SHOW BIZ
Ex-Islander riding high in theme-park show
By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer
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And Adealani Malia, a Kailua native in town to direct Diamond Head Theatre's "Swing" (opening tomorrow), had a hand (working with Lynne Taylor-Corbett, Malia's director of an earlier touring "Swing" production), in that "Aladdin" musical. ...
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ITEMIZATIONS: It was an emotional, but happy, moment when dancer Leina'ala Kalama Heine appeared at The Brothers Cazimero's recent evening of Hawaiiana at the Hawai'i Theatre. She's still on the mend from surgery, showing dramatic weight loss in her regimen to get well, and she should be in fine fettle for a "homecoming" May Day at the Waikiki Shell. ...
And auwe, did you hear what Hawai'i Theatre manager (and producer of the Hawaiian music series) Burton White did? Noticing a Kui Lee medley among the tunes Robert and Roland Cazimero were going to perform, he had the name of the late singer-composer (of "I'll Remember You" fame) attached to one of the dressing rooms. Yep, it was hastily removed. ...
Speaking of the Hawai'i Theatre: Stage manager Ed Dwyer was in dressing room No. 4 when he spied something no one had noticed before, attached under a table. It was a time capsule left by one of the clowns from "Slava's Snow Show" back in 1999, written entirely in Russian. Dwyer added his own note, in English, and replaced it. No telling when — or who — next discovers it. ...
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SHOW BREEZES: "Wisa and Friends" — that would be Wisa D'Orso, Cathy Foy, Donald Yap, Kala'i Stern, Frank DeLima, Beverly Noa and Boyce Rodrigues — will assemble at 6 p.m. tomorrow to perform for the residents of the kupuna housing in Waimanalo. It's free, of course, but betcha folks would be willing to pay to see this one. ...
And natch, DeLima will be very much a part of Festa, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, at McCoy Pavilion. A Portuguese celebration without the clown prince of comedy (he performs at noon) would be like Leonard's without malassadas. But several troupers are involved, including Jesse Rivera (2 p.m.), and Glenn Medeiros (4 p.m.), who brings along his St. Joseph School chorus and others. ...
Don Ho hasn't lost his appeal. Every time he hangs out at the restaurant bearing his name (Don Ho's Island Grill, at Aloha Tower Marketplace), he is besieged with requests for photo ops and autographs. At his Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel show, he's still The Man. ...
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ITEMIZATIONS: Add cheese-making to chef James McDonald's considerable list of culinary credentials. By way of his restaurants' upcountry farm, the executive chef of Pacific 'O and I'o in Lahaina met Paige Robinson, who rides herd on about 35 goats. She brought some goat milk to McDonald to sample and he simply said "cheese." "It came out really good. It had nice density, yet was still creamy. It really is surprisingly easy, or I just had beginner's luck." Then again, the doe who provided the milk is named Romance. So how could it be baaaad? ...
Atta boy: Eric Hill has been named new assistant general manager at Ruth's Chris Steak House at Restaurant Row. ...
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DATE TO CIRCLE: Ballet Hawaii's "Black and White Ball," which had a New York theme last September, is going to have a New Orleans spin this Sept. 25 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. No wonder chairs Vivien Stackpole and Anna Meng are on a journey to The Big Easy with board members Carol Naish, Anne Namba, Lavina Wong, Ione Adams, Jim Hutchison and BH president Susie Schull — to soak up the scene and eat, eat, eat. ...
Wayne Harada prepared this Show Biz column before going on vacation.
