SHOW BIZ
The Iz who wuz: TV special planned for spring

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

CELEB CITY: Billy Crystal, the actor-comedian, enjoyed an Island vacation with his family. Took in Azure McCall at the Malolo Lounge of the Hilton Waikoloa Village. ...

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was in town last weekend. The rundown: Enjoyed the culinary preparations of executive chef Fred DeAngelo at Tiki's Grill & Bar last Friday; and joined a birthday party Saturday at the Pipeline Cafe, which delighted other party-goers, according to Jed Roa. Next up for the Rock: "Walking Tall," now seen in theater trailers, which capitalizes on his might. ...

Michael Marks, a Hawaii Opera Theatre board member, was the successful bidder at the Hawai'i Theatre's fund-raising Caper at Neiman Marcus, winning a party at Jim Nabors' Diamond Head home featuring soprano Alison England, who sings Saturday night at the Hawai'i Theatre. Thus, the 19 guests will get a preview of her "Opera, Broadway & Beyond" concert, which HOT and the Hawai'i Theatre Center are co-presenting. ...

NAMES 'N' PLACES: Alvin Ing, a veteran stage performer, has been touring with "Flower Drum Song" (last stop is Houston, after stints in Dallas, Seattle and Sacramento), and the local has company in another Islander, Kenway Kua, in the cast. Ing will be in a revival of "Pacific Overtures" come September. With his continuity with both shows, Ing is somewhat of a rarity: He's got the distinction of being in the original national tour of "Flower Drum Song," was in the original Broadway cast of "Pacific Overtures," and will be in the new production. "I feel honored," he says. ...

Wanna shake your booty? KC & the Sunshine Band, the disco-era group, returns to Honolulu for a Pro-Bowl concert Feb. 7 at the Waikiki Shell, as part of its 30th anniversary tour. Harry Wayne Casey, who is KC, is known for such hits as "That's The Way I Like It" and "Get Down Tonight." ...

Carolyn Sapp, the first from the Islands to win the Miss America contest, was in the audience when Kerri Ching, a Honolulu Advertiser employee, won the Narcissus Queen pageant Saturday night. Ching's gown, dubbed Dragontail (white beads and gold, cascading from her shoulder), was created by Takeo Kobayashi. Sapp, by the way, will be taking a beauty product to QVC shortly. ...

Hapa's Barry Flanagan will be creative director and artistic liaison for a week-long contemporary Hawaiian music festival next spring at UC-Irvine's Barclay Theatre. ...

SHORT OF SORTS: Veteran comedian-singer-entertainer Ricky Castro, half of the popular duo the Reycards, died Nov. 12 in Los Angeles. He was 68. After a luminous career in Las Vegas with cohort Rey Ramirez, Castro — who had heart complications and diabetes — worked in the Philippines, where he and Ramirez (who died six years ago) also had an earlier film career. Hawai'i fans will readily recall his comedic antics — the glares, the stares, that oversized mouth — that made him enormously popular. His obit carried his formal name, Carding Cruz. ...

And that's Show Biz. ...

Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com, 525-8067or fax 525-8055.