Posted on: Tuesday, January 11, 2005

SHOW BIZ
If the mayor's day job doesn't work out ...

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

THE SINGING MAYOR: Is Mayor Mufi Hannemann, who sang a medley of Island tunes at his inaugural festivities at City Hall last week, embarking on a recording career? His karaoke-type display, with pre-recorded tracks, has been getting radio air play and drawing encouraging responses, particularly since his vocals are pretty good.

Turns out the singing was the brainchild of Frannie Kirk, Outrigger Hotels entertainment director, who huddled with Hannemann several weeks back. She honed a medley fusing "Good Times Together,"

"Honolulu City Lights" and "Honolulu, I'm Coming Back to You," enlisted David Kauahikaua to arrange and record a guide track of the songs, and even completed a recording (which is what stations like KSSK have been playing). Hannemann had indicated his "the best is yet to come" theme; Kirk wondered if it were the Frank Sinatra version or the Cecilio and Kapono anthem, and the C&K version was tapped.

Kirk, a sometimes record producer, said Hannemann "has a fresh, young voice." ...

HERE 'N' THERE: If you went to the cinema over the holidays, you might have seen the commercial for Samsung Electronic Hi-Def TVs, where fashion models fall all over themselves on the catwalk. The music heard over the spot was "The Other Side of the Moon," licensed from "Don Tiki Adulterated — the Remix Project," which makes band member Lloyd Kandell very happy. ...

Brad Pitt, one of the co-stars of "Ocean's Twelve," is decked out in Tiffany silver items, including Atlas cuff links and a donut chain. Julia Roberts and Catherine Zeta-Jones are also adorned with Tiffany. For those eager to make a similar fashion statement, John Geppert, vice president of the O'ahu market for Tiffany & Co., says he carries some of the bling-bling — or can get them on special order. ...

PBS is in town this week, filming segments for its "Hippy Gourmet" TV show, with an accent on healthy cuisine from around the world. Sharing their culinary creations: Hawaiian Airlines executive chef Beverly Gannon, Hawaii Prince Hotel Waikiki executive chef Goran Streng, and Maui Prince Hotel executive chef Greg Gaspar. ...

ITEMIZATIONS: Burton White, manager of the Hawai'i Theatre, dined at Ruth's Chris Steak House recently before trekking off to New York to attend a presenters' convention and renew ties with Broadway folks and seeing shows. The shopping trip should yield new "finds" for Island audiences. White and his backstage and box office crews toiled long and hard to help "Stomp!" complete a successful sold-out run earlier this month. ...

Dewey Kim, who owns The Chowder House at Ward Warehouse, said he was surprised last month when Barack Obama showed up for a meal. "He just walked in and sat down, and the patrons recognized him," said Kim, who approached the senator from Illinois, and was told: "I used to come here as a kid — with my parents." Indeed, Kim said many keep returning to the restaurant, and bring their kids as their parents did. "That's why we've been here 29 1/2 years," said Kim. ...

Anthony Ruivivar, a co-star on NBC-TV's "Third Watch," spent the holidays in Las Vegas with his family and dad Tony and mom Karen. Grandma Ethel Walker also left our winter rains to make it a true family holiday, to spend quality time together; she runs the Society of Seven office here. ...

RANDOM NOTES: Because of a Sunday afternoon matinee sell-out (the concluding show in the Island tour), promoter Tom Moffatt added a Sunday morning performance by the New Shanghai Circus at the Hawai'i Theatre, which, considering its last-minute tag-on, was about three-fourths sold. Indeed, the company of agile contortionists and acrobats put on an incredible and amazing demonstration of its collective skills, from tossing and balancing oversized planters into the air and onto rigid heads, to an aerial ballet hinged to silk fabric, from whirling tops to balancing drink glasses. The company, changing its name to the Incredible Acrobats of China, likely will return in the future for more dazzlement. ...

Tony Solis features The Brothers Cazimero on "Eh! U Da Kine, Ah?," at 6:30 p.m. tomorrow (again at 9:30 p.m. Friday) on Oceanic 16. ...

O'Brian Eselu has revamped the Paradise Cove Lu'au show, which means if you have not seen the production, it might be worth a peek. ...

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.