Hawaii Theatre members enjoy 'Swinging Christmas' party

ABOUT 300 PEOPLE attended the Hawaii Theatre Center's Members' Holiday Reception last Tuesday night at the theater. Food, drinks and entertainment added to the holiday spirit. HTC board member Gaye Glaser produced the "Swinging Christmas" program. Singers Anita Hall, Cathy Foy-Mahi, Guy Merola, Loretta Ables Sayre and Charles Degas were backed up by Alethea Train on piano and drummer Keoki Van Orden. Students from the Ellen Masaki School of Music played piano in the Weyand Banquet Room. Performing were: Annie Kowk, 10; Tyler Ramos, 10; T.J. Tario, 11; Tiffany Cheung, 12; and a group of 14-year-olds -- Maile Cha, Irwin Jiang, Andrew Ramos and Janice Tung ...

FORMER HPU student Jonas Sundat, now modeling in Paris for the Ford Agency, returned to run in the Honolulu Marathon and to have his cosmetic dentist, Dr. Alvin Chung, clean and give his teeth BrightSmile. Models have to have good choppers, ya know. The athletic 6-foot-1, 175-pound Sundat, originally from Norway, ran the marathon in 3:13:12, finishing 46th among local runners. ... Don Ho returned from Bangkok yesterday morning. "We're delighted to say that his health is improving dramatically," said his publicist Donna Jung ... Kanoe Miller modeled an $800,000 84.15-carat diamond necklace at the opening of Harry Winston at Ala Moana Center yesterday ...

Linda Fernandez's family helps her toss a blast

MAYOR Mufi Hannemann and wife, Gail, popped into Linda Fernandez's holiday party at her spacious Hawaii Kai home Saturday night. The mayor didn't sing with the group Ho'onu'a that played good music, although he just released a single of "Honolulu I Am Coming Back Again." A tent covered the large pool area of the Fernandez home and people dug into the food prepared by Compadres. Linda said her son, Scott, president of E.K. Fernandez Shows; her daughter, popular model Sydney Fasi, and "the company family" helped her with the party. Rep. Barbara Marumoto and husband Richard Coons, Dr. Norm and Ramsay Goldstein and restaurateur Randy Schoch, in town on business, were among the 100 guests. Artist Ramsay and Bob Midkiff looked good on the dance floor, as did hostess Linda, cutting a rug in an evening gown ...

Ben Wood, who sold the Star-Bulletin in the streets of downtown Honolulu during World War II, writes of people, places and things every Wednesday and Saturday. E-mail him at bwood@starbulletin.com