Hawaii
Napa nuptials
draw isle folkATTENDING a wedding in verdant Napa Valley is as good an excuse as any for a group of isle folks to weekend in the San Francisco area. Napa is where Straub Ob-Gyn Dr. Janice Hansen and her new husband, investment banker Jonathan Zakin, have chosen to build a house, and the site is where the wedding party took place. Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck catered the affair, aided by Mary Ann Holt, a chum of Wolfgang's and former co-owner of Il Fresco in Ward Warehouse. The Brothers Cazimero provided entertainment and among those joining the likes of Dick and Monene Bradley, owners of Sunset Grill, who live in the old Christian Brothers spread in Napa, were John Michael White and wife Deanna, attorney Rick Fried with Susie Tripton, and one of the bride's best friends, Stephanie Reynolds. In addition there were a number of fellow Straub physicians attending the nuptials. Hope none of their patients got sick on Sunday ...
FOR those who feel like it's Mardi Gras year round, Hospice Hawaii is presenting Billy Sage and the Pearl Harbor "Mardi Gras Revue" at a benefit April 8 at the Hawaii Prince Hotel. Sage, who does a ton of radio commercials, is known as the "man of a thousand voices," and some would add, "but thankfully only one face." Just kidding, Billy! He's a trooper who's always willing to help out those in need ...
Evening becomes Electra
RETURNING to the boards for the first time in years is Electra Gailas, who, with her late husband, Dick Fair, was in a host of Hawaii theatrical productions in 1960s and 70s. I had a hand in several of them, directing the two in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolff?" at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Now she's playing the mother of an actress in HPU's production of "Light Up the Sky," opening April 9 at the school's Windward campus theater. The Moss Hart comedy, which is about the theater, is directed by Joyce Maltby, whose own daughter, Melinda Maltby, plays the daughter of Electra in the play ...I'M told it was a re-run, but I hadn't seen the "Ally McBeal" show Monday that featured gorgeous Asian actress Lucy Liu. It featured one of the most sensuous screen kisses ever, and on television, yet! She was teaching the character called "Fish" a lesson on kissing, and left him standing speechless for several moments. I was miles away and watching on TV, but I think I know exactly what he was going through ... Then there was "Just Shoot Me" Tuesday night when actor David Spade described a wrestler called the "Flyin' Hawaiian." He fell onto hard times and became known as the "Cryin' Hawaiian," ending up on the street where he became the "Crack buyin' Hawaiian." Thanks for all the publicity, folks ...
Winners
CHOREOGRAPHER Marcelo Pacleb and his 24-VII dancers all but swept the Dance Expo Jam '99 at Blaisdell Center. Mainland judges bestowed the "Best Choreographer" award to Pacleb, and little wonder -- the troupe placed first in 11 of the 12 categories. These really are incredible dancers, and you can see them doing the "Frug" in the musical, "Sweet Charity," opening April 16 at the Bright Theater in Kaneohe ... Then there's the Hawaii based TV production company TEAM Unlimited, which won four Telly Awards for excellence in cable TV programming production. The four shows were "Liberty World Challenge," "Sports Adventure," "Ocean Challenge" and "King's Race," all on ESPN. They were selected from 11,000 entries ...
Dave Donnelly has been writing on happenings
in Hawaii for the Star-Bulletin since 1968.
His columns run Monday through Friday.Contact Dave by e-mail: donnelly@kestrok.com.