On the seen
Photos and text by John Berger
jberger@starbulletin.comHAPPY BIRTHDAY, TAHITI: Tahiti Fernandez shared the stage with her father, Augie Rey, as she celebrated her 21st birthday Tuesday at the Mai Tai Bar. Rey had asked his daughter if she'd sing with him, but she couldn't understand why all of her friends had "other plans" for the evening. Those "plans" were for a surprise party at the Mai Tai Bar. "Little Albert" Maligmat and Sonya Mendez sat in with Rey and his band during the late set, and Tahiti rocked the house singing "At Last," a favorite song. Says Tahiti at 21, "Alcohol still tastes the same."
ALOHA, ARI: Dion Donahue, left, and Stephanie Sanchez, center, caught up with Ari Green at the Miss Oahu Filipina Pageant June 8. Green, who is working with a Los Angeles film production company, shared the local stage with Sanchez, a two-time Po'okela Award winner, when they were students in the UH-Manoa Theatre Department ... Sanchez and Donahue were among the brightest talents in Lisa Matsumoto's "On Dragonfly Wings." Donahue -- who recently starred as Fagin in Army Community Theatre's "Oliver!" -- will learn this week if he's been nominated for a Po'okela Award. Green's sister, Liana Ortiz Green, was first runner-up in the pageant.
HANGIN' WITH HENRY: Kale Chang, left, Marti Kerton and Led Ka'apana, right, congratulated Henry Kapono on the first anniversary of Kapono's at the Aloha Tower Marketplace on Friday. Ka'apana played banjo and sang lead when Kapono played "Hi'ilawe." Ki ho'alu rocker Makana and Guy Cruz joined them when the party went live at 7 on K5's "Hot Hawaiian Nights." Ka'apana opened the party with a solo set, and Makana rocked with high-energy acoustic slack-key after the telecast. Melveen Leed and Jim Linkner were among the mob of friends and family hanging out backstage. Kerton, better known as "The Marti" of Hat Makes the Man, says another Hat reunion is possible later this year. Chang says his group, Reign, is also on the move.
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