Posted on: Thursday, May 26, 2005

SHOW BIZ
Bright alum performs 'Chorus Line'

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

FACES OUT FRONT: Jade Stice, one of Ronald E. Bright's illustrious alumni who toured in "Jekyll and Hyde" and performed in "Miss Saigon," has been cast as Cassie in the Bright-directed "A Chorus Line," opening July 22 at the Bright Theatre at Castle High School. As Cassie, Stice sings and dances the show-stopping "The Music and the Mirror" song. She most recently appeared in the Bright tribute at Paliku Theatre at Windward Community Theatre, and two others in that benefit — Jodi Leong, KHNL anchor (as Diana, who renders the "What I Did for Love" tune), and John Bryan, veteran actor-choral director (as Ritchie) — are also involved, with more to be named in the weeks ahead. ...

ITEMIZATIONS: David Spangenthal, a New Yorker, is here to guest-direct Diamond Head Theatre's season finale, Disney's "Beauty and the Beast," starting July 15. He's playing the Beast, and had a beastly experience — he brought in part of his costuming needs — when flying here. At the Newark, N.J., airport, he was detained because his luggage was overweight and seemingly suspicious. After all, he carried foam, fur, tails and fangs, all for his Beastliness, and gawkers must have had some tale to share. Happily, Spangenthal — and all his theatrical gear — arrived without further incident. By the way, because ticket sales are brisk, two Saturday matinees have been added, for 3 p.m. July 23 and 30. ...

Keali'i Reichel, who sings in three Honolulu Symphony pops concerts tonight through Saturday at Blaisdell Concert Hall, hasn't written off the idea of doing his first Christmas album, though it won't be this year. He slowly is building up a repertoire for an eventual holiday CD. "It's on the back burner; at least one song a year gets added to the list of things I want to do. When I have enough, we'll move ahead," he said. He'll visit Okinawa, Japan, next month. "We've been there before but this visit will be different, for only a 20-minute hula segment, with Begin, who do the kind of thing we do — a blend of contemporary, pop and traditional music (Okinawan, instead of Reichel's Hawaiian). We recorded a song of theirs with Hawaiian lyrics; it was a mainstream Japanese-language hit — huge, huge, huge — and we got permission to sing it. So when Begin came to Hawai'i, they did a documentary and we were featured."...

Commander Chuck Street, who provides air-traffic reports for Ryan Seacrest on L.A.'s KIIS-FM, is visiting longtime radio buddy Ron Jacobs. Street keeps Seacrest on top of the mess that perils L.A. commuters, and most recently landed Seacrest at the Wango Tango concert at Anaheim Stadium. Street earlier worked with Rick Dees (of "Disco Duck" fame) and has appeared on "Good Morning America" and other network morning shows. ...

After appearing on the Michael W. Perry-Larry Price show Saturday where they were promoting the Girl Scouts, the organization's executive director and Honolulu's first lady, Gail Hannemann, and pals Jordan Segundo (Honolulu's first "American Idol" contestant) and Debbie Eleneki (the first woman promoted to captain in the Honolulu Fire Department) wound up in Compadres at Ward Centre as part of a scavenger hunt. ...

Emma Veary and Mahi Beamer performed on Perry & Price to promote their appearance at the Hawaiian Hall of Fame's 10th anniversary concert June 7 at the Hawai'i Theatre. ...

RANDOM NOTES: An army of folks have been taking in "The Secret Garden," closing Saturday at Army Community Theatre's Richardson Theatre. Among them: Stefanie Smart, Jeff Banks, Melina Lillios, Joey Caldarone, Candes Meijide Gentry, John Mount, Lorna Mount, Sherry Chock Wong, Gene Allen, Rex Nockengust, Jim Hutchison, Beebe Freitas, Sally Parker, Grace Bell Humerickhouse and Leslie Goldman. Goldman, a Manhattan School of Music graduate, has started her own troupe, the Golden Key Opera, and is planning a summer show. ...

Shari Lynn, star of "Golda's Balcony" at the Army Community Theatre's Readers Theatre, spoke at the weekly Shabbat service at Temple Emanu-El Friday night and was such a hit that the congregation put together a busload of supporters to attend the show, which details the life of Israeli prime minister Golda Meir. The final performance is 2 p.m. Sunday. ...

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.