Posted on: Tuesday, November 30, 2004
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SHOW BIZ
Bands mix things up differently
By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer
PEOPLE IN PARADISE: Be on the lookout for Makena (not to be confused with Makana), a makeshift, sometimes group composed of members of both The Makaha Sons and Ho'okena. Get it? Makena, coupling elements from both names? Makena includes John and Jerome Koko of the Sons, and Horace Dudoit and Glen Smith of Ho'okena; they started playing some gigs as the combo band, most recently at a two-nighter at The Lodge at Ko'ele on Lana'i, filling The Grand Hall with visitors and residents alike. ...
Makena also is the name of a beagle, a birthday gift to Myrna Young, who works as accountant for both musical acts. Young was honored (along with Nani Dudoit, wife of Horace, and Ho'okena's hula dancer), at a combined birthday dinner at Ruth's Chris Steak House. Besides the sizzling steaks, there were sizzling tunes, jokes and tales by the celebrants. Dudoit's birthday was Nov. 14, Young's Nov. 22. ...
The Makaha Sons and Ho'okena, with full entourage, will give a joint Christmas concert shortly at the Ramada Inn and Conference Center in San Diego; separately, the Sons do a holiday show Dec. 19 at the Ilikai hotel, and Ho'okena brings holiday cheer to Kaua'i and Lana'i. ...
FRIENDS, INC.: After his "That's What Friends Are For" encore with the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra recently, composer-conductor Burt Bacharach showed his true friendship colors by taking his 18-member traveling ensemble with him to dinner at The Bistro at Century Centre for a late dinner. Bacharach also graciously sat at The Bistro's Steinway — and blessed it with one excellent chord, according to those there. ... Tom Hanson, the director-choreographer for this weekend's "A Merry Christmas with Friends and Nabors" at the Hawai'i Theatre, had a Thanksgiving Eve dinner with old pal Steve Harmon at Ruth's Chris Steak House, reminiscing those good ol' live TV days they both were active in. ... Foodie that she is, Maui publicist Bonnie Friedman was ono for home-style Thanksgiving cooking when she decided to dine out this year with pals Keli'i Brown (Maui Visitors Bureau publicist) and Jim Crowell (Macy's). They hit the jackpot when they picked The Plantation House at Kapalua, where chef Alex Stanislaw churned out a traditional feast "most-like-mother's of any restaurant on the island," said Friedman. When the meal was pau, Friedman told Stanislaw, "That was a Food Network turkey." Meaning, it epitomized what the TV wizards had been touting all week. The Plantation House cooked up 100 turkeys to accommodate the 356 reservations and a waiting list of 60. ... Dita Holifield sings the national anthem prior to the launch of the Harlem Globetrotters game tonight at Blaisdell Arena. ... And that's Show Biz. ...
Reach Wayne Harada at 525-8067, wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com, or fax 525-8055.
