honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, May 22, 2007

SHOW BIZ
Diamond Head Theatre shines with 'Gigi' stars

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Columnist

spacer spacer

TRADE WINDS: There are some interesting turns in Diamond Head Theatre's current musical, "Gigi." Larry Paxton, normally on stage singing, is musical director — assisted by maestro Donald Yap in the orchestra. Brother Gary Morris, of Chaminade University, is playing against type, doing the Maurice Chevalier role of Honore Lachailles, the raconteur with a string of ladies, and seems to be doing very well, thank you very much. Carolyn Berry, the arts patron, is doing a periodic on-stage appearance as Madame Laverne — and with her sponsorship of next season's "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas," wonder what cameo's up her sleeve? And Candes Meijide Gentry is momentarily forsaking her dual-city life (her boyfriend lives in San Francisco) to play the title role. Gentry as Gigi means a perk for DHT: Her mom, Nora Meijide Gentry, promptly signed on as a show sponsor and brought a coterie of friends to last Friday's opening performance. ...

WHEE, THE PEOPLE: When actress Cameron Diaz, a frequent Isle visitor, appeared on the "Tonight" show recently, she shared her aloha for Hawai'i with host Jay Leno, stating that her home away from home here is The Kahala Resort. ...

The Kahala hotel provides the backdrop for "A Lifetime of Love," a KHON-2 bridal special, airing at 9 p.m. June 4 and 9, with Tannya Joaquin as host. Producers chose Milia Macfarlane to depict the bride and Thomas "Tom" Meharey the groom; she was a Miss Hawai'i contestant, and he's a model and actor. A lot of effort and energy played into the script: The Kahala's Stuart Kotake, director of catering and conference services, worked with Evan Morita of Florist Grand, Arna Johnson of Arna Photography, Susan Akamine and Naomi Lee of Les Saisons among other contributors. ...

THE LOCAL ANGLE: Singer Jordan Segundo just gave a concert in Chicago with Pops Fernandez and Kuh Desma at The Gateway Theatre. He visited Andrew Magpoc, an Island resident who owns TRX on OC16, and has been working at the Oprah Studios; he gave Segundo and manager Nancy Bernal a quickie tour, but because it was Sunday, the Oprah Winfrey show was not shooting. Segundo and co-host Yasmin Dar have started filming "Destination: Groove Dance Hawai'i," which premieres Sept. 16 on KHNL-8. ...

Singer Iva Kinimaka is one happy dad; daughter Chamonix Mele Kinimaka, 29, just graduated from Temple University and begins her residency at New York Methodist Hospital in New York on July 1. "I was so happy she finished medical school, I cried," said Kinimaka, who wrote "He Aloha Mele" years ago for Chamonix. ...

Don McDiarmid Jr., chairman of Hawai'i Calls Inc./Hula Records, has been voted a lifetime membership in the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Los Angeles chapter. He has been a NARAS voter-member for 40 years and is believed to be the first here to receive this honor. ...

FINALLY: Chef Alan Wong is back from Japan, where he collaborated with Iron Chef Hiroyuki Sakai to prepare a special five-course dinner at Alan Wong's Hawai'i at the Tokyo Disney Resort May 3. Sixty-three guests paid 18,900 yen apiece (about $165) and indulged in special dishes whipped up by the pair, accompanied by private-label wines. Chefs helping out were Wade Ueoka of the flagship Honolulu restaurant and Kenji Kimura of La Rochelle in Shibuya, Tokyo, with additional kokua from sous chef Allen Hess from the Hualalai Grille by Alan Wong on the Big Island. The meal was orchestrated by two g.m.s, Hironobu Kumano of Alan Wong's Hawai'i and Chiharu Katsuyama of La Rochelle. As part of an "Aloha From Hawai'i" promotion, which kicked off Golden Week at Ikspiari in the Tokyo Disney Resort, the festivities included hula by 2007 Miss Hawai'i runner-up Liana Green, with a musical set by Hapa (Barry Flanagan and Nathan Aweau). ...

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.