Wood Craft Ben Wood

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Waikiki Theater’s organ has new home at Hilo’s Palace

The once-beautiful Waikiki Theater has been demolished. But its famed pipe organ, which entertained thousands of movie-goers for more than 60 years, has been restored and is being reinstalled in Hilo's historic Palace Theater. The huge four-keyboard organ console was played Sunday for the first time in its new home by Bob Alder, who accompanied a showing of the original 1925 film "Phantom of the Opera," starring Lon Chaney. The showing wound up a two-week celebration of the Palace's 80th anniversary. The Waikiki organ's pipes are still being added to the Palace organ's pipes. When completed, it will be the largest pipe organ in Hawaii, with about 2,000 pipes. Alder was the last staff organist at the Waikiki, from 1980 to 1997. Previous organists were Edwin Sawtelle, John DeMello and Frank Loney. The organ was originally installed in the Hawaii Theater in 1922 and was moved to the Waikiki in 1937. In 2004, before the Waikiki was demolished, volunteers removed the organ and moved it to Hilo's Palace ...

Emme Tomimbang's 30 years of broadcasting show, tracing her career from childhood and looking at past guests, will be rerun tomorrow by KHON, 3 to 4 p.m. Former KITV news anchor and PBS Hawaii host Lynne Waters guides Emme's "intimate portrait style" show, written and co-produced by Robert Pennybacker. It's well worth watching ...

Beeck urges builders to sign up for BIA show

Charlie Beeck, president of Tropical Roofing and Raingutters, will chair the Building Industry Association's Home Building and Remodeling Show, Feb. 2-5, at Blaisdell Center. The show, the BIA's biggest of the year, is in the planning stages and Beeck says anyone planning to exhibit should contact the BIA now ...

Harry B. Soria Jr. will feature the musical legacy of the late, great slack-key guitar master and singer Sonny Chillingworth from 5 to 6 p.m. tomorrow on "Territorial Airwaves" on Hawaiian 105, KINE FM. Sonny died in 1994 at the age of 62 ... Randy Schoch's latest restaurant, Romano's Macaroni Grill, opens Monday on the third level of Ala Moana Center, in the former Penney's area. The eatery features Italy's Tuscan-style food and singing waiters and hosts ...