SHOW BIZ
It's 'Tarzan' and she's Jane, once a Punahou star

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

"Sarah is a very private person," said her dad, a law professor at the University of Hawai'i. Her mom is a UH English professor. Sarah played three leading roles in student productions at Punahou ("As You Like It," "The Mikado," "The King and I") and went on to Dartmouth, graduating in 1999. She's done several TV guest roles, including "Dragnet" and "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit." "Tarzan," however, is her largest role and biggest career boost. ...

WHEE, THE PEOPLE: Paul Walker, the actor who played Bryan in "The Fast and the Furious," was in for a haircut recently at the Connie Gayle Beauty Salon at the Kahala Mandarin Oriental Hawaii. The cutter was Minnie Ruiz, a stylist who also is the Queen of Salsa in Hawai'i, who must have been samba-ing for days. ...

Houseguesting at the Halekulani recently: Christopher Lowell, the Discovery Channel's guru of home decorating and design, who appeared at Home World stores here ... and James Ingram, the sultry blues singer, who was here for a pair of Honolulu Symphony pops concerts. ...

Goro Arakawa, of the gone but not forgotten emporium in Waipahu, wanted to see Lee Cataluna's "Folks You Meet in Longs," but it was a virtual sellout at Kumu Kahua (finally closing last weekend). "I called a manager friend at Longs, who helped me get seats," said the retired retailer, who laughed long and loud and saw parallels of his customers in the anecdotal local comedy. "We used to stand at the front door, and always hear people say, 'Aaay, what you doin' ovah heah?' " said Arakawa of his clientele. He said a couple of Arakawa's slogans — "Where you're bound to meet your friends" and "If you don't know what you're looking for, you'll find it at Arakawa's" — came to mind as he chuckled over the play's crazy characters. ...

ITEMIZATIONS: Rehearsals are under way for Army Community Theatre's "Man of La Mancha," which premieres Nov. 13 at Richardson Theatre, Fort Shafter. Two couples are seeing a lot of each other these nights: Mary Chesnut, as Dulcinea/Aldonzo, has her husband, Kalani Hicks, in the show, as Pedro; and Lorna Mount (playing the Housekeeper) gets to see her husband, John Mount, who's directing. Their daughter Megan plays Antonia. The lead dual role of Don Quixote/Cervantes will be played by Bryan Bender, with Scott Moura as Sancho Panza. ...

She just finished starring in "Gypsy," but Shari Lynn remains busy. She will be in the Army Community Theatre's Readers Theatre production of "Tobacco Road" in November, has a Savoy Sisters appearance in a Sunset Jazz gig at La Pietra where she teaches, and is revving up for the school's Show Choir holiday shows. Further, Lynn and husband Mike Acebedo will be in Vancouver, British Columbia for Christmas, with her pal Darren Server, who's in the "42nd Street" tour. And for New Year's Eve at the Ceasars Palace Celine Dion show, the couple has front row center mezzanine reservations. ...

Natural Vibrations' "The Circle" CD has been on the Billboard reggae charts for four weeks now — currently at No. 12. ...

We couldn't make it to Ho'okena's recent songfest at the Hawai'i Theatre, but are happy to report that Manu Boyd, Horace Dudoit, Chris Kamaka and Glenn Smith previewed tunes off their November release, "Cool Elevation" still in the creation process. And because Boyd and his Halau O Ke 'A'ali'i Ku Makani will compete in the Merrie Monarch Festival in 2004, he'll be sorely missed as one of the knowledgeable narrators in KITV-4's live coverage. ...

And that's Show Biz. ...