Hawaii
1970: Roosevelt High singer
lights up ‘Superstar’CAN'T remember when we've been so impressed with a singer as we were by Yvonne Elliman, who sings the role of Mary Magdalene in the rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar." The former Roosevelt High student (who used to sing with We Folk locally) now lives in England and performs in clubs there. She has a tremendous future. (Nov. 17, 1970) ...
SWAPPING war stories after Danny Kaleikini's Kahala Hilton show the other night were June Lockhart and Khigh Dhiegh (the villainous Wo Fat on "Hawaii Five-O"). The two did a live TV drama together some 15 years ago in N.Y. Khigh, who can look ferocious when he wants to with his Fu Manchu mustache, is as gentle a man as we've encountered off-screen. (Nov. 19, 1970) ... "Lucky," the 65-pound Thanksgiving turkey on display at the Ilikai, got sweet revenge for turkeys all over the world by biting into a man's leg. Pier 7 Manager Bill Kaanoi was trying to hold Lucky still for a publicity shot when the bird turned and chomped. Still, Bill won't be able to turn the tables, as Lucky will be presented (alive and intact) to the zoo on Friday. (Nov. 24, 1971) ...
OFF today after a brief stay at the Kahala Hilton: Jerry Lewis. Interesting how Lewis happened to appear unexpectedly at the ALOHA telethon over the weekend. He was on the same plane bringing Richard Boone to the islands, and Boone asked Jerry to appear. Since Lewis has asked literally hundreds of performers to appear on his annual Muscular Dystrophy telethon each year, he was in no position to say no. The telethon raised an incredible $180,000-plus. (Nov. 20, 1973) ...
THERE was live country-and-western music (including a fiddle player) at the party given by Jeri and Tovik Liberman at their home Saturday night, but Tovik, an Israeli citizen, balked at my suggestion he put the fiddler on the roof to greet guests with music from above. (Nov. 17, 1980) ...
MARSH & McLennan had offered to pay $100,000 for a hole-in-one on the 17th hole of Kapalua's Bay Course during the Kapalua Open, and the day after that offer expired, golfer Sky Nelson aced the hole, a day late and $100,000 short. (Nov. 17, 1982) ...
LEGENDARY swimming coach Soichi Sakamoto, who turned the Puunene Sugar Plantation irrigation ditch into a training center for Olympic swimmers, will be among those interviewed on Monday night's "Rice and Roses" program on KHET. Called "Puunene Revisited," the special documents three days in August when more than 3,000 people returned home to bring a ghost town back to life. (Nov. 18, 1983) ... Something of an oddity: Last Thursday, Nov. 15, Dr. Joe Matich and his neighbor Dennis Mahaffey both celebrated birthdays. That's not the item. Their wives (Marci and Francie, respectively) both celebrate birthdays on New Year's Day, and what are the odds on that? (Nov. 19, 1984) ...
JUST back from a Young Presidents Organization meeting in San Diego is Gene Axelrod of the Honolulu Club. He and Jeanne Harris concurred that a highlight of the trip was getting to hear the Beach Boys. It wasn't too many years ago that the Beach Boys were thought of as anti-establishment and "wild." Times certainly have changed. (Nov. 20, 1985) ...
THE cast, crew and orchestra of "Les Miserables" had a farewell party at Nick's Fishmarket Sunday night since some of the group won't be traveling on to engagements in Regina and Toronto. Among those in the party were the two local 10-year-old performers, Tiffany Shin and Jason Tam, and their folks, Stuart and Cindee Shinn and Jim and Linda Tam. The youngsters gifted everyone with handmade chocolates decorated with the red, white and blue French ribbons that are a part of the show's history. Concert Productions International honcho Ronald Andrew and visiting Brian Sewell, executive producer for the Mirvishes, who mounted the production, were all smiles at the party, and little wonder why. Not only was every seat gone for "Les Miz," but every standing-room ticket was also sold. (Nov. 24, 1992) ...
"The Week That Was" recalls events culled from Dave Donnelly's three-dot columns over the past 30 years. Donnelly continues to write his Hawaii column Tuesdays through Fridays in the Star-Bulletin.
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