Posted on: Tuesday, February 1, 2005

SHOW BIZ
Food fine, love lacking for visiting celebs

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

ABOUT PEOPLE: Diners have been enjoying a lot of celeb sightings in recent nights. At Roy's in Hawai'i Kai, late-show TV host Jimmy Kimmel (with girlfriend Sarah Silverman), actor Dominic Monaghan (Charlie on ABC's "Lost"), and comedian-actor Bobcat Goldthwaite (the man of many voices, including that annoying high-pitched one) enjoyed Roy Yamaguchi's cuisine. Kimmel, Silverman and Jorge Garcia (Hurley of "Lost") also descended on a garden table at Indigo Eurasian Cuisine for Glenn Chu's food, where maitre d' Gordie Berry welcomed them. ...

Monaghan is romantically linked with Evangeline Lilly (Kate on "Lost"), according to USA Today, which reported that co-star Ian Somerhalder, Boone on the series, now is somewhat bummed — and feeling lonely. "I can't get any love," Somerhalder joked, now that Lilly now has a main squeeze. Meanwhile, Maggie Grace (Shannon) plays his sister, Emilie de Ravin (Claire) is engaged and Yunjin Kim (Sun) has a boyfriend. ...

"DOLLY"-WOOD: With Carol Channing in town the past week and a half, Honolulu was a virtual "Dolly"-wood. Channing was nearly everywhere.

In the middle of setting up auditions for Hawai'i Pacific University Theatre's "The Miser," director Joyce Maltby heard from daughter-writer Becky Maltby that the Broadway diva had a desire to check out the Don Ho show. So the two Maltbys and Joyce's grandson Mickey picked up Channing and husband Harry Kullijian at The Royal Hawaiian hotel and headed for the Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel, where Becky's husband, Dennis Graue, is Ho's keyboard player.

Channing, by the way, took in the Hawai'i Theatre backstage tour, adding to the treat for a dozen or so participants. As a surprise for the "Hello, Dolly!" star, organist Don Conover whipped up a "Dolly!" medley during the tour, delighting Channing. ...

In her Hawai'i Theatre concert, Channing recalled her friendships at Punahou, did a sing-and-hula bit to "Hawaiian War Chant" she recalled learning from Punahou students, revealed intimate but hilarious tidbits about actress-pals Tallulah Bankhead, Ann Miller, Sophie Tucker and more, recalled her nervous sweat (and then some) when meeting Queen Elizabeth and playing for the Queen Mother in London, and simply had everyone singing and cheering the Broadway icon, who, as the "Hello, Dolly!" song says, is "still glowing, still crowing, still going strong." ... Among the showbiz types taking in the show: Amy Hanaiali'i Gilliom, Jeff Apaka, Jim Nabors and Jack Law. ...

TRADE WINDS: Kona Village Resort general manager Ulrich Krauer was a coconut courier when he connected with New Flea Theater artistic director, founder and Punahou graduate Jim Simpson and Simpson's wife, actress Sigourney Weaver in New York. Weaver hosted a lu'au-themed benefit that Krauer attended, passing along 300 coconuts from Kona Village Resort to the celebrity guests and theater patrons. Each coconut served as a "gift certificate" good for a two-night stay at the Kohala Coast resort. A silent-auction package also fetched $11,000. The hotel now is waiting for the first coconut to be redeemed....

Bassist Dean Taba, whose new jazz CD, "For Friends," is just out, is in town this week to record with 'ukulele sensation Jake Shimabukuro. ...

Althea Train presided over a super swing concert recently at Unity Church. ...

SHORTS OF SORTS: John Kolivas had an offer he had to refuse — a Wayne Newton gig in Las Vegas. It meant relocating there. Kolivas and his Honolulu Jazz Quartet are surfacing on the radar again here, with gigs at 6 p.m. tomorrow at the Honolulu Club and at 9:30 p.m. Feb. 26 at Donato's at Manoa Marketplace. ...

Jack Cione, who is directing the last "Mardi Gras Follies" at the Pearl Harbor Banyans Club, staged a preview for fellow residents of the Arcadia, where he and wife Maydelle live. The facility's lobby now boasts new lights and sound equipment capable of accommodating 250. Singers Al and Cathy Waiamau, dancer Joni Albao and Chinese dancer Sing Sing Bliss, all part of the Pearl Harbor cast, performed.

This is not only Cione's last outing as director, but the last "Mardi Gras," period, because he's losing his warehouse space. A group from Arcadia will attend the show en masse Feb. 18. ...

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.