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Star-Bulletin Features


Monday, November 13, 2000


‘HitTrip’ hits road

The country music series
heads for beaches, luau


By Tim Ryan
Star-Bulletin

"Hit Trip," one of Country Music Television's most popular shows, is back in Hawaii.

"When we took our show to different markets we asked people where they wanted to see us film," said James Bolosh, "Hit Trip" director and supervising producer. "The No. 1 choice was Hawaii. It remains a dream location for people."

The weekly, hourlong program, which takes country music celebs on vacation, begins filming on Oahu tomorrow. The series filmed on Maui 18 months ago.

The Oahu episode, which will air on cable channel 69, will be broadcast next spring.

The series features co-hosts Alecia Davis and Jeff Ross, who will join guests Sara Evans and Gary Allan in the Tuesday and Thursday filmings.

Allan grew up in California and was drawn to country artists like Buck Owens and Merle Haggard. He spent several of his teen years playing music with his father, then later formed his own bands. He was signed to a Decca record contract in 1996 and now is under the MCA label. Allan's latest album is "Smoke Rings in the Dark."

Evans got her start in music at age 4, singing with her family. She moved to Oregon in 1992 to work with the band Good Samaritan, which opened for artists like Willie Nelson and Tim McGraw.

Evans moved to Nashville for a solo career and got noticed for her rendition of Buck Owens "I've Got A Tiger by the Tail." "Girls' Night Out" is her latest RCA album. It features her chart-climbing single "Born to Fly."

Hawaii country-western singer Dita Holifield and national award-winning country music DJ Charlie Garrett, who has helped produce several Hawaii country music albums, are consultants for the production, helping to scout locations and assist filming.

On Tuesday, Evans will visit Oahu's North Shore, the Dole Pineapple Plantation, Waimea Falls Park and Germaine's Luau.

Allan will be filmed on Thursday visiting Pearl Harbor, Waimea Bay and Haleiwa Beach Park where he may chat with Sunny Garcia during the Triple Crown event. He will also go scuba diving and possibly try cliff diving before hitting the waves himself at Canoes in Waikiki.

Additional filming may be done at Kualoa Ranch and other windward areas, including Sea Life Park where Allan may swim with the dolphins.

The show is in its third year of production, filming 26 episodes a year with 13 shows a season.

"If at the end of a show the audience has learned more about country artists and feels like they've been right with us at the exotic location, we've done our job," Bolosh said.



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