Breathe easy in 2005

A free presentation is being offered to those with allergies, asthma and other pulmonary conditions to help them cope with fireworks smoke on New Year's Eve.

"Breathe with Ease into the New Year" will be presented from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday on Ala Moana's CenterStage.

Jeffrey Kam, an asthma and allergy specialist from Straub Clinic & Hospital, will host a team of professionals answering questions, discussing inhaler and nebulizer techniques, medications and how to use a respirator (mask) to minimize the effects of smoke.

Visit with experts and receive a free respirator while supplies last. For more information, call the Straub Foundation at 524-6755.

Make tea and art date

More dates have been added for the Honolulu Academy of Arts Tour and Tea program.

The tours take place 2:30 to 4 p.m. Tuesday and Sunday afternoons in selected galleries, highlighting the featured artwork. The events are designed for those who want to explore the galleries and learn more about art and culture while socializing over tea. Here is the schedule:

Sunday: "Art to Die For"

Jan. 4 and 9: "Flowers, Flowers Everywhere"

Jan. 11: "Contemplating the Divine"

Jan. 18 and 23: "Pictures Tell Stories"

Jan. 25 and 30: "Decoding Symbols"

Feb. 1 and 6: "The Beauty of Islamic Art"

Feb. 8 and 13: "The Play of Clay"

Feb. 15: "Colors"

Feb. 22 and 27: "Picture Frames"

The tours are free with museum admission, although donations are accepted for cost of tea presentation. Reservations are recommended; call the education department at 532-8700.

Randai at UH

The University of Hawaii at Manoa's Department of Theatre and Dance will present a traditional West Sumatran "randai" folk play featuring martial arts, dance, singing and pants-slapping percussion, Jan. 28 through Feb. 6.

Directed and translated by Kirstin Pauka, "Luck and Loss: Manandin's Gamble" is a traditional coming-of-age story about a young man who journeys to a gambling tournament and loses everything, including the shirt off his back. He is accused of stealing, and his only hope to reclaim his beloved fiancee and the life he once knew is through a martial arts battle with the king.

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COURTESY OF ANDREW SHIMABUKU Gregorson Rider performs in the University of Hawaii at Manoa's West Sumatran "randai" production "Luck and Loss: Manandin's Gamble."

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West Sumatra master artists Saparman Bin Jamaludin and Mohamad Halim are training the cast as UH is the only university worldwide that produces Indonesian randai in English.

The production runs at Kennedy Theatre at 8 p.m. Jan. 28 and 29, Feb. 3, 4 and 5, and at 2 p.m. Feb. 6. The Feb. 5 performance will be interpreted in sign language. A 7 p.m. pre-show chat will take place Saturdays.

Tickets go on sale at the Kennedy Theatre box office and online on Jan. 18. Prices are $15; $12 for seniors, military, UH faculty and staff; $10 for non-UH students; and $3 for UH students with spring 2005 ID.

For information, charge-by-phone or disability access, call 956-7655. A $2-per-ticket service charge will be applied to all phone and Internet sales.

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