Wood Craft
Garden party will benefit
Iolani PalaceA Royal garden party in the tradition of Queen Kapiolani's charity events on the Iolani Place grounds will be recreated as a fund-raiser for the palace Oct. 20 from 4:30 to 9 p.m. Wearing period costumes is encouraged and will be judged for authenticity. Regina Kawananakoa's guests will be decked out in costume. Alice Robinson purchased her costume for the event in California. The Royal Hawaiian Band will perform and Hawaiian trios will stroll the grounds. Kamehameha students will demonstrate waltzes. Guests are encouraged to dance. Food stations will offer varied dishes, catered by Current Affairs. Calabashes and Niihau and feather leis will be among silent auction items. Tickets start at $200 per person. Call 522-0822 for info ...
Goldie is still lovable
Goldie Hawn is still as lovable as ever playing Suzette, a middle-aged, broke, former rock groupie in "The Banger Sisters." Suzette's "sister" in the early days, when they were appropriately named "Banger Sisters," is portrayed by Susan Sarandon as Lavinia. She has become the uptight wife of a lawyer who has political aspirations. They have two spoiled teenage daughters and live in a luxury home in Phoenix. Lavinia has not seen Suzette in 20 years. Her family knows nothing of her wild past until Suzette, fired from her L.A. bartender job, pays them a visit. Then the fun starts as everything is bared, including some very revealing photos. Geoffrey Rush is a neurotic writer whom Goldie picks up on the way to Phoenix. He and the women turn in fine performances, especially Goldie, who really carries the comedy ...Tadashi Sato's limited edition lithographic paintings are included in the refurbishment of 456 rooms in the Halekulani Hotel. The $20 million refurbishment, scheduled for completion by Dec. 1, is being overseen by Robert Egan, the hotel's original interior designer ... Greg Nichols is departing his head pro position at Waialae and takes over as Ko Olina's golf director Jan. 1. Greg was at Waialae 24 years ...
Fetes at Sansei, Meritage
Sansei at Restaurant Row celebrates its second anniversary Oct. 15 ... Meritage Restaurant, featuring French and Italian cuisine, opens Monday at Restaurant Row. Meritage is the brainchild of Chef Mariano Lalica, G.M. Laurent Chouari and President William Cheng ... Jean-Pierre Maharibatcha has been named executive chef of Cascada in the Royal Garden Hotel ... The Ala Moana Hotel is on an international kick. Its Oktoberfest opens Tuesday and will be followed by a Tempura Festival, with guest chefs from Japan, Oct. 29-Nov. 17, in the Plantation Cafe ...Liza Minnelli surprised everyone by taking the Concert Hall stage on Lou Rawls' opening night Sept. 27 and dancing along as Lou sang "You'll Never Find" ... Pianist-composer Jim Brickman is booked Oct. 12-13 at the Hawaii Theatre ... Bishop Museum opens an exhibit tomorrow featuring some strange creatures that have a green glow. They say these things have the ability to change colors right before your eyes. They are the cloned mice from the University of Hawaii. "Genetics!" runs through Jan. 5 ...
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