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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, June 10, 2008

SHOW BIZ
Mariah Carey — Is she on the island?

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Columnist

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser
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Is Mariah Carey in Honolulu, filming a music video of an upcoming single featured in the current Adam Sandler comedy, "You Don't Mess With The Zohan"?

That's the buzz — that the diva is here, working and prepping the vid that will promote the flick.

Carey, of course, has a cameo, playing herself in the movie. (John McEnroe and George Takei also appear as themselves.) But the Sandler character, Zohan Dvir, a Mossad officer who fakes his demise to live his dream of becoming a hairstylist in New York, is obsessed with Carey. On one version of the film's poster, Sandler wears a T-shirt bearing Carey's likeness. And since Sandler loves Hawai'i as a film location ("50 First Dates," "Punch Drunk Love") and a vacation destination (think Sony Open), why wouldn't he steer Carey to our shores to enhance her singing? ...

THE LOCAL ANGLE: After graduating from Mid-Pacific Institute May 24, local actor Sean Jones trekked to New York, where he registered at Hunter College to study the performing arts; he's home now, but will return for classes in August. While in The Big Apple, he caught "South Pacific," and visited pal Loretta Ables Sayre backstage, offering his congrats — and she told him she's ready to be his auntie when he moves to the city. While in New York, Sean also lunched with director-choreographers Greg Zane and Andrew Sakaguchi and visited with other transplants, Candice Yoshioka and Viet Vo. Couldn't connect in person with Randal Ask, his "La Cage Aux Follies" co-star here, since Ask was performing in Connecticut, but they chatted. Looks like Sean is ready to find his niche on Broadway, and who knows? We'll see him someday soon in the Great White Way. Musician dad Stephen Jones is proud. ...

MORE SWEET NEWS: The soundtrack of "South Pacific," which features Kelli O'Hara as Nellie Forbush, Paulo Szot as Emile de Becque and our Loretta Ables Sayre as Bloody Mary (she sings "Happy Talk" and "Bali Ha'i") made its debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Cast Albums Chart and No. 59 on the Top 200. ...

STRINGING ALONG: Alvin Okami, founder of KoAloha 'Ukulele, is the town's duke of uke. He recently gave Roy Sakuma, the veteran strummer, teacher and 'Ukulele Festival and Wildest Show in Town honcho, a $5,000 special-edition, six-stringed instrument dubbed The Sceptre, so Sakuma can serenade school kids and use it in the summertime Wildest Show event at Honolulu Zoo. Okami also has created a custom Pineapple Sundae uke, another six-stringer, for Sakuma's wife, Kathy. "Now they both can play gigs," said Okami, whose heart is as big as his savvy in producing these quality instruments. ...

Willow Chang, the model entertainer-fashion plate, has been a regular at the Sheraton Waikiki's Hanohano Room in recent weeks. You can hear her sing from 6 to 9 p.m. June 18 and again from 9 to 11 p.m. June 27. She'll take part, too, in the local Gay Pride festivities June 26-29, and if you're flying Hawaiian Air this month, look for her in the Hana Hou in-flight magazine. Her print visibility increases later this summer, when she'll appear in Rise Up!, a magazine on multicultural issues, and in a new Japanese Bellydance magazine summer issue. ...

WHEE, THE PEOPLE: Sharon Cuneta, a mega film star, singer and TV talk show host from the Philippines, was in town to film stories about Hawai'i's Filipinos. Among those in front of the cameras: Eddie Flores of L&L Drive-Inn and L&L Hawaiian Barbecue; Dol Bediones, Realtor; Roland Casamina, House of Finance mortgage company owner; and Emme Tomimbang, TV host and Emme Inc. producer. For Tomimbang's segment, the crews visited the KHON2 studios, where Cuneta got a house tour from news anchor Ron Mizutani. Weatherman Justin Cruz, originally from Guam, was quite thrilled to see and meet Cuneta, and was aware of her celebrity status through The Filipino Network. Tomimbang says segments of Cuneta's show will air here some time in July. ...

ORCHIDS: Congrats to Harry B. Soria Jr., who is in his 29th year of sharing "Territorial Airwaves" music on radio (and now the Internet, too) ... and formally begins his 30th season June 13. He's been the gatekeeper of vintage territorial-era sounds, with an archive of 10,000 titles, circa 1930s through 1970s, which you can hear on AM 940 or check online at www.am940hawaii.com or www.hawaiian105.com.

And a bouquet, too, to Don McDiarmid Jr. and his wife of 60 years, Alva, who mark their wedding anniversary tomorrow at the Mid-Pacific Country Club in Lanikai. McDiarmid is the founder of Hula Records (a family biz that son Flip has taken over) and has been a pivotal supporter of traditional Hawaiian music for years. ...

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.