StarBulletin.com

Smart must try to sing poorly in DHT show


By

POSTED: Saturday, January 17, 2009

“;Souvenir,”; opening Jan. 30 at Diamond Head Theatre, may have a “;slew of songs”; in it, but it is not a musical, according to Stefanie Smart. She stars with Larry Paxton in the production directed by John Rampage. Smart says she plays socialite Florence Foster Jenkins, who was a real person with “;a violently uncertain sense of pitch and key.”; The songbird (?) gave charity concerts in the 1930s and '40s. She was so bad and laughable that people loved her. Paxton portrays her pianist Cosme McMoon. Both Smart and Paxton are accomplished singers so with Smart attempting to be “;the worst amateur singer ever to play Carnegie Hall,”; where Jenkins once sang, this production could be both interesting and a hoot ...

Call him Denny Crane (”;Boston Legal”;) or Captain Kirk (”;Star Trek”;), it doesn't matter because William Shatner was big playing characters in both of those hit television shows. Shatner held a family dinner for 12 during the holidays at Lanai City Grille. Helen Mirren was also a recent Grille guest with her family and friends. She won the best actress Oscar in 2008 for her role of Queen Elizabeth in “;The Queen”; and was on Lanai filming “;The Tempest”; last month ...

Hawaiian actor Jason Momoa, 29, (”;Baywatch,”; “;Stargate Atlantis”;) and actress Lisa Bonet, 41, had their second child, a son, last month, report 2Couture's Takeo Kobayashi and Eric Chandler. The boy, born Dec. 15, is named Nakoa-Wolf Manakauapo Namakaeha Momoa. That's a mouthful. The couple has a daughter, Lola Iolani Momoa, 18 months. Bonet has another daughter, Zoe Kravitz, 20. Dad is singer Lenny Kravitz ...

Pal Eldridge, Barack Obama's fifth-grade teacher at Punahou, was interviewed on KGMB9's bright “;Sunrise”; morning show Thursday. We all know that Obama played on Punahou's championship basketball team in 1979, but Pal said he also played eighth-grade intermediate football. Pal is one of many local residents going to the inauguration. I got a kick out of the retired teacher as he talked about getting clothes for the trip. He said he's a shorts and slippers guy and wore long pants only four times last year, adding that he has not worn a tux in 40 years ...

Jim Leahey has joined the “;names”; that will attend and speak at “;An Evening With Colt Brennan,”; Feb. 3 at the Willows, a benefit for the local Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Jim's participation is significant because he is a leukemia survivor. Joining Colt, now with the Washington Redskins, will be one of his favorite receivers when they were at UH, Devone Bess, a Miami Dolphin. UH coach Greg McMackin and his wife, Heather, will also attend. Bobby Curren is emcee. Tickets start at $100. Call Kyle Nakayama or Chantel Oh at the Willows, 952-9200, for tickets and more info ...