Posted on: Thursday, February 3, 2005

SHOW BIZ
Kelly Preston dines at Kahala Mandarin, sans John

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

SIGHT 'EMS: Actress Kelly Preston lunched with a group of locals at the Kahala Mandarin Oriental Hawaii a few days back. No sighting, however, of husband John Travolta. ...

Olympian Marion Jones, the fastest woman on Earth and one of the world's best athletes, and her partner Tim Montgomery, world record holder in the 100-meter dash, took in Merlin Award-winning John Hirokawa's "Magic of Polynesia" show last week at the Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel. They particularly enjoyed Hirokawa's "Death Trap" illusion and were amazed with his speed ...

Jim Hamachek, director of operations for Ed Wary's two Dixie Grills and Auntie Pasto's, regularly makes the rounds and always is happy to see familiar faces. Singer Henry "Kapono" Kaaihue and wife, Lezlee, were at Dixie Grill on Ward Avenue recently; at another table, Sheraton Bowl honcho Jim Donovan. Kapono gave his card to Donovan to pass on to Kylie Coonse, who worked at Kapono's at Aloha Tower Marketplace before moving to Wary's staff. ...

ITEMIZATIONS: Audy Kimura and Imua (Dave Dunaway and Albert "Baba" Akiona) have collaborated on a new jingle for The Honolulu Advertiser's classifieds. Kimura wrote and produced the tune, with Imua's producer Aaron Kimura (no relation) adding bass guitar. The voice-over features Lisa Sekiya of the paper's marketing communications department. ...

Actor Dyllan Christopher Fernandez (who doesn't use his surname), the grandnephew of entertainer Augie Rey (who, likewise, drops the Fernandez name in billing), will be on tonight's "Without a Trace" episode. Christopher has been acting for a couple of years — he appeared on "Murphy Brown," and was adored by Candice Bergen — and the whole family here is proud as can be. ...

KGMB-9's Angela Keen coordinated a fund-raiser last week for good friend Jacky Buder, a well-known bodyboarder sidelined with a rare disease. Numerous bodyboarding and surf professionals were there, as well as surf photographer Danny Black (Francis Camera) and baseballer Benny Agbayani (ex-New York Mets, now with Japan's Chiba Lotte Marines), a close friend of Buder's. A silent auction yielded $1,300 for a Walfrido painting, $500 for a surfboard autographed by Sunny Garcia and $500 for a photo by Nick Pugay. ...

NOTABLES: Mark Lutwak, normally the artistic director of the Honolulu Theatre for Youth, spent most of January as substitute keyboard player for Kupa'aina, which Lutwak describes as "one of the most interesting Hawaiian groups around. Certainly, the only one that lets their keyboard player play accordion on a couple of tunes." The group performed at a Moloka'i makahiki and at Don Ho's Island Grill recently. ...

'Ukulele stylist Gordon Mark makes a rare solo appearance at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Hawai'i Public Radio's Atherton Performing Arts Studio. Tickets are $17.50 general, $15 for HPR members and $10 for students. ...

HERE 'N' THERE: Singer Koa Siu, son of entertainers Leon and Malia, and his wife, Sarah, are parents of a boy, Kekoa, born Jan. 25. "Little Kekoa has great lungs and great charm, so the beat continues on to a new generation," say the grandparents. ...

Former Advertiser drama critic Joseph Maltby, visiting family here (he's the ex of Hawai'i Pacific University's Joyce Maltby), took in the Carol Channing show at the Hawai'i Theatre with daughter Becky. ...

Burton White, manager of the Hawai'i Theatre, is back from New York with more theater stories. While dining at Sardi's with old pal Linda Gabler ("Thoroughly Modern Millie," "Cabaret," "Carousel," "Damn Yankees") and Elaine Orbach (widow of "Law & Order's" Jerry Orbach), Elaine asked, "Do you know a guy in Hawai'i named Donald Yap?" Turns out she worked with Yap, who still does shows here, when she was Elaine Cancilla at Wisconsin's Melody Tent before she did a round of Broadway shows ("Sweet Charity," "Flora, the Red Menace," "How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying"). ...

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.