SHOW BIZ
Name change reflects Hollywood success

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

Names 'n' faces: Local boy Stanford Poon has been enjoying mounting successes in Hollywood — so much so that he's changed his name to Stanford Chase. He's done a round of modest TV guest shots — the most recent was on NBC's "Las Vegas" series, opposite James Caan and Josh Duhamel, and he's completed a role in a film by Spike Lee titled "Sucker Free City." He is a Honolulu native of Chinese-Portuguese descent, and practices and teaches tennis regularly, between acting stints. You might remember the new name, in case you recognize him in an upcoming project. ...

Don Tiki's new CD, "Don Tiki Adulterated — The Remix Project," is getting strong airplay on KCRW in Los Angeles. That's an influential radio station that helped launch Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's "Over the Rainbow" to a mainstream Mainland audience. Keep your tikis crossed for the exotica-redux band, featuring Lloyd Kandell and Kit Ebersbach, because they're hoping to break out nationally. ...

Speaking of Iz, he's been credited in a recent story by The Vancouver Province of British Columbia on the national Island music boom. It mentions the posthumous success of his "Over the Rainbow" and potential for more exposure nationwide with the creation of a Hawaiian music category in the Grammys. The article claims that Iz weighed 1,000 pounds at his heaviest, though most residents recall him at 700 to 800 pounds before he died. ...

Folks are still talking about The Who's concert Tuesday night at Blaisdell Arena, segments of which have been posted in a 15-minute video on the group's Web site. There's a backstage photo of Wesley Oda's logo-highlighted cake, which proclaims, "The Who Rocks Hawaii!!" — just one of the food fixings organized by caterer to the stars Steve Ozark. ...

Itemizations: George Winston, the Windham Hill recording artist, has a special place in his heart for Hawai'i, which explains why he called Tom Bingham, chairman of the University of Hawai'i-Manoa's Music Department, to offer to do a special benefit concert, 7 p.m. Aug. 22 at Orvis Auditorium. Bingham leaped into action and got the Pagoda Hotel to be a sponsor. (That's Winston's favorite place to stay and eat when he's in town.) Winston's doing a piano gig, but betcha he can be coaxed into whipping out a ki ho'alu tune or two. And keeping with Winston's commitment to feed the hungry, he's asking fans to bring canned foods to contribute to the Hawaii Foodbank, which will have volunteers ready to accept donations. ...

Buz Tennent, a Chaminade University faculty member and a star of Army Community Theatre's "Kiss Me Kate" last season, will present a musical tribute to his late father, Arthur Tennent, at 7 p.m. Friday at Dillingham Hall on the Punahou campus. Eric Shank is accompanist. Arthur taught piano at Punahou for 13 years and was a member of the class of 1935. Buz graduated in 1972, performing extensively in Europe before returning home to care for his ailing dad while mixing teaching with performances. ...

Soul'd Out, now known as 650, takes the stage at Kapono's this Saturday at Aloha Tower Marketplace. ...

Shorts of sorts: Sue Kim, one-third of the fabled Kim Sisters (Las Vegas, Honolulu and other ports of call) of yesteryear, has been visiting with her grandchildren at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. In their time, the sisters were remarkable and versatile troupers, singing all kinds of songs and playing a host of instruments. ...

East-bound: Former Islander Patrick Makuakane, kumu of the dynamic San Francisco-based Na Lei Hulu i Ka Wekiu, will be in New York from Saturday to Monday. The halau will participate in Lincoln Center's Out of Doors Festival and the National Museum of the American Indian's 2004 Native Sounds Downtown program. Should be a rouser for performers and spectators alike. ...

Mr. Vegas, the dancehall reggae whiz, will headline KXME 104.3-FM's Sixth Annual End of Summer Lu'au, 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sept. 4 at Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park. Admission is $17 for rides and show but free for entertainment only. ...

Summer Jamboree, featuring a Hawaiian motif, is slated Aug. 16-22 in Senigallia, Italy.

I Belli di Waikiki, a Hawaiian rock act, performs Aug. 19; others include Red Hot Lava on Aug. 17. ...

And that's Show Biz. ...

Show Biz is published Tuesdays and Thursdays. Reach Wayne Harada at 525-8067, wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com or fax 525-8055.