FAMILY

Chorus showcases Chinese classics

The Han Sheng Music Association of Hawaii, a community Chinese chorus that has been in existence for more than 30 years, will hold its annual concert Saturday at the University of Hawaii-Manoa's Orvis Auditorium.

The group, under the direction of UH music professor Frederick Lau, specializes in Chinese choral masterpieces. The concert will also feature select members of the UH Chinese Music Ensemble—Charlotte D'Evelyn, Sunhee Koo, Philip Gotting, Edean Kinoshita and Katie McCellan—playing traditional instrumental music.

The concert starts at 4 p.m. Contact Margaret Yung at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for tickets.

COMEDY

Augie T. maintains his comedy mission

Augie T. continues his crusade to take affordable stand-up comedy throughout Hawaii with his “;Keeping People Sane Through Insanity”; tour. His upcoming Oahu dates include:

» 8 p.m. Saturday at Dots in Wahiawa, 130 Mango St. Tickets are $10 advance; $15 at the door.

» 8 p.m. March 20 at Breakers in Haleiwa, 66-250 Kamehameha Highway, for the Waialua Community Association. Tickets are $10 advance; $15 at the door.

Other planned dates include April 3 at the Crouching Lion in Kaaawa, April 24 in Makaha and April 26 at the Waipahu Gym for Waipahu High School athletics.

Call 479-0576 or visit augietulba.com.

MUSICAL

Nanakuli students stage follow-up musical

Since the Nanakuli High and Intermediate School Performing Arts Center staged Disney's “;High School Musical”; in 2007, it's only natural that they would follow up with the sequel, “;High School Musical 2.”;

The installment finds the East High gang looking forward to a fun-filled summer vacation in the enchanted world of the Lava Springs Country Club.

This production will also feature the debut of an upgraded lighting system and stage extension in the schools' multipurpose building, thanks to a donation from the Disney corporation.

Performance dates are 7:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday, and March 13 and 14, and 5 p.m. Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and March 15. Tickets are $10 pre-sale ($12 at the door); $5 students; $3 children under 12. Call 668-5823 or visit nhispac.com.

BENEFIT

Duo to collaborate on 'Love Songs'

“;Love Songs Old and New”; is the latest project from the duo of Momi Sui Lan Ho and Jevon Gegg-Mitchell, semifinalists in the Hawaii Public Radio Art Song Contest. Ho is a member of the Hawaii Opera Studio and Gegg-Mitchell studied piano at Oberlin College, teaches it locally and is currently a nursing student at the University of Hawaii-Manoa.

The two met in the University Concert Choir and now collaborate on programs that include music from classical, opera, cabaret, musical theater, jazz standards, Hawaiian and hapa-haole classics.

They perform at 7 p.m. Saturday at St. Peter's Episcopal Church, 1317 Queen Emma St. (a half-block mauka of St. Andrew's Cathedral). Admission is free, but donations will be accepted on behalf of the Institute for Human Services. Call 533-1943.

FOOD

The Counter

Kahala Mall / 739-5100

Glitzier restaurants have opened, but this is one where suddenly, everyone wanted to be my date. For a burger.

I was entertained by the idea that “;Lost”; actor Daniel Dae Kim was involved in the franchise with D.K. Kodama, Ed Robles and Pablo Buckingham. From brief encounters with the actor, I knew he liked food, but I didn't know the extent of his interest. At first I thought it was newbie curiosity, but I gleaned he knew his stuff. A good sign.

The restaurant reads young in its music and skate-deck decor, but prices dictate an older following. Kiddies won't often be able to afford an $8.95 burger with $1.50 fries and a $2.50 soda.

You can order a signature burger, but the fun is in building it your way. When I learned of the more than 300,000 possible combinations, I thought it was a stretch, but now I see the possibilities. You're given a clipboard with a sheet of paper that looks like a multiple-choice test, allowing you to check off bun, main ingredient, toppings and sauces in many variations. You don't even have to have beef. You can opt for turkey, veggies or grilled chicken.

The beef is 100 percent angus raised on a vegetarian diet free of hormones or antibiotics, and it's the new one to beat: juicy, flavorful, freshly made without obvious fillers, and cooked to desired doneness. I topped mine with herb goat cheese, dried cranberries, roasted chilies, mixed baby greens, grilled onions and guacamole (more onions than avocado).

Sides include fried pickle chips ($4.95), fries ($1.50) and sweet potato fries ($2.25), or double up with “;Fifty-Fifty”; combinations of fries and onion strings ($5.50 to $6.50), with different sauces. If you don't care for one sauce, don't give up on it as a possible burger topper. Apricot sauce was one-dimensional with fries but more nuanced with the chicken. It's all about mixing and matching, while someone else brings your creation to life.

Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays. About $25 to $30 for two without alcohol.