Our Picks for the Weekend
Star-Bulletin staff
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FREEBIE
Annual ho'olaulea offers hula and ukulele lessons
Kapena, Melveen Leed, Eddie Kamae and Holunape headline the entertainment at the 6th Annual Windward Ho'olaule'a: A Homegrown Celebration, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday at Windward Community College.
New this year are ukulele and hula workshops by WCC's Hawaii Music Institute, featuring such musicians as Benny Chong, Gordon Mark, Herb Ohta Jr., Bruce Shimabukuro and Ron Loo, and kumu hula Noenoe Zuttermeister and Holoua Stender.
As usual, there will be lots of other things to do and eat. Admission is free. Fee for the one-hour workshops is $30 per session or $80 for the day, with 20 percent off for seniors. Call 235-7433 or visit ocet.wcc.hawaii.edu. For information on the hoolaulea, visit www.wcc.hawaii.edu/hoolaulea.Family
Waikiki Aquarium exhibit shows aliens of the sea
The aliens have landed!
The Waikiki Aquarium has opened a new exhibit with the intriguing name of "Food Gone Wild."
The 250-gallon tank exhibit focuses on the bad guys of the local aquatics scene -- tilapia, Tahitian prawns and apple snails that were introduced to Hawaii and are now crowding out native species.
The point? To show how alien species can disrupt the balance of nature and wreak ecological havoc. Here's hoping they don't escape.
Aquarium hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. Admission is $9; $6 for kamaaina, military, students with ID and seniors; $4 for ages 13 to 17 and people with disabilities; $2 children 5 to 12; free for ages 4 and under and Friends of Waikiki Aquarium members. Call 923-9741 or visit www.waquarium.org. Ticket
Check out high-flying Australian acrobatics
Circus Oz, an Australian acrobatic production, comes to town in November for six shows in the Hawaii Theatre.
Tickets go on sale Friday for the Nov. 15 to 19 performances.
This will be the first Hawaii appearance for Circus Oz, a 30-year-old contemporary circus currently touring with a "Laughing at Gravity" show, the name of which pretty much defines the troupe's mission.
High-flying acrobatics, tightrope walking, flaming wheels and live music are all part of the show. No animals, just zany characters and daredevils from Down Under.
Shows will be at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 15 and 16; 8 p.m. Nov. 17; 2 and 8 p.m. Nov. 18; and 2 p.m. Nov. 19. Tickets are $20 to $60, available at the Hawaii Theatre box office or online at www.hawaiitheatre.com. Call 528-0506.TV
Actor Liotta debuts in weekly show 'Smith'
I became a fan of Ray Liotta when I saw him play Shoeless Joe Jackson in the 1989 film "Field of Dreams." Since then he has been in many movies, maybe his biggest one being "Goodfellas," and has had many appearances on a variety of TV shows. Many of his characters were smaller roles, though, and I'm happy that beginning Tuesday, I'll finally have the chance to catch the actor on a weekly basis.
"Smith," Liotta's new show about a ring of thieves who plan large heists, is part of CBS' fall lineup. Early reviews say these gang of no-gooders aren't people who we should be rooting for, but Liotta, the ringleader, and co-star Virginia Madsen, who plays his wife, somehow "draw us in and makes us care." I hope it does well.
The series airs at 9 p.m.
Set your VCRs or TiVOs.
SHORT ATTENTION SPAN EATER
Whole lotta laksa
You know a particular food has reached pop-culture status when it crosses the great socioeconomic divide. This is occurring with laksa, a spicy seafood curry dish that is standard hawker fare in Southeast Asia, but has hit the mainstream here at every price point. Here are a few to try:
Triple One Fast Food
Maunakea Marketplace / 383-6407
1120 Maunakea St.
Fishcake, shrimp, tofu, calamari, and yakisoba and thin Singapore noodles go into this version, which, at $6, is about as authentic as it gets here. But it's strictly for those who don't mind the elbow-to-elbow fast-food format and noisy Chinatown marketplace ambiance, complete with severed pig's heads around the corner.
Panya Bistro
Ala Moana Center / 946-6388
1450 Ala Moana
Singapore mei fun and yakisoba hold up to the rich, creamy curry without becoming mushy. Into this creamy coconut blend go shrimp, fishcake, calamari, bean sprouts, tofu and corn kernels, served up in a pristine, modern setting. The laksa is $11.95.
Mariposa
Neiman Marcus / 951-3420
1450 Ala Moana
The humble dish goes upscale here, available at lunchtime only for $19. It features salmon and a variety of shellfish in a smooth, mild curry tame enough for virgin palates, but flavorful enough to satisfy purists who might complain about its substitution of rice for noodles. Slivers of kaffir lime leaves give the dish an aromatic lift. -- By Nadine Kam
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