Hawaii
Live drama, comedy reign
at isle theaters all monthTHIS is a month -- and particularly a week -- for people who love live, non-musical theater to enjoy. I've often felt that too many musicals are produced in Hawaii at the expense of straight dramas, and even been guilty myself of directing a few. But this week, three theater companies are opening new shows, and not a musical among them. Opening tomorrow at Manoa Valley Theatre is "Over the River and Through the Woods," which though written by Joe DePietro, the same guy who wrote MTV's hit musical, "I Love You. You're Perfect. Now Change," contains no songs ... TAG, (The Actors Group) opens its latest, "The Insanity Case of Mrs. A. Lincoln," at the Yellow Brick Studio on Keawe Street tomorrow, an original work by Richard Caulfield Goodman ... And Friday night, Kumu Kahua opens Sean T. C. O'Malley's non-musical, "To the Last Hawaiian Soldier." ... If that's not enough, add "The Vagina Monologues," opening Jan. 22 at the Hawaii Theatre, "Ola's Son" on Jan. 23 at the Arts at Mark's Garage, and Diamond Head Theatre presents Noel Coward's "Blithe Spirit" on Jan. 25. You can bet there'll be plenty of musicals to follow, but it's drama and comedy throughout this month ...
THE food offered for sale on the lanai at Manoa Valley Theatre for the current production is Italian, provided by Donato's of the Manoa Marketplace ... Maybe it's the influence of "The Sopranos," but Italian cuisine is making further inroads in Honolulu. Cafe Monsarrat is closed, and a sign on the door promises the imminent opening of Tavola Tavola, "high quality fine Italian cuisine." ... And the big opening Friday is Buca di Beppo, and while they're not the Corleones, "Don" Joseph Micratrotto is bringing their style of cooking into the Ward Entertainment Center. Several Buca di Beppo family members will fly in to welcome the first customers of the Calabrian cuisine with "howzit?" rather than "howyadoin'?" ...
Return of the Proctor?
FORMER Isle sportscaster Mel Proctor has been living in San Diego for the past five years doing Padres' TV games. That's now coming to an end, and Proctor is weighing his options. One possibility, he may look into job opportunities in TV in Hawaii, where he and wife Julie met and were married -- at the Columbia Inn Round Table yet. Both their kids will soon be in college, and should a broadcast opportunity come up locally, Proctor sounds like he could be lured back ...WHEN championship race-car driver Jeff Gordon was in Lahaina the other night, he took his wife and friends to I'o in Lahaina. Chef James McDonald reports they had a marvelous time and "he didn't race through his meal." ...
Dave Rockstar
WHEN I ran into the enormously expectant STAR 101.9 D.J. Hudson the other night, she refused to believe I had a photo of me with Alice Cooper backstage in his Las Vegas showroom, so I brought a copy to her studio the other morning. She immediately put it on the studio wall. Hubby Steve Hott was there and got me to agree to sing an original song I wrote with his group, Joe Rockstar, tomorrow night at Gordon Biersch. So for a moment there, tomorrow night, it'll be Dave Rockstar once again, minus Alice ...
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