Hawaii
‘Godfather of Soul’ helps
Waikiki ring in New YearTWO of the biggest New Year's Eve celebrations took place close by one another in Waikiki. For the fourth year in a row, the Honolulu Symphony welcomed those attending the Halekulani celebration, with Matt Catingub conducting and Jimmy Borges as guest star. A fireworks display took place on the beach at midnight, but among those missing it were the full house of revelers listening to James Brown wail about his brand new bag, and we're not talking Santa Claus here. "The Godfather of Soul," who's 73 if he's a day, still has all the energy in the world, with a 12-piece band, three back-up singers and two sexy dancers, one of whom looked much like Sarah Jessica Parker. Still, many in attendance were mystified why Brown didn't perform his all-time biggest hit, the one that begins, "I feel good ..." Maybe the newlywed soulster didn't feel so good ...
ONE of the more demonstrative in the audience was Onofrio Colucci, the young bottle-red-haired actor who clowned his way through the role created by Slava Polunin for "Slava's Snowshow" last month at the Hawaii Theatre. Onofrio turned out to be a huge fan of J.B.'s and wailed away with the band non-stop. He'd clowned his way to the front row before the show was over ... By the way, promoter Tim Bostock presented a check for $5,337 to the Hawaii Foodbank as a result of the opening night benefit of "Slava's Snowshow." ...
Relish hunter
IT looked like "Charly's Angels" in Alan Wong's Restaurant as manager Charly Yoshida welcomed "Relic Hunter" star Tia Carrere the other night. Alas, this is one relic who wasn't there, but Tia turned heads all around the restaurant. She's been a knockout since posing for bikini shots as a teenager in Hawaii. Also in Alan Wong's, though scarcely recognized, was TV producer Garry Marshall and his family, and Bart & Daphne Araujo of the Araujo Winery in Napa Valley. Daphne is a Punahou grad, incidentally ... Not turning heads that night -- he wasn't there -- was Richard Chamberlain, though he did dress in the Wong way when he filmed a Drew Carey episode completely in drag ...TALENTED and versatile Billy Crystal saw in the holiday season on the Big Island, digging in to Osso Buco at Donatoni's at the Hilton Waikoloa Village ... Meanwhile, Big Isle free-lance photog Tim Wright was grabbing his first cuppa coffee at Pinky's store in Palaikou when he saw a familiar face of another customer, but by the time he realized who the guy was and rushed to get his camera, funnyman Frank DeLima had already made his departure ...
From A. to Zia
AWARD-WINNING journalist Helen Zia, named one of the most influential Asian-Americans of the decade by A. Magazine, will be at the Manele Bay Hotel's Kailani Terrace Saturday night. Long an activist for social justice on issues ranging from civil rights to women's rights, Zia will share her views in a presentation, followed by a signing of her book, "Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People." When Bill Clinton was President, he quoted from the book on two occasions ...
Dave Donnelly has been writing on happenings
in Hawaii for the Star-Bulletin since 1968.
The Week That Was recalls items from Dave's 30 years of columns.Contact Dave by e-mail: ddonnelly@starbulletin.com