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Hawaii Dave Donnelly |
Happy not to be queen
for a day -- or a yearIT'S good that Miss Hawaii, Kanoelani Gibson, was seemingly sincere when she said she was happy not to have won the Miss America title and to be at the disposal of the pageant officials for the next year. As it was, she received a nice $40,000 in scholarship money and can do pretty much as she pleases in the next 12 months. Personally, I think she was robbed, but part of it may have stemmed from the fact that Angela Perez Baraquio won the title just a couple of years ago. That probably worked against Kanoelani. And did you note that three of the five finalists were women of color and there wasn't a blonde in the bunch? Looks as if the judges were trying to overcome a stereotype that in recent years, at least, the pageant hasn't deserved. And as if to prove this is truly a "scholarship" rather than "beauty" pageant, several of the women demonstrated more brains than beauty ...
THE most telling moment for me in the Emmy Awards ceremony came when the versatile actor Anthony La Paglia began his talk, "The best direction is that which is noticed least." Ah, I thought to myself. I guess I owe the Po'okela people a "thank you" for not thinking of me in nominating people for "Best Direction." This, despite the fact that both casts of the two plays I directed this year, "Art" and "The Weir" were nominated for "best ensemble," apparently on their own and "The Weir" won the Po'okela for best ensemble and set and was nominated as one of the five "Best Productions." Nominations for best director went to the other four in that category. In accordance with LaPaglia, I'd like to thank the Po'okela pickers for endorsing my direction by leaving me out ...
Go away, Tarzan
ENTERTAINMENT Weekly's Fall TV preview devotes two pages to the WB Network's "Tarzan," which will play Sunday nights. It's of interest locally because Tarzan's Jane is played by local girl Sarah Wayne Callies, who stands out from Tarzan, played by a Calvin Klein model-turned-actor, Travis Fimmel. There's a large picture of the two in the magazine -- Sarah looks great and Fimmel looks Fabio-esque by comparison. There was a huge lip-lock between the two in the pilot, but a rethinking of the plot has them in unconsummated sexual tension, with a big kiss coming in about a year. Not much of a swinger, this Tarzan ...THEY'RE bringing in some big guns for Diamond Head Theatre's "Ragtime," opening Friday. Flying in to take over key roles are Jerrold E. Solomon and Crystal Williams, fresh from the show's national tour. Another pro veteran, Mary Gutzi, plays another key role and directs the musical ...
Presto, digitation
LOCAL magician John Hirokawa is joining some pretty prestigious company when he's named the International Magician's Society's 2004 "Most Original" Merlin Award winner. It'll take place in his showroom in the Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel's "Magic of Polynesia" showroom Oct. 10. Previous "Merlin Award winners are Harry Blackstone, David Copperfield, Doug Henning and Siegfried & Roy ...
See the Columnists section for some past articles.
Dave Donnelly has been writing on happenings in Hawaii for the Star-Bulletin since 1968. The Week That Was runs Sundays and recalls items from Dave's 30 years of columns. Contact Dave by e-mail: ddonnelly@starbulletin.com
