Hawaii
by Dave Donnelly
Name game stays the same on TV
BOY, those behind-the-scenes TV guys must be having too many power lunches these days. Either that or the three martini lunch is making a comeback. Look at the new shows entering the market in midseason, and see if you notice a trend. We have "Bridges" about a guy in S.F. (the Golden Gate and Bay, right?), "Swift Justice" about a what, detective, whose name is Swift and who brings people to ... well, you get the idea. NBC has "Boston Common" about a Southerner who's moved to Beantown. I tuned in Richard Burgi's new series, "The Sentinel," fully expecting to see a show about an insurance salesman. Instead it was an action-packed shoot-'em-up, blow-'em-up about a guy with mysterious sensory abilities enabling him to see, smell and hear things nobody else can sense. There was no romance in the pilot, so we don't know about his tactile abilities as yet, but we're waiting ...
ACTUALLY, this trend has strong roots, dating back to at least when Mary Tyler Moore played Mary Richards and Bob Newhart played Bob Hartley - oooh, a double whammy. The result is we're left with a boardroom mentality that insists Roseanne, Cybill, Bonnie, Ellen, etc., are all self-titled. Kind of makes casting easier anyway ... Willie Nelson and Leon Russell gave a surprise concert for dinner guests at the Kea Lani Hotel this week as the hotel kicked off its 1996 "Grand Chefs on Tour" program featuring Charlie Trotter and Maui's David Paul Johnson. And wouldn't it be nice if Charlie used his last name as personalized license plates and put them on a Pacer? ...
Rich Hall
PERFORMING tonight and tomorrow at the Honolulu Comedy Club is comic Rich Hall, a frequent visitor on the talk show circuit and a pretty funny fellow ... Jerry Cox, who has more aliases than anyone on the FBI's Most Wanted list, was back in town recently. While here in the '60s and '70s he was known on the radio as Kim Chee and on the "Checkers & Pogo" TV'er as Superspy. Since leaving the isles he's worked as a disc jockey at numerous places, and is currently in New Orleans as Kevin Ross ...
25 years of Hawaiiana
THE Kahauanu Lake Trio performed Hawaiian music for 15 years at the Mai Tai Bar of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. Taking over the stage from them in 1986 were Keith & Carmen Haugen, who also play all Hawaiian music. They just celebrated their 10th anniversary at the Pink Palace with a special party including Sheraton's Senior V.P. John Brogan and Royal Hawaiian G.M. Ernie Nishizaki. If they only change acts once in 25 years, there's not too many of these functions to attend! ...
Martin Denny
SPEAKING of the Haugens, the two are co-chairs of the Alzheimer's Association banquet coming up March 30 at the Royal, and among those lined up to perform are the Martin Denny group. His "Exotica" album was the first I ever purchased in Hawaii some 40 years ago when he was playing at Don the Beachcomber's in the then new International Market Place. Joining Denny will be Augie Colon, his original "bird call" man and congo player, and drummer Harold Chang. Unable to rejoin the group that night is Archie Grant, who has a regular Big Isle gig and couldn't fly in for the night, but he'll be spelled by UH student Darrell Miyasato, who'd never heard "Quiet Village" or other famous Denny songs, but who's a quick study and has been listening to old tapes ...
Two Crusaders
AS development director of St. Louis School, Nalani Bickson was thrilled to find two St. Louis alums on the cover of Star-Bulletin sections the same day. Both George Helm (Class of '68) and Stanley Hong ('54) were feature subjects. Important to her, because this is the 150th anniversary of St. Louis and she's promoting an anniversary luau April 20 ...
Dave Donnelly has been writing on happenings in Hawaii for the Star-Bulletin since 1968. His columns run Monday through Friday. Contact Dave by e-mail at donnelly@kestrok.com.
Hawaii by Dave Donnelly is a daily feature of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
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