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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, April 27, 2006

SHOW BIZ
Santana reconnects with Maui restaurateur

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Columnist

Santana

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Abrams

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Ibach

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Smulin

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WHEE, THE PEOPLE: Carlos Santana, the Grammy-winning singer, stopped by Compadres at the Lahaina Cannery Mall, which made restaurant owner Rick Enos a happy camper. Santana, who has a Maui home, has ties to Enos, so to speak: His father Juan used to perform mariachi music for Enos when the restaurateur ran the Cantina in Mill Valley, Calif., back in the 1980s. ...

Kimo's in Lahaina welcomed David Hasselhoff, the "Baywatch" actor. And Art Thoms, former Oakland Raider, dined with his wife three consecutive nights after surfer Jeff Clark called Jack Starr, Kimo's marketing director, to kokua with the reservations. ...

Alan Rice, whose Segway of Hawai'i is ensconced at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, is finding more locals scooting around town with the gizmo — as gasoline prices escalate. Further, the Segway is a show biz fave, too. In a recent Sunday New York Times Magazine piece, "Lost" and "Alias" creator J.J. Abrams (who also directed "Mission: Impossible III") reveals he got the best movie-star gift (a Segway) from Tom Cruise. ...

AROUND TOWN: You needed a scorecard last Saturday night at the Sheraton Waikiki's Esprit. The Krush's crowd included two previous generations of Krush musicians. From the first era: Bucci Canencia, brother of current guitarist Robin Canencia, who got up on stage for some guitar licks; he's with Front Page in Las Vegas. Freddie Von Paraz, former drummer, also was there; he's with the Society of Seven Las Vegas group at the Outrigger. From the second generation: Richard Natto and William Daquioag, also with SOS LV, and Tino Ibach (formerly of Tino and the Rhythm Klub); Ibach performed Santana's "Maria, Maria." ...

The Krush crowd also included 'ukulele stylist Jake Shimabukuro, singer Jesse Rivera and singer Fiji, who took the mike to sing "Since I Fell for You" for friends who were married earlier in the day. The Krush performs Saturday at Ameron Maui's 2006 Annual Safety Dinner, at Casanova's in Makawao. ...

Go Jimmy Go's Island Sounds tour of Japan April 6-12 included seven shows over seven days (three were sold out). They'll post pics at gojimmygo.com. ...

AFTER HOURS: Onofrio Colucci, the red-headed clown in "Slava's Snow Show" at the Hawai'i Theatre a couple of seasons back, was here for a breather from the "O" show at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Caught up with pals in "Cirque Hawai'i," dined at the Shanghai Bistro, wound up doing a "Cabaret" set with keyboarder Don Conover. Conover's partner, Ernest Harada, missed it all because he was in Las Vegas, winning $5,000 in a slots tourney at the Stratosphere. ...

If you skipped the Smuin Ballet at Blaisdell Concert Hall last Saturday, you missed a dandy. Michael Smuin, a magician of choreography with an eye for theatricality and a heart that taps the beat of romance, filled the stage with stunning numbers linked to the music of George Gershwin and the hits of Frank Sinatra and embracing everything from tap dance to modern. There were moments of sheer elegance and eloquence, performed by a dozen dancers who made me yearn for a Broadway fix. Everyone in the San Francisco-based company — particularly Shannon Hurlburt, Celia Fushille-Burke, James Strong, Ethan White and Erin Yarbrough — contributed waves of rhapsodic joy in the house as the Smuin signature blended the worlds of contemporary dance and classic ballet. Bravo! ...

At an apres-show gathering at Compadres Bar & Grill, Smuin sat with Ballet Hawai'i president Susie Schull and husband Gunner (whose daughter Amanda is in the San Francisco Ballet) and Hank and Vivien Stackpole (whose daughter Dana also dances and performed in "Contact" on Broadway). Kathe James, Ken Kanter and Andrew and Arlette Meader also applauded the cast. ...

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.