The Buzz

Sample the art life downtown at First Fridays

Take in a bit of art and culture during First Fridays, a free monthly downtown gallery walk happening in Honolulu. The first installment goes from 5 to 9 p.m. today; visit any participating venue for a free map. There will be opening receptions, refreshments and entertainment in 16 art spots including Ming's Antiques, Eleven Thirty-Two Bishop Street, The Hawai'i State Art Museum, The Contemporary Museum at First Hawaiian Center, Na Mea Hawai'i, Sharky's Tattoo, Ramsay Gallery, Smith Street Galleries, Studio of Roy Venters, and The Pegge Hopper Gallery. Explore exhibits such as The Bat Show at The ARTS at Marks Garage, "Diversity" by Anne Irons at Atelier 4 Fine Art Gallery or "Peace with Aloha" at Pacific Traditions Gallery. And there's live music by Bobby G at Hanks Café Honolulu, Remedy at Café Che Pasta or Radha Bliss at Studio1. 521-2903.

Let the Cinco de Mayo festivities begin!

It'll be a nonstop fiesta as Cinco de Mayo is celebrated around town. Here's a look at what's in store:

• Tres de Mayo, 7-11 p.m. Saturday at Restaurant Row, with food booths, contests and entertainment by eightOeight, Dita Holifield and D'Tour South. Free. 532-4750.
• Tres de Mayo on Saturday for those 23 and older at the Ocean Club. Doors open at 7 p.m. Free before 9 p.m., $5 after. 531-8444.
• Compadres hosts the "Biggest Cinco de Mayo Party in the Pacific," 6 p.m.-2 a.m. Monday, with Rick's Tequila Fountain of Pain and a dance club party next door at Compadres Cantina. Free. 591-8307.
• Cinco de Mayo performance with Augie Rey, 3:30-7:30 p.m. Monday at the Sheraton Moana Surfrider's Banyan Court. Free. 922-3111.
• "A Kinder, Gentler Cinco de Mayo" jazz concert with Les Peetz on piano and vocals by Shivani happens at 7:30 p.m. Monday at the Atherton Performing Arts Studio. Tickets: $17.50 general, $15 Hawaii Public Radio members and $10 students. Reservations: 955-8821.
• Cinco de Mayo from 8:30 p.m.-midnight Monday with Son Caribe playing Latin and salsa music at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel's Esprit Nightclub. Tickets are $10. 922-4422.
• Blur, a Cinco de Mayo party with DJs Daniel J and M3 from San Francisco from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Monday at The Garden. Tickets are $7 for 18-20 year olds, $5 for 21 and older. 537-6971.
• Cinco de Mayo Salsa Dance Party with DJs Ray Cruz and Rod Moreno, plus salsa bands Son Caribe, El Conjunto Tropical and Latin Amigos Band. There'll be pi–atas plus salsa dancing from Aloha Rumberos, Da Dance Mix and Capoeira Hawaii Dancers. Greg "Salsaman" Henry will offer free salsa lessons at 10 p.m. It all happens 10 p.m.-4 a.m. Monday at Wave Waikiki, for 18 and older. Cover is $10 for 21 and older, $15 for those 18-20. 941-0424.

Chick Singer Night launches Monday

The national franchise Chick Singer Night makes its Hawai'i debut Monday night at Wave Waik

In harmony on stage

No need to hit the Big Apple: Broadway comes to you when The Sounds of Aloha Chorus presents "Barbershop on Broadway (or The Phantom's Phinal Pholly)" tonight and Saturday at the Hawai'i Theatre. Snippets from popular musicals including "South Pacific," "Guys and Dolls," "Mame," "Annie" and "The Music Man" will be performed. Also on the bill: a cappella tunes of The Sounds of Aloha Chorus, barbershop harmonies of Tropichords and Revival, and song and dance numbers by the Diamond Head Theatre's Shooting Stars.

The concert begins at 7:33 p.m. each night; get there at 7 for the sounds of the Robert Morton theatre organ by John McCreary. Tickets are $12 upper balcony, $18 balcony and $25 loge and orchestra, with a $5 discount for seniors, full-time students, full-time military or groups of 10 or more. 528-0506.

For the boys

On Monday, the Honolulu Boy Choir hosts "Boys' Day Celebration — Matsuri," a spring fund-raiser to commemorate the time-honored Japanese tradition. The evening includes a Japanese-American buffet dinner and entertainment by the choir and other talented young men including a magician, a violinist and keiki hula halau. There will be both a live and silent auction, with Randy Hudnall of Hawaiian KINE serving as emcee.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m., dinner begins at 6 p.m. at the Pacific Beach Hotel Ballroom. Tickets are $50 general, $30 children 12 and younger and $500 for tables of 10. 594-7464.

For the boys, too

Celebrate Boys' Day a day early this year when the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii presents "A Boy's Day Festival of Fun 'n' Games," 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free.

Get the carp flying and head down to the center for entertainment and cultural demonstrations. Gyotaku artists will be on site to demonstrate the art of Japanese fishprinting; children can try their hand at it for $3. Patrons can also try tegata, the Japanese art of handprinting and calligraphy, for $6. For $3, keiki can take part in make-and-take crafts and games such as popsicle Frisbee, origami koi and samurai puppet.

Entertainment includes a taiko performance and sword-dancing. There will also be a carp display, a Boys' Day doll display and an exhibit by the Japanese Anime Society. 945-7633.

Talk story

The Bishop Museum presents the third annual Mary Kawena Pukui storytelling festival 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday at the Hawai'i Maritime Center. Named in honor of the late Hawaiian cultural authority, this year's festival features the theme of whaling. The main event is a one-hour collaborative play examining how people have interacted with whales. There will also be educational activities and a workshop on cordage making.

Admission is $3 per person or $10 for a family of four; free for Bishop Museum Association members. 848-4190, 847-3511.

'Fly High, Fall Silently'

The University of Hawai'i-Manoa's popular dance showcase is back with "Footholds III: Fly High, Fall Silently." Featuring the work of Jennifer Butler, a master of fine arts candidate in dance, the evening will include performances of modern dance, capoeira and comic dance. In honor of the United Nation's International Year of Fresh Water, Butler presents her piece "Question of Water."

Shows are at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, and May 9-10, and 2 p.m. May 11 in the Earle Ernst Lab Theatre. Tickets are $9 general, $7 non-UHM students, seniors, military and UH faculty and staff, and $3 UHM students. 956-7655.

The dances of today

Discover a treasure chest of sorts when the Kamehameha Dance Company presents "Vintage: A Collection of Our Treasured Moments." The contemporary dance concert will showcase tunes of popular artists such as Janet Jackson, Seal, Hootie and the Blowfish, and Gloria Estefan. Showtimes are 7 p.m. today, 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday in the Princess Ruth Ke'elikolani Auditorium on the Kamehameha Schools' Kapalama Campus. Tickets are $5, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Prevent Child Abuse Hawai'i. 842-8973.