It must have
been magicNEVER have I seen such wonderment on the faces of so many as at "Dreams and Nightmares," the Broadway-sized magic show starring -- and that's the only word -- David Copperfield. Even members of the audience find themselves doing tricks, and not knowing how. In one wildly enthusiastic sequence, the full house opening night discovered that virtually everyone had selected the right piece of a puzzle - something that seemed to have a 12 percent chance of happening. The wonder turned to smiles and evolved into cheers with people on their feet. Through it all, Copperfield maintained a star quality that seemed to have down-home roots, given that he gave the first professional show of his own 22 years ago at the C'est Si Bon Nightclub of the Pagoda Hotel ... AT a Honolulu Club reception after the show, I mentioned to Copperfield that his name first appeared in Honolulu papers in this column. "And I still have that clipping," he replied. Along with rooms full of others accrued since then, no doubt ... Mayor Jeremy Harris and wife Ramona were at the show and reception and proclaimed it "David Copperfield Day," but hizzoner stopped short of listing anyone he'd like to see disappear ...
ANOTHER magician of sorts was Rep. Calvin Say, who revived two bills from the dead on the last night of the legislative session. The bills, one for Sprint and one for wholesalers, needed to have two readings on different days in order to be passed. The session was to have ended at midnight, but Magician Say got the session extended to 2 a.m. so the two readings could take place on different days. He proved to be Santa Claus for some, bringing Christmas in May ...
Pipes of a champ
WHEN Brenner Joshua DeMello entered into the world last week, he was screaming his lungs out. Friends were quick to point out that he has the DeMello genes. His maternal grandmother, Eunice DeMello is a leading voice instructor, and his proud papa, Mark DeMello of the Waikiki Parc Hotel, is known as "The Singing G.M." You may remember him when he was with the Kasuals. Mother Edean DeMello has not come forward to reveal if her second child was named after Jan or David Brenner, or neither of them ...THE young woman to whom I was introduced the other night shook my hand and said, "You look so different from your photo in the paper." I stared at her blankly. "Diane Ako," she offered, helpfully. Despite having seen her on TV hundreds of times, I didn't recognize the KHNL newscaster. "I look taller than I do on TV," she suggested. But if the truth be known, television doesn't do justice to the attractive Ako ...
Giving and getting
EIGHT-year old Kainoa Choy of Kaneohe underwent surgery for a brain tumor back in February, but needed radiation therapy to ensure elimination of the tumor. Kainoa became the first child in Hawaii to undergo a procedure called X-Knife Stereotatic Radiosurgery. Aiding in his healing was Queen's radiation oncologist Dr. John Lederer, who presented the youngster with a basketball autographed by his two favorite players, A.C. Carter and Alika Smith, courtesy of UH coach Riley Wallace ... Incidentally, that Coaches vs. Cancer fund-raiser at Murphy's netted more than $10,000 for coach Wallace and Wahine coach Vince Goo, which they will add to the amounts they are raising for the fight against cancer. The Coaches vs. Cancer campaign was spearheaded by the late Jim Valvano, the North Carolina coach who lost his battle with the disease ...
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: donnelly@kestrok.com.