Wood Craft

By Ben Wood

Saturday, June 29, 1996

Taste of Rich Little fuels
benefit gala

BEFORE going to work at the Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel last Saturday, Rich Little attended the reception of the Taste of Honolulu Golden Gala production at Tamarind Park, an Easter Seal benefit. When he was introduced to C. Brewer whip "Doc" Buyers and wife, Elsie, Elsie asked Little if he does Hillary. "No, I don't do the president," the famed impersonator said. Little will be in the Beachcomber's Hoku Hale through Aug. 22. "If I do well, I'd like to make this place a second home," he said. Before leaving Tamarind for his gig, Little shared his brilliance with the crowd. He referred to Bob Dole as "Bob Dull." He did Nixon, saying, "I got into heaven, I broke in." Little added that he goes through two pairs of shorts a night doing Tom Jones ...

THE EASTER Seal dinner was prepared by a lineup of all-star chefs: Oliver Altherr, Sam Choy Sr. and Jr., Greg Gaspar, George Gomes Jr., David Paul Johnson, Jean-Marie Josselin, Kelvin Ro, Gary Strehl and Alan Wong. Richard Field selected the wines. The chefs donated their services for the benefit, produced by Billie Gabriel-Zito. Bravo! Don't forget Easter Seal's Taste of Honolulu Food Festival this weekend on the City Hall grounds ...

THE HAWAII Prince's Strehl has chefs Wong of Alan Wong's, Amy Ferguson-Ota, Chai Chaowasaree of Singha Thai, Masami Fujii of Takanawa and Titus Chan lined up for cooking demonstrations at the hotel next Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for Seafood Fest '96. Chefs from neighbor isle Prince hotels - Gaspar, Steve Newman, Eberhard Kintscher, Ed Morris, Corey Waite and Goren Streng - also will take part. It benefits Kapiolani Community College's Food Service Culinary Arts Department. Entry is free. Kids' games are on tap ...

Connery, Cage 'Rock' out

SEAN CONNERY and Nicolas Cage are a perfect team and Ed Harris is a rock-solid military hero-turned-terrorist in "The Rock." The action-thriller is set on Alcatraz. There is a San Francisco chase scene, with Connery in a Humvee and Cage in a yellow Ferrari, that rivals the classic S.F. chase scene in "Bullet." Cage, playing an FBI scientist, uses his acting skills to get plenty of laughs in the many terrifying situations he and Connery face. The pair are trying to keep Harris and his band of specially trained commandos from destroying San Francisco's population with rockets packing a deadly chemical cargo. Connery, as a convict who once escaped from Alcatraz, is called upon to to break back into the island prison where the bad guys are located. Connery, as always, is outstanding as he portrays his cool, clever character. Be sure to put "The Rock" on the "Must See" list ...

Marianne Mayfield
MARIANNE MAYFIELD is a fifth-grade teacher well schooled in jazz singing. Mayfield, drummer Jess Gopen, guitarist Shoji Ledwood and Jonathan Drexler on bass kept the Wednesday jazz night crowd at Gordon Biersch happy this week. Mayfield is right in the groove, knocking out songs such as "Lady Is a Tramp," "Foggy Day" and a tender "More Than You Know." Biersch boss Bruce Faber has entertainment Wednesdays through Saturdays at the Aloha Tower hot spot. The Hawaii International Jazz Festival kickoff week will be held at Biersch July 7-11. Mayfield sings July 10-11. Call 599-4877...

Vasconcelleses mark 65th

William Vasconcelles Sr.
WILLIAM and Cecilia Vasconcelles celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary July 11. Vasconcelles, 89, and sons, Walter and Willie, have 135 years of isle printing among them. The senior Vasconcelles worked 40 years for the Advertiser, then spent 10 years with the Star-Bulletin Printing Co. Willie and Walter, both with the Hawaii Newspaper Agency, have 45 and 40 years, respectively, in the printing world. The senior Vasconcelleses also have a daughter, Cecilia Jones, 11 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren ...


Ben Wood, who sold the Star-Bulletin in the streets of downtown Honolulu during World War II, writes of people, places and things every Saturday.




Wood Craft by Ben Wood is a Saturday feature of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
© 1996 All rights reserved.


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