HAIR stylist Paul Brown didn't have to look far to come up with a celebrity host for the Alzheimer's Association's "Moonlight and Magic" benefit show March 20. As cochair, he called on old friend Michelle Phillips. Her classic beauty as a youngster endeared her to fans of The Mamas and the Papas (propelling her into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame) and a generation later to fans of "Knots Landing" when she played the mother of actress Nicolette Sheridan. I first met Michelle when she was a young Mama here in the '60s, and and then 20 years later when she was on the town with Paul Brown. She hadn't aged a whit -- it was eerie. Now perhaps our paths will cross again when Hawaiian Airlines flies her in to host an evening of dinner, dancing, entertainment and silent auction with funds raised going to increase local awareness of Hawaii's Alzheimer's programs ... ‘Friday, Friday’
Mama hosting
ALSO being recognized at the "Moonlight and Magic" show will be Noboru Furuya, who has Alzheimer's. He'll be cited for his accomplishments of founding the Nippon Theater and the Pacific Cultural Center, as well as establishing Shiseido in Hawaii. The government of Japan earlier recognized Furuya's lifelong achievements by awarding him the rare "Order of the Rising Sun" Imperial Decoration for strengthening ties between Hawaii and Japan ...
Bubble, bubble
IT may seem hard to believe, but Susan McCreary, who plays one of the witches in the Hawaii Opera Theatre production of "Macbeth," is in fact a descendent of the very Macbeth written about by Shakespeare and later, Verdi. The daughter of John & Betsy McCreary of Nuuanu, Susan is a bit removed, to be sure, but traces her ancestry back 21 powers on her father's side. Mother Betsy, while herself not related to Macbeth, sings in the HOT chorus (tomorrow night, Sunday and Tuesday) as a witch. Now if they only had a dog named Spot, they could order the animal out -- oh, you're ahead of me on this ...WHILE Fat Tuesday was celebrated here by eating contests at places like the Dixie Grill, Jay Leno notes that in New Orleans they're again following the tradition of men giving out fake necklaces to women baring their breasts. "As opposed to L.A.," Leno went on, "where women bare fake breasts for real necklaces." ... And you have to wonder if it was something Pamela Anderson Lee said on the Leno show about the allegedly pilfered home movie she and hubby Tommy Lee made of themselves. The piece is a hot topic of conversation around the country -- as well as a hot bit of video. Not long after the interview she filed a complaint against Lee for assault resulting in an injured back and a broken nail. They're about equivalent injuries in Hollywood ...
Ho to go
IT'S been over a decade since Don Ho took his troupe on tour, preferring the comfort of home and performing nightly except Fridays and Saturdays -- go figure! -- at the Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel. Now Ho is hitting the road again -- twice! His first trip begins at the Station Casino in Las Vegas on March 7, moving to Laughlin, Nev., March 10-15 and the Mystic Lake Casino in Minneapolis March 18 & 19 before returning to Reno's Atlantis Hotel March 21 & 22. Ho returns to the Beachcomber until mid-June when he heads for Pittsburgh, then a swing through Ohio, with a final stop at Humphrey's in San Diego on June 28. After, he probably won't want to think about touring again ...
Contact Dave by e-mail: donnelly@kestrok.com.