Wood Craft
Having slept in the same barracks with Louis Rukeyser in 1956 when we were soldiers on the Stars and Stripes newspaper staff, I felt strongly he would come out fighting after PBS bounced him as "Wall $treet Week" host after 32 years. Lou has joined CNBC and last night was to go head to head with the PBS lineup in the same time slot with his "Louis Rukeyser's Wall Street." The games have begun, and let's see who gets higher ratings. My investment is on Lou. He was at the Halekulani years ago to do a "Wall $treet Week" show, and we got together and reminisced about "soldiering" at Stripes ... CNBC banks on new show
with ‘old soldier’ Rukeyser
Reichel concert sparkles
Keali'i Reichel is so popular, the symphony brass had to schedule a matinee for his Symphony Pops concert last Saturday afternoon because his Friday and Saturday night shows sold out so quickly. Keali'i, with his monstrous talent and large cast of outstanding, well-costumed hula dancers and singers and the guest group Ho'okena, gave his fans everything they came to see. The teaming of Reichel and Co. with Matt Catingub and his symphony musicians was a huge success. Solo male hula dancer-composer 'Iliahi Paredes displayed nifty moves. The Ladies of Halau Ke'alaokamaile and their soloists were also crowd-pleasers. Ho'okena and Keali'i sang the Lahainaluna High alma mater. Lahainaluna is the only school in the state with an alma mater in the Hawaiian language. It was terrific. Besides singing his hit songs, Keali'i's stories of his grandparents and old Hawaii were special ...Singer Azure McCall was in Neiman's Mermaid with Anita Pointer, of the Pointer Sisters, and others Wednesday for a snack. The Pointers, Donna Summer and Sinbad did a convention show at the Convention Center last night. Azure was booked this weekend at the Big Isle's Hapuna Hotel ...
Kelly Hu film opens
There was plenty to see of Hawaii's Kelly Hu on "Entertainment Tonight" Monday. The program showed revealing photos of Kelly that appear in the Maxim magazine issue that hit the stands yesterday. Kelly was on "ET" promoting her "Scorpion King" film, which opened yesterday. She plays the love interest of the title character, portrayed by wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who has some Hawaii background ...The soundtrack of "Kissing Jessica Stein" is packed with jazz stars, including Ella Fitzgerald, Diana Krall, Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae, the Modern Jazz Quartet, Peggy Lee, Dinah Washington, Anita O'Day, Billie Holiday and Blossom Dearie. It's unfortunate the picture is getting little attention here. It is not a hard-core lesbian film. One woman is straight and Jewish, and the sharp humor, witty lines and outrageous family situations have a Woody Allen touch. The other woman is a bisexual animal. Her two gay guy pals are a hoot. The film drags a bit in the middle, but mostly it's fun ...
St. John's fall collection will be shown next Saturday at the Sheraton, a benefit for the Associated Chinese University Women's Scholarship Fund. The boutique opens at 11 a.m., lunch is at noon and the show is at 1 p.m. Call Nora Chong at 988-6197 or St. John's at Ala Moana, 973-1166, for tickets priced at $45 and $60 ... The new Sergio's restaurant opens April 28 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village ...
Ben Wood, who sold the Star-Bulletin in the streets
of downtown Honolulu during World War II, writes of
people, places and things every Saturday.
E-mail him at bwood@starbulletin.com