Watch for Island ties at tonight's Tony Awards
By Wayne Harada
There'll be an Island presence in tonight's Tony Awards from New York: Local boy Kevin McCollum is the sparkplug producer behind the Broadway revival of "West Side Story," which is up for a Best Revival of a Musical award, so focus on that category. Isaac Calpito is Inca, a Shark. But Hawai'i troupers are in other nominated shows: "Hair" (Kaitlin Kiyan), "Guys and Dolls" (Raymond del Barrio) and "9 to 5" (Ann Harada). ...
When "Mamma Mia!" bid aloha to Hawai'i May 30, following a successful three-week run at Blaisdell Concert Hall, there were ample hula moves and shaka flashes in the final curtain. Tune in to KGMB9 tonight, and you'll see the trio from "Mamma Mia!" — Michelle Dawson as Donna, Rachel Tyler as Tanya and Kittra Wynn Commer as Rosie — reprise "Dancing Queen" on the awards show. ...
SOS TIMES TWO: All bets are off for that planned Society of Seven launch at the Stratosphere in Las Vegas (blame the economy), which is one reason why the classic SOS, led by Tony Ruivivar, will return to Hawai'i for a hana hou, joining the Society of Seven LV in a four-night run July 1-4 at the Outrigger Waikiki's Main Showroom. Curtain is 8:30 p.m. the first three nights, 6:30 p.m. on July 4. Yes, all 14 members — seven from the elder group, seven from the spinoff — are continuing the SOS' 40th anniversary. ...
Meanwhile, SOS LV leader Richard Natto recently visited Las Vegas, where his son Jon-Paul is sound technician at the Hard Rock Hotel. The lad scored two tickets to Paul McCartney's show at The Joint, which was "my dream come true," said Natto. "And the clincher — I have Paul McCartney's personal song list that he used during the show. To hear all those songs in person. ... I'm still on Cloud 9." ...
WHEE, THE PEOPLE: Nice to see Ben Gutierrez weathering the economic seesaw and back on air on KGMB9. Another familiar face — Dan Cooke, wrapping up his work commitments on the Mainland — will also join KGMB9 in the weeks ahead, which gives CBS a network of stellar forecasts. The shuffle is due to the recent exit of "Sunrise" meteorologist Jeff Booth, who relocated his growing family (No. 3 on the way) to Iowa. ...
CALENDAR CUES: "The Ultimate in Boy Beautiful," is the theme of the 26th annual Universal Show Queen Pageant at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Hawai'i Convention Center. It features guys competing in couture cocktail dress, evening gown, talent and Las Vegas showgirl categories — with contestants from the Islands, the Mainland, Asia and South America. Judges include Aureana Tseu, Miss Hawaii USA; Tannya Joaquin, KGMB9 anchor; Marian Morrison, dancer-choreographer; Kanoa Leahey, KHON2 sports director; Keali'i Reichel, kumu hula-singer; Mark Kanemura, 24-VII DanceForcer from "So You Think You Can Dance?"; Lance Duyao, of Big Island Candies; and Larry Edwards, a Vegas trouper. Greg Hammer and Dina Jacobs are emcees, with the Greg Hammer Band providing intermission music. Tickets: $40 and $50, at Diamond Head Video, 943-6066. ...
Pianist Helen Huang performs at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow at the Doris Duke Theatre, a Honolulu Symphony benefit sponsored by the Ernest Chang Piano Studio and Mozart House. Admission is by donation ...
CLUBLICITY: Hapa will stage a "Concert Under The Stars" at 7:10 p.m. June 19 at the Kahala Resort's Kahala O' Ke Kai. A buffet from 5:30 p.m. precedes the performance. Tickets are $65. Call 739-8888. ...
Hapa is back from a two-month, 30-city whirlwind tour that started with a private two-night intimate concert with Art Garfunkel for 35 guests in Beaver Creek, Colo., and wound up with a two-week visit to Tokyo. Garfunkel is a "true and original American idol," said Hapa's Barry Flanagan, stating, "There are only a few singers in the world ... who can hold an audience on the edge of the seat with a concert of beautiful ballads." ...
And that's Show Biz. ...
Read his blog at http://showandtellhawaii.honadvblogs.com.
