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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, August 8, 2006

SHOW BIZ
Da Tita set to tie da knot to martial-arts master

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Columnist

Melveen Leed

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Ashlee Simpson

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Beverly Gannon

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Cha Thompson

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WEDDING BELLS: Singer Melveen Leed chose an unconventional path — an e-mailed cyberspace invitation — to announce her plans to marry Al Dacascos, a martial-arts whiz, in a Hawaiian-style ceremony at 5 p.m. Aug. 19 in Kailua. Pastor David Kahiapo will officiate. The bride and groom, who first met 45 years ago when she was at Radford and he was at Farrington High, rekindled sparks last year. Earlier this year, he gave her the engagement ring, and this also was unconventional — the sparkler was exchanged in a kiss. ...

SHORTS OF SORTS: Chef Beverly Gannon, the firecracker behind Hali'imaile General Store and Joe's Bar & Grill on Maui, arrived a tad tardy (her Hawaiian Airlines flight was 45 minutes late) at the Sub-Zero/Wolf Showroom last Thursday, where she prepared munchables for guests checking out the launch here of Sylvan Source, an automated water-filtration system. Robert P. Riggs, president and CEO of the Westye Group (which distributes the upscale Sub-Zero/Wolf kitchen appliances), was on hand; ditto, Eugene Thiers, Sylvan Source chief technology officer. While she doesn't (yet) have the water option in her home, Cha Thompson (one of scores at the launch) has Sub-Zero appliances; no wonder she and husband Jack will appear in print ads for Sub-Zero. The ads are likely to debut this fall. ...

Must be those high temps. Cathy Nobriga Kim, Roselani Ice Cream maker, shipped a 40-foot container of her product to O'ahu last week. Though July was National Ice Cream month, August appetites must be gargantuan. In the 70-year history of Roselani, 20-footers were enough. "When sales double, you double the size of the container," says a happy Kim. ...

Ben Dowling has become partial owner of Nick's Fishmarket, capping an on-again, off-again relationship that spans 20 years with the eatery, in the Waikiki Gateway Hotel. He's been aligned with some of the best places: The Black Orchid, Matteo's, Sunset Grill and The Third Floor. ...

DINING OUT: Ashlee Simpson dined with a group of pals — might have been her musicians — at Tokkuri-Tei, the delightful izakaya-style restaurant on Kapahulu Avenue on Saturday night. She had veggie tempura, a source says, and delighted fans who recognized her when she signed autographs. On another night, the Food Network's famous Iron Chef, Masaharu Morimoto, also has been a notable enjoying the sushi and Japanese cuisine at the popular dining spot. Wonder if anyone had chef Hideyaki "Santa" Miyoshi's spider poke? ...

TRAVEL LOG: Ron and Mo Bright (he of the Castle Performing Arts Company at Castle High School and frequent director at Paliku Theatre) have visited family and friends on the West Coast and Las Vegas. In Seattle, they reunited with Bill Tennent, now music director at the Port Townsend Historical Museum, who was in Mr. B's first "South Pacific" cast in 1966. In Vegas, more links with ex-students: Tony McCall is tech director at the MGM Grand, where ex-CPAC members John, Gary and Ronald Wong are behind-the-sceners for the "Ka" show. The Brights took in Danny Gans' show (at the Mirage), arranged by localite Johnson Enos, who has artistic ties with Gans. In San Diego, the Brights caught up with Cliffton Hall, who is a member of the touring company of "Wicked" — Hall understudies the Fieryo role. The reunion included dinner with DeeDee Magno, who is Mrs. Hall, and their son, Kaeden. At Disneyland, they saw Robert Orosco, who is in "Aladdin" at California Adventure's Hyperion Theatre. ...

Publicist Lisa Josephsohn also caught Hall in "Wicked" and the "Aladdin" production, which features local boy Sam Pablo (selected at earlier Ho-nolulu auditions) in the title role. In Los Angeles, she took in "Play It Cool," newest production of her pal Mark Winkler ("Naked Boys Singing," "Too Old for the Chorus") and a production called "American Rhythm." ...

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.