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Hawaii
WHILE I enjoyed my initial outing to Pac Bell Park in San Francisco, it hardly made me a Giants fan as it seemed to sports editor Cindy Luis, judging by her column yesterday. But one isle lad Wilson bonds with idol
was already a Giants fan on his first visit earlier this month. Aran Wilson, 10-year-old son of PR man David Wilson, had one goal in mind when he went to the park -- snagging a baseball. He got far more than that, and a lesson in humility to boot. Thanks to former S.F. 49'er Eric Wright, Aran got into the Giants clubhouse where he met manager Dusty Baker and saw such stars as Livan Hernandez, J.T. Snow and Jeff Kent. Aran was asked who his favorite player was, and he stated unsurprisingly "Barry Bonds." Then he turned and there was Bonds, who graciously posed for a picture with the lad and gave him his batting gloves. Had it been the Shroud of Turin, Aran wouldn't have been more impressed. As they were leaving the clubhouse, Wright said to the isle youngster, "Little man, you remember how you feel right now. If someday, you're 'The Man,' you remember what Barry Bonds did today." Lesson drilled home ...
SPEAKING of kids, the Honolulu Theater for Youth will soon announce an historic season -- seven world premieres and seven plays by writers in or from Hawaii. HTY was founded in 1955 and when I started acting in plays with them a year later, the fare was generally things like "Little Red Riding Hood." ... And Grace Nikae, for 12 years a student with local piano teacher Ann Tanabe, has gone on to win numerous awards, the most recent being the 2000 Artists International Auditions in N.Y. As a winner, she'll make her solo recital debut at Carnegie Hall's Weill Hall next April. You can get a preview Aug. 26 at Orvis Auditorium on the UH campus ...
Bayang Bayang
THOSE who've seen "Stomp" know there's a plethora of banging going on in the show. Well, in the San Francisco production, currently on view at the Marines Memorial Theater, there's a bit of Bayang'ing, too. He was known as Harold Bayang when he lived in Honolulu, but when he entered the world of showbiz he was told he didn't look like a "Harold," so he became Kekoa Bayang. More than 1,000 people tried out for the various companies on Broadway and on tour in February and only six were chosen. Three were from S.F., two from L.A. and Bayang, now one of six "Stomp'ers" from Hawaii since 1995. The others were Chad Kukahiko, no longer with the show, and Andres Fernandez, Konrad Kendrick, Rory Flores and Ivan Delaforce, who are in one or another of the companies. Kekoa is the only one in S.F. ...
Down Under, not out
YOU have to hand it to the Aussies for sticktoitiveness. Vacationing from Australia last week were Mr. and Mrs. P.J. Walker, and they were determined to find a chef that had been recommended to them. It was suggested they seek out Harbor Court downtown, but when they arrived, having walked all the way down Ala Moana Blvd., they found Palamino's. Close, but no cigar. They were in search of Philippe Padovani. The couple called the Aussie Consulate for help, and quickly found themselves at the door of Padovani's in the Alana Waikiki. Philippe, who is chef and co-owner of the Ala Moana restaurant, recognized Aussie tenacity when he saw it, having grown up in the Outback himself, and welcomed the pair in for dinner. No Swanson's Meat Pies for them ...
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