Hawaii
What’s in a name?
THE soprano who sang the role of "Cio-Cio San" in Hawaii Opera Theater's "Madama Butterfly," Yan Yan Wang, will reprise the role at the HOT "Butterfly Ball" Nov. 13 at the Sheraton Waikiki. Yan Yan will do Cio-Cio without the aid of Yo Yo Ma or even Boutros-Boutros Ghali. At the risk of sounding repetitious, mahimahi won't be on the menu but ahi and opakapaka will. Designer Anne Namba has created costumes for the entire cast, and KITV's Pamela Young with hubby Gary Sprinkle will be dressed as Cio-Cio San and Lt. Pinkerton for those who'd like to get photos. HOT is hoping the Ball will raise $165,000 to go toward the production budget for the season of a whopping $2.6 million. And while the ball is sold out, you can get on a waiting list by calling 596-7372 ...
NOW that Fletcher Pacific Construction has been purchased and renamed Dick Pacific, it begs the question: Is Dick Pacific familiar with Joe Pacific, the shoe repair chap who didn't live in a shoe, but used to drive one around town? Actually, it was a three-wheeled motorcycle made to look like a shoe, but it did turn heads. Now we can only wonder if Dick Pacific and Joe Pacific can get together and join the Pacific Club. Should be a natural ... Speaking of names, I'm not sure if Hawaii's Betty Crocker is into baking, but she's been such an advocate of protecting trees and the environment that the City Department of Parks and Recreation is honoring her with a tree planting ceremony Nov. 12 in Nuuanu Valley Park behind Queen Emma's Summer Palace ...
Hula girls
FIRST prize winner in the American Studies Association annual conference in Montreal last weekend was entitled, "Hawaiians on Tour: Hula Circuits Through the American Empire." It was written and delivered by Adria Lyn Imada, who's a Ph.D. candidate in the American Studies program at New York University, but grew up in Hawaii and revisits often to do more research on Hawaiian culture. Adria talked about the "hula girls" who toured the U.S. in the 1930s and who danced at the Hotel Lexington's Hawaiian Room in NYC, including Jennie Napua Hanaiali'i Woodd (grandma of Amy Gilliom), Tutasi Wilson, Pualani Mossman and Betty Makia ...
Passages
JUST about everyone who's ever heard Hawaiian music knows much of the musical history of the late Bud Dant. He worked both with Hollywood greats and with local musicians at the Hulihe'e Palace Band on the Big Isle. But not everyone knows Dant is also something of a legend in the San Francisco Bay Area. For many years, he wrote and directed the "Hi-Jinks" show for the prestigious Bohemian Club, produced annually in the famed Bohemian Grove North of S.F. and attended by the great names of both politics and business. Dant conducted the orchestra in the Grove as well. He was 92 when he died Sunday, and somehow it still came as a surprise -- I thought he'd live forever and I'd continue to see his cheery smile in the Columbia Inn during visits to Honolulu from his Big Isle home ... Also sorry to hear of the passing of Ted Scott, co-founder of the Windward Theater Guild and frequent actor both on stage and in various films and TV shows shot locally. Ted was also much in evidence as a radio host and TV pitchman for such companies as Sears. He'd been living in his later years in Southern California ...
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: ddonnelly@starbulletin.com