John Travolta
THERE was a sneak preview of John Travolta's new film, "Phenomenon" at Restaurant Row Saturday. The night before, I ran into Peter Palzis at Roy's Restaurant. His best known claim to fame is that he's Kelly Preston's dad, which makes him Travolta's father-in-law. He caught a screening of the picture with Kelly and John when he was in Hollywood for Father's Day, and his unbiased opinion is that it's the best thing Travolta has done to date. Since he's had some very large films of late ("Pulp Fiction," "Get Shorty" etc.) if this one follows in their box office footsteps, Travolta will be among the top two or three best paid actors in America ...
SPEAKING of Travolta, he was on the David Letterman show the other night and mentioned that he was looking to add a 707 to his fleet of planes, and since he's qualified to fly a plane that large, one was lent to him as a "demo" and he flew it to Kauai on a test flight. Letterman was amazed that the actor could get a plane demo like he might a car loaner... And Dennis Rodman popped up on the Jay Leno "Tonight Show" Friday and dropped that he and a couple of buddies had been hanging out on Maui quietly last week. How does a guy like the rainbow-hair-colored Rodman go incognito on Maui? ...
MANY people think things in the government around here are a bit other-worldly, so who better to be guest of honor at the 1996 Miss Hawaii Scholarship Pageant reception at Washington Place tomorrow than Michael Dorn, who plays Lt. Worf, the Klingon security chief on the USS Enterprise in "Star Trek: The Next Generation." And trekking in to test their star quality that night will be 15 contestants competing for the 1996 title, plus current Miss Hawaii Traci Toguchi. The reception is open to the public (at $30 per ticket or $50 per couple) and Planet Hollywood is providing a buffet. Proceeds go to the Miss Hawaii Scholarship Fund, and the Miss America Pageant pledges to match all monies raised ...IT takes supreme confidence for someone like singer Jimmy Borges to invite Shari Lynn to sit in for him last Friday and Saturday night while he performed at a jazz fest in Vancouver. Not only did she sound great, but she brought along a remarkable accompanist named Bob Albanese, a New Yorker who's performed at the Rainbow Room and at numerous Big Apple venues, including Broadway pit orchestras. The two made beautiful music together. Borges had best be looking over his shoulder. Lynn normally performs just a half-block away at the Hale Koa Hotel ...
