Hawaii
IT'S been a busy time for Dr. Alan Chung, uncle of Alana Dung, the 3-year-old girl who died in 1997 after a bone-marrow transplant failed. Chung introduced two of his dental patients, co-valedictorians of Iolani School Aaron & Jordan Kandell, twin sons of Sherri and Lloyd Kandell, to yet another Iolani grad, Chris Lee. The two will be attending the USC film school, and knowing a fellow Iolani grad in the film business can't hurt, even if his latest film, "Final Fantasy," is being savaged by critics. The Washington Post called it "Virtually unwatchable," and the N.Y. Times said, "The game is much more fun than the movie." And if that weren't enough, the Times critic gave Hawaii a double slap, stating that "Final Fantasy" was "the first film with human leads played by nonactors, if you don't count 'Pearl Harbor.' " But as I commented yesterday, the special effects make the film. The Times reluctantly stated "some of the visual effects are wondrous." ... If the reviews give film producer Lee dyspepsia, he at least enjoyed the dining experience he had with film star Ming-Na at Alan Wong's Restaurant. Ming-Na has dropped the "Wen" part of her name she used when playing the wife of the married guy in "The Single Guy" sitcom. She and Lee so enjoyed their experience at Wong's on Monday night that they returned for more on Tuesday evening. Ming-Na returned to face the critical reaction yesterday ... Kandell twins head
for USC film schoolBUT back to Dr. Chung -- the dentist also did some work on the teeth of longtime client Jeremiah Tower, once the high-flying owner and chef of Stars restaurant in San Francisco, and now sometime restaurant columnist for the S.F. Examiner ...
Selleck selling well
KNOWN for the most part as "Magnum, P.I." on TV, Tom Selleck is proving to be a draw on Broadway, and the show in which he stars, "A Thousand Clowns," doesn't open until tonight. The 39-year old Herb Gardner play has already sold over $1 million in tickets, solely on the Selleck name, which appears above the title. Who knows, he may have better luck on stage than he did in films, most of which went unnoticed. Another TV star, Eric McCormack, of "Will and Grace" is portraying "The Music Man" on Broadway and doing quite well while the TV show is on hiatus. And Luke Perry of "Beverly Hills 90210" has helped up the weekly gross of "Rocky Horror Picture Show" since taking over the lead, despite critic Clive Barnes of the New York Post calling him a triple-threat man -- he can't sing, dance or act ...
Crowning Fasi
NO, former Mayor Frank Fasi isn't ascending to King of Hawaii, though you get the idea he wouldn't mind the job. No, his daughter-in-law, Sydney Fernandez Fasi, has been crowned Mrs. Hawaii. She only decided to run a few days before the pageant was to be held, but rallied her large family clan, including mom Linda Fernandez, to be at the pageant. The Mrs. America Pageant will be held in Hawaii in September, so expect some gentle arm-twisting to attend and cheer Sydney on. After seeing her modeling at the Pineapple Room recently, it won't take any pressure to get me on board. Sydney's husband is David Fasi, son of the former mayor ...
Dave Donnelly has been writing on happenings
in Hawaii for the Star-Bulletin since 1968.Contact Dave by e-mail: ddonnelly@starbulletin.com