Our Picks for the Weekend Star-Bulletin staff

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ON STAGE

Youth Opera Chorus presents ‘La‘ieikawai’

The Hawaii Youth Opera Chorus, the islands' longest running children's choir, will present Dr. Neil McKay's opera "La'ieikawai."

It's this year's production of the chorus' OPERAtunities program that gives young people firsthand experience in producing an opera.

Participants learn vocal techniques, dramatic acting, costuming, stage makeup and prop construction.

"La'ieikawai" is set on the Big Island, where the title character is entertained by the Maile sisters and falls in love with their brother 'Onohiokala. Another brother, 'Aiwohi, who is jealous, is captured by the snow goddess Poliahu.

Performances are 4 and 7 p.m. Saturday and 4 p.m. Sunday, at the Paliku Theatre at Windward Community College. General admission is $15, $12 for students. Call 521-2982 or visit www.hyoc.org.

FAMILY

Military appreciation day good for free zoo entry

Saturday is military appreciation day at the Honolulu Zoo, which means anyone with a valid military ID will be admitted free, including Guard, reserve, retired or family members. Plus, free picnic lunches will go out to the first 8,000 military ID card holders.

Food and entertainment will be on hand from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. with the Royal Hawaiian Band, Roy Sakuma and his Ukulele Keiki with Tommy D, Dita Holyfield and Hana Hou and the Air Force Band of the Pacific.

Check out an expanded Keiki Zoo, with activities that include a fishing game, temporary tattoos, animal mask coloring and a feed-the-animals game.

Shuttles will run between the zoo and designated military bases; those who'd rather drive can park free at Kapiolani Community College, where shuttles also will be operating.

Call USO Hawaii at 836-3351.

Sakuma will be back Wednesday evening to emcee the ongoing summer concert series Wildest Show in Town, this time featuring Melveen Leed.

Music begins at 6 p.m., with a $2 admission that benefits the zoo.

FESTIVAL

Waikiki fountain stage is nightly setting for hula

This week kicked off the nightly JAL (Japan Air Lines) Hula Week's Ho'olaulea in Waikiki, featuring free Hawaiian entertainment and hula performances.

From 5 to 7 p.m. during much of the summer and through July 20, the fountain stage at the Waikiki Beach Walk will be the setting for a celebration of the art of hula, to be appreciated by both visitors and the general public.

The ho'olaulea is a component of a new Hawaiian cultural travel program specifically created by Japan Air Lines, which introduces Japanese travelers to the islands' rich culture and diverse community.

MOVIES

Kids First! Film Festival offers free screenings

The University of Hawaii's Outreach Program's Kids First! Film Festival makes its debut at 7 p.m. Sunday at the Sheraton Waikiki, with a repeat screening of "Moondance Alexander." The film follows a 12-year-old girl's chance meeting with a wild pinto that changes her life. Actress Kay Panabaker, who plays the title role, will be on hand poolside at the hotel for a Q&A and to sign autographs.

Back at the festival's home base at UH's Art Auditorium on Sunday, see a collection of shorts at 3 p.m. titled "Critter Tales."

Suitable for keiki ages 3 to 7, the hourlong program features the animated stories "Dooby Dooby Moo" and "The Ugly Duckling and Me: School Days," plus the live-action "The Tails of Abbygail," about a little Jack Russell terrier that uncovers a magical fortune cookie that brings all her stuffed animals and toys to life.

Both screenings are free to the public. Visit either outreach.hawaii.edu/summer/features or sheraton-waikiki.com.

FOOD

Blue Water Shrimp & Seafood Co.

» 95-130 Kamehameha Highway, Mililani / 232-5956
» Waiakamilo Shopping Center, at Waiakamilo and Kaumualii / 699-0658
» 2145 Kuhio St., Waikiki / 926-3532

The phrase "circle the wagons" seems outdated today as it refers to 19th-century Wild West-bound U.S. settlers and their tactic of forming a defensive circle with their covered wagons to thwart attacks. These days, circling lunch wagons is a defense against rising food and fuel costs.

STAR-BULLETIN The bright Blue Water shrimp trucks are hard to miss.

There's no need to drive far if a Blue Water Shrimp & Seafood Co. comes rolling into your area. In addition to the three listed above, others are planned for the Ward Avenue area and Kaimuki/Niu Valley.

It's hard to miss the Blue Water buses, painted a deep ocean blue with all manner of ocean critters. I found the one at Waiakamilo and figured it was about time someone brought a shrimp truck to Honolulu. Now that gasoline is climbing toward the $5-per-gallon mark, there will probably be fewer people cruising to the North Shore on weekends.

Those hoping for a bite of fiery shrimp as at the North Shore will find only salt-and-pepper style ($10.95), garlic shrimp or scampi here ($6.95 mini/$10.95 full), of decent thumb size and split down the back for easy shelling. Daily specials might include furikake-coated ahi ($6.95).

There might be some day-to-day inconsistency. One day, the potato salad was runny; the next, it was fine. The ahi was salty when I tried it, but on subsequent days, no other dish had the same problem.

Top sirloin, simply grilled with a touch of salt and pepper, is also a big part of the menu (not available in Waikiki). It can be served solo ($6.95) with onions, or coupled with shrimp ($7.95). Luckily, they slice the steak; it's frustrating to cut steak in a Styrofoam container with a plastic knife.

Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily at Waiakamilo; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily at Waikiki; and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays at Mililani. Costs less than $10 per person.