Hawaii
‘Hot Lips’ starts her stint
in ‘Vagina Monologues’THE appropriately nicknamed "Hot Lips" Houlihan from "M*A*S*H," Loretta Swit, takes over one of the roles in "The Vagina Monologues" this week at the Hawaii Theatre beginning tonight. She replaces MacKenzie Phillips, the "One Day At A Time" star, who did it with Amy J. Carle and Michele Shay the opening week and they'll stay on with Swit. Phillips appeared on the Perry & Price show from the Hanohano Room, and when the hosts wouldn't say the name of the show, she got the entire audience to shout out "Vagina." They've come a long way, baby ... Michael W. Perry, incidentally, was spotted having lunch with a handsome gray-haired gent at Mariposa last week. He was former KGMB director Phil Arnone, who was responsible for the successful "Checkers & Pogo" and "All in the Ohana" shows. Arnone has moved back to Honolulu to "retire" after a dozen years as programming chief at KTVU in Oakland. But the last time he and Perry sat down to lunch, 22 years ago, the result was the most successful, locally produced show ever, "The Hawaiian Moving Company." Chances are, Arnone may be sticking his finger into some local TV projects ...
WELL, I won my bet that STAR 101.9 DJ Hudson would never make it into February, as her doctor had predicted, before giving birth. She and husband Steve Hott welcomed Julian Hott, an 8 1/2-pound boy, into the world Friday. The person who came the closest to the exact time of birth wins a trip to Las Vegas for a stay in the Mirage Hotel ...
Chatty Chatty Bang
WHILE I'm happy to see Diamond Head Theatre occasionally vary from its musical diet, Noel Coward's "Blithe Spirit" may not be the best antidote. It's overlong at two hours, 45 minutes, and filled with fatuous chat, too much of it difficult to fathom through the melange of accents. There were some promising characterizations, but director Scott Rogers can't seem to overcome the creaky One Trick Pony plot device -- the hero's deceased first wife is brought back as a "Blithe Spirit" in a seance, and while he can see and hear her, his new wife can't. That may be worth a chuckle, but not two hours worth ...HARD to believe it's been a year since showman Kane Fernandez died suddenly of a heart attack. His widow, Linda, and their kids are continuing the Fernandez tradition, like expecting rain at the Punahou Carnival. And daughter Sydney Fernandez Fasi, Mrs. Hawaii, appeared at a recent UH basketball game to present the first UH Kane Fernandez Community Service Award to Artie Wilson ...
Dead or alive?
IN his weekly e-mailing to 600 Hawaiian music fans around the world, Keith Haugen made a major gaffe, and his phone rang off the hook and e-mail piled up. He meant to write that Sunday's "Music of Hawaii" show would be dedicated to the late Dennis Pavao. Alas, it came out as "Dennis Kamakahi," who is very much alive. Says Haugen, "Kamakahi must know how Andy Cummings felt when a local magazine called him 'the late Andy Cummings.' " What's more, Haugen adds, "I know how the Advertiser reporter felt who prematurely reported on the death of Grace Guslander."
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