at the door on show day; at Big Kmart, Larry's Music, Progressive Expressions, Hanalei Surf Company and Hale Rasta in Hanapepe. (808) 245-9527.

DINNER SHOW: Feb. 28-March 22

It's "Mardi Gras Follies" time at The Banyans at Pearl Harbor, with the usual parade of songs and dances, mostly performed in glitzy Las Vegas-style revue by a cast of military and civilians, directed by Jack Cione. The show is produced by the Pearl Harbor Performing Arts Association and will be performed on weekends only, preceded by a dinner. Details to be announced.

• 7:45 p.m. (buffet from 6:30 p.m.) weekends

Feb. 28-March 22 / The Banyans at Pearl Harbor / 473-1703

CONCERT: March 5

Peter Askin (double bass) and Robert Pollock (piano) will be featured in an Ebb & Flow Arts-Hawai'i Public Radio recital, March 5 at HPR's Atherton Performing Arts Studio. Askim's award-winning "Eight Solitudes" and Pollock's "Metaphor" will be among the featured works. Tickets: $17.50 general, $15 for members.

• 7:30 p.m. March 5 / Atherton Performing Arts Studio at HPR / 955-8821

CONCERT: March 7

The Brothers Cazimero — that's Robert on stand-up bass and Roland at his sit-down guitar perch — return to the Hana Hou slot March 7 at the Hawai'i Theatre. Simply put, this means that Hawaiiana will rule, both in traditional and contemporary realms. Leina'ala Kalama Heine adds the hula dimension. Tickets: $30.

• 8 p.m. March 7 / Hawai'i Theatre/ 528-0506

STAGE: March 8, 15, 22

"The Last Paving Stone," a drama by Y York, will be staged at Leeward Community College Theatre in a Honolulu Theatre for Youth production March 8, 15 and 22. It's a comic fable that addresses the imaginary, yet possible, questions: What happens when there's no more open space? What happens if the entire Earth were paved? With original music by Henry Kapono. Tickets: $12.

• 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. March 8, 15, 22 / Leeward Community College Theatre / 839-9885

DANCE: March 11-16

"Spirit of the Dance," right, which elevates dance to theater, returns to the Hawai'i Theatre stage March 11-16. The Irish International Dance Company, one of the best, has the precision of a classical ballet company with the primeval force of a tap dance troupe, and embraces everything in-between — flamenco, jazz, modern, Celtic. Imagine 30 pairs of feet, working the magic simultaneously. That's the Spirit of the Dance. Tickets: $25-$45.

• Premieres 7:30 p.m. March 11; repeats at 7:30 p.m. March 12-13; 8 p.m. March 14; 2 and 8 p.m. March 15; 2 and 7 p.m. March 16 / Hawai'i Theatre / 528-0506

COMING UP:

• Tiffany, Feb. 22-24, Gussie L'Amour's
• Kamehameha Schools Ho'olaule'a 2003, March 1, Kamehameha Schools
• Aspen Ballet, March 2, Leeward Community College Theatre
• Hawai'i Music Awards, March 15, Kapono's
• Olomana, April 4, Hawai'i Theatre
• "Morning's at Seven," April 11, Hawai'i Pacific University Theatre
• Hawai'i International Film Festival, April 11-17, Dole Signature Theatres
• Margaret Cho, April 12, Waikiki Shell
• 10th Annual Gourmet Affair, April 19, Hilton Hawaiian Village
• "Rumble in the Jungle," 'Iolani School carnival, April 25-26, 'Iolani campus
• Uluwehi Guerrero, May 16, Hawai'i Theatre

BUZZING ABOUT:

Do you hear the people sing?: Punahou School has landed the first nonprofessional performance run here of the award-winning London and Broadway musical, "Les Miserables," opening April 17 (repeating April 18-19, 24-26). The School Edition has been cut down to 2 hours and 15 minutes, but the emotional impact and rich musical score have been retained.

Love him tender: Yet another "Elvis in Hawai'i" celebration is planned, with out-of-town visitors expected March 24-30, to take in various venues. Rock Island Cafe, which has hosted a previous festival, is coordinating; options include visits to the USS Arizona, the Polynesian Cultural Center, Hanauma Bay and other locales Elvis Presley appearance at or touched through his humanitarian work.

Howzit: "Da Matchmekah," one local-style love story by Loose Screws, goin' be staged at 8 p.m. Feb. 14 at Kumu Kahua Theatre. This one big round-up of local-style dating and match-up people and issues, which goin' put one loco spin on courtship and companionship. Tickets: $12 general, $10 in advance, but get one nuddah good deal: If you wear at least 50 percent red, you get $1 rebate. Don't think undies count.

Thumb's up: Dennis Foon, founder of the Green Thumb Theatre in Vancouver, B.C., and author of Honolulu Theatre for Youth's "War" production, has enabled HTY to designate the 7:30 p.m. Mar. 15 performance at Tenney Theatre as a benefit for the Domestic Violence Clearinghouse and Legal Hotline. Tickets: $20.

Star watch: There's a move afoot to ink a certified award-winner of stage and cinema (and recently remarried), to bring a bit of her starlight to the nightlife here. Stay tuned.

Submit information for

The Great Index to Fun (TGIF) four-week guide at least 10 working days before the event. This planner appears weekly, featuring major events only; others are listed in the weekend and daily calendars.

Write: TGIF, The Honolulu Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802, or fax 525-8055.

Schedule is subject to change.

Corrections: A benefit performance of the play "War" takes place at 7:30 p.m. March 15 at Tenney Theatre. An item in today's TGIF section, Page 41, listed the wrong date because of an editor's error. The TGIF section is published in advance of other sections of the newspaper.