What the Heck? John Heckathorn

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No Christmas time off for Bostock

BACK TO WORK: His planned Hawaii Theatre show having fallen through, promoter Tim Bostock was looking forward to a rare Christmas off. Instead, he finds himself putting on "Live From the Lawn," a Jan. 6 music fest on the front lawn of the Hawaii State Art Museum. Look for a simulcast from Oceanic and KITV, plus a Web stream sponsored by DBEDT.

The purpose of the Web stream? To let Mainland Grammy voters see performances by the Hawaiian music nominees, all of whom Bostock is scrambling to book at short notice.

WAVE DANCER: "Movin' Out," the Billy Joel musical, ends a three-year run on Broadway tonight. Monday, one of its stars, Tony Award nominee John Selya, flies to Hawaii, to rehearse for Ballet Hawaii's "Nutcracker."

Why step from Broadway to the Blaisdell? Because Selya craves the surf on the North Shore.

"I surf the softer spots, not Pipeline or Sunset," says Selya. "I like a challenge, but I don't like to get haired out of my mind." Plus he needs to stay intact for the Ballet Hawaii "Nutcracker," the most professional of the three local productions, which fills the concert hall with sugar plums and toy soldiers next weekend.

STEALTH GRINDS: Remember Kelly Degala, the Kalihi-born chef who opened Gordon Biersch here? Degala's Va de Vi in Walnut Creek, a San Francisco suburb, is the hottest new restaurant in the East Bay -- great reviews and lines out the door.

Degala became a California smash by cooking as if he was still home. His ahi tartare is just his favorite poke, his miso-marinated cod is butterfish, his Korean-style ribs, kalbi. He tells his hip California clientele it is global cuisine. "If you tell them it's from Hawaii," he says, "they expect a bad luau food."

TO BE WAKED AT NOON IS TO BE WAKED TOO SOON: Much of the staff at the Kahala Mandarin weren't dancing with joy to host the Eagles, who proved difficult guests. Ensconced in the Presidential Suite, the aging rockers demanded absolutely no noise until 1 p.m., slowing down the renovation of the hotel's poolside cabanas considerably.

ANNO DOMINi: Asked how many Christmas concerts the Cazimero Brothers have done with the Pops orchestra, no one at the Symphony could come up with the answer. The best guess was eight. No matter what the number, it seems considerable to Robert Cazimero, who says, "I think we've been doing them since the birth of Christ." This year's edition, complete with chorus, concludes today with a matinee.

WALK, DON'T RUN: The finish line of Honolulu Marathon always gives rise to inspiring stories of human endurance. I always see the miserable middle.

When in early afternoon the roads clear enough to escape Hawaii Kai, the sidewalks are filled with the discouraged and the limping, hours from the start and miles from the finish.

I asked race director Dr. Jim Barahal if he worried about these people, often Japanese visitors. Outside of sending medical vans to pick up drop-outs, the answer is no.

"They're walking," says Barahal. "The worst that happens to them is blisters and sunburn."

For Barahal, the toughest part of the race comes 3 1/2 to five hours after the start: "I'm sweating bullets during that period. I don't show it, but I am."

He's worried about the just-having-gotten-in-shape executives, with a strong competitive streak, who have trained themselves well enough to run the whole course and run through pain. "What if they have undiagnosed coronary artery disease or something?" he says. "That's what terrifies me."

Still, Barahal points out, more people die each year watching football games than ever die in marathons: "There's advantage in not being sedentary."

THE STUFF: What a party last Wednesday at Deep Blue, the new jazz club tucked under the Hyatt Regency Waikiki.

Azure McCall fronted a band held together by bassist Steve Jones, featuring DeShannon Higa on trumpet and Larry Cook on sax. When McCall traded scat riffs on Thelonious Monk's "Well, You Needn't," you could hardly believe you were in Honolulu. Chicago, maybe. San Francisco, for sure.

Danny Kaleikini sang a few numbers, as did Star Williams. But the evening was stolen by guest vocalist and piano player David Swanson, who had the packed house rocking and screaming.

Next up, Kimo Kahoano took the stage and called out to Swanson: "Why'd you have to be so good? What the hell am I supposed to do now?" He thought a moment and unleashed a Hawaiian chant.

Azure McCall, who performed the whole evening on a sprained ankle, caught me scribbling in my notebook. "Gimme that," she said, and inscribed: "Azure is the stuff. And the club too." She's got a point.