"A Funny Thing..."
opens at DHT

THE BEARD'S BACK!: Diamond Head Theatre Artistic Director John Rampage, fourth from left, welcomed Kathleen Sulieman, left, her husband, Dr. Jamil Sulieman, Mariko Lyons and Anne Meng to the pre-show sponsors' reception for "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" at Diamond Head Theatre on Friday. Rampage is directing and choreographing the DHT show. Lyons and her husband, Joe, are among DHT's major supporters; he was out of town so Meng attended as Mariko's guest. Kathleen Sulieman received a Po'okela Award in 2004 for her performance as the Wicked Witch of the West in DHT's production of "The Wizard of Oz." As for Jay Sulieman's beard, he says he had one when he met his wife 24 years ago and decided recently to see how he'd look now -- quite distinguished, from this angle!

DON'T MISS THE BROWNIES!: Dancetta Feary and Peter Gellatly shared a bench at the pre-show reception. The chefs at Big G's Catering and Consulting outdid themselves with a n excellent buffet that included two salads, several entrées and two tempting desserts. Feary recommended the petite brownies.

GOLF FIRST: Diamond Head Theatre Managing Director Deena Dray, center, welcomed Linda Wong, left, and DFS U.S. Group Vice President Sharon R. Weiner to the pre-show reception. It was a busy weekend for Weiner and Wong. They'd played golf that afternoon and expected to work through most of the weekend.

ROMANTIC RECTANGLE: Adriane Flower, left, Brent Yoshikami, Kirsten Dixon and Matthew Pennaz enjoyed the opening-night cast party at Planet Hollywood after the show. Pennaz and Dixon have been a couple off-stage for several years, but Yoshikami is playing Dixon's love interest in "A Funny Thing Happened..." and Pennaz's character ends up with Flower.

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER!: Elizabeth Ananij Harrison didn't get to Planet Hollywood until well past midnight, but she arrived just in time to greet Tom Holowach before he and his wife, Holly Holowach, went home. Tom Holowach's hair was still more or less as it had been when he was in costume as Marcus Lycus, "a buyer and seller of beautiful young women," but Harrison looked nothing like Gymnasia, the super-vixen "Barbarella"-type courtesan she plays in the show. Harrison said that each time she does a show at DHT "the costumes they give me get smaller. I thought the costumes I wore this spring for "Cabaret" (at Manoa Valley Theatre) were revealing, but I'm wearing even less this time."