Hawaii
Former Dunes derober
now a woman of the clothWHERE are they now? Ex-skin show entrepreneur Jack Cione -- who's presenting Randy Smith doing Frank Sinatra material with a show slated to open May 24 at the Esprit Lounge -- has come a long way from when he ran the Dunes and Forbidden City. He noted an item in Sunday's "The Week That Was" column about a Dunes performer who billed herself as "Tora Tora," and sends along an update: "She is now a Baptist minister in Alabama." ... If Channel 2 anchorman Joe Moore starts wearing one of those garish, plaid sportcoats Heywood Hale Broun used to wear on TV, it may be due to his taking a night out with wife Teresa to see "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" at the Hawaii Theatre ... Meanwhile, Teresa Kendall, wife of the Star-Bulletin publisher and president Don Kendall, was presented with a check for $250 from country singer Dita Holifield and the folks at Kona Cafe to go on a Spam shopping spree to add to the Wall of Spam at Restaurant Row which is going to the FoodBank on Saturday ...
AT a pre-opening party at Sergio's, the new Italian eatery opening Sunday at the Hilton Hawaiian Village (on the site of the old Castagnola's and Shasteen's restaurants), KGMB's Kim Gennaula was loading up her plate -- she is eating for two these days, expecting in June. "Anybody lose a basketball?" she joked, rubbing her tummy. "I think I found it." Beaming father-to-be Guy Hagi looked like one happy Guy ... While we're on the subject of newscasters, Gary Sprinkle and Pamela Young of KITV have already reserved slots at Hilton Waikoloa Village's Dolphin Days celebration June 27-29 on the Big Island. It's OK, though -- they're husband and wife as well as TV partners ...
The band played on
THE guest director of "Titanic" at Diamond Head Theatre, Jennifer Waldman, was in the Broadway cast, and to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the "unsinkable" ship's sinking, held a candlelight vigil last week. Doug Sheer, who's featured in the show, arrived at the theater where fellow performers sang and violinist Darren Kimura played the hymn "Autumn," sung on the Titanic just prior to its sinking. Others insist the band played "Nearer My God to Thee," but writer Joseph Conrad dismissed the controversy, calling whatever was played, "Music to get drowned by" ...YOU can drop by such disparate venues as the Contemporary Museum in Makiki Heights or the ARTS at Mark's Garage at Pauahi and Nuuanu and see artworks based on titles given the artists by others ... Friends of the late Anita Liptak had a party in her honor at Haleiwa Joe's in Haiku Gardens Saturday, and one of my favorite stories was when the Hagadone Printing Co. exec was found, head down at her computer, clearly having a nap. When she roused, she felt a presence and said, "Amen" ...
Fiji in Samoa
THE crowd at American Samoa's colorful bar, Don't Drink the Water, went wild when Hawaii's own Fiji was brought in by Gus Hannemann. Fiji had just performed before the largest crowd ever in Samoa and became a huge hit when he sang the Samoan tune, "Sosefina." He was immediately hit on for autographs from his new Samoan fans at the bar ...
Dave Donnelly has been writing on happenings
in Hawaii for the Star-Bulletin since 1968.
The Week That Was recalls items from Dave's 30 years of columns.Contact Dave by e-mail: ddonnelly@starbulletin.com