Hawaii
YOU don't think that Martin Denny spans the generations? Check out the Hawaii International Film Festival. As we mentioned Monday, the 88-year-old Denny will be a special guest at Friday's showing of the film version of Kurt Vonnegut's "Breakfast of Champions " at the Hawaii Theater, as his "Exotica" music is used throughout the film. The producer of the film is David Blocker, whose dad, Dan Blocker, played Hoss on "Gunsmoke" back when Denny's music was riding high in Waikiki. Both Denny and Blocker will speak to the audience following the screening ... Denny will also be honored Saturday night when he and a group of local musicians perform his old tunes at Don Ho's Island Grill from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. Augie Colon, the percussionist who replicated all the bird calls on the early records, will be joining Denny that night. His son, Lopaka Colon, is one-third of the hot new group Pure Heart ... ‘Exotica’ redux
at film fest
HERE'S a story that has been making the rounds of the film festival gatherings. It deals with a woman who stages "live murder-theater" at parties and such where guests get to guess who's responsible for a killing that takes place, comparing stories and such. It took place, the story goes, in Nicholas Nickolas, where a confederate with a gun burst in, fired some blanks, "killing" one of the diners. Well, turns out it did in fact happen, confirms restaurant manager Skip Lambert, only it was about a dozen years ago. Jeff Harman, then owner of the restaurant (since re-named Aaron's), okayed the stunt, not having an idea how loud the gun would be and the way it would terrorize innocent diners. When Harman saw the uproar the shot caused, he ordered the entire cast out, and apologized to those not involved. He was lucky he wasn't murdered! ...
Not just an African country
JUST back from Florida where he recorded his first solo album is Chad Guerrero of the group Sunland. The album, "First Cut," features Chad's new single, "Stay the Night," just hitting isle radio stations. Chad and his co-singer, Claudia Vazquez, also toured Japan promoting Sunland's summer hit, "Gimme, Gimme, Gimme." Now if only he could wrangle an introduction to Mayor Harris, we could have a picture captioned, "Chad and Jeremy." Or am I showing my age? ...WHILE performing at the 105th anniversary party of the Kindergarten and Children's Aid Association at the Royal Hawaiian Monarch Room,
Keith and Carmen Haugen sang an appropriate number. They introduced their first song, "The Royal Hawaiian Hotel," by revealing that the Pink Palace opened on Feb. 1, 1927, the same day Dee Smyser was born. I'm not sure she was thrilled by that, but it was for a good cause, and Dee is a trustee of KCAA, begun in the last century to prepare kids of immigrant labor families for school ...
HOT stuff
ALWAYS wanted to be a Viking? Or a Damsel? You can portray one or the other in an upcoming Hawaii Opera Theater production, and you don't even need to be able to sing! If you'd like to apply, call Beth at 596-7372 ... And speaking of some liking it HOT, Ames Scott has been a union electrician for 30 years, half of which were spent working for HOT and helping with lighting equipment on every stage in town. So what does a lighting man do on his own time? He collects vintage chandeliers, and will show off his collection on Nov. 17 when HOT hosts an open house and a look behind the scenes ...
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