If Jo Pruden is in a theatrical production, it's a given that she is going to give the show a major boost. That's one of the reasons why the Army Community Theatre is calling its April 12 fundraiser a tribute to Jo, who is retiring from ACT where she has starred onstage and has been a valuable fixture in the box office. “;Jo has performed on nearly every stage on Oahu, but ACT claims her,”; says Vanita Rae Smith, ACT's producer-director. The fundraiser for the Dorothy J. Esser Theatre Foundation, which supports ACT, will be aboard the Zaandam cruise ship. After boarding at Aloha Tower, brunch will start at 11:30 a.m. Singer Shari Lynn headlines the entertainment. After a tour of the ship, guests will debark at 3 p.m. Tickets for the event are $100 per person, with $85.80 of that tax deductible. Call ACT for ticket info. Ticket deadline is April 2 ... “;Gypsy”; opens Friday night at 8 at Diamond Head Theatre with Candes Meijide Gentry in the title role and Lynn as Mama Rose ...

Murphy's Bar & Grill is donating $2 for each pound of corned beef it sells during the month of March to the Hawaii Children's Cancer Fund. Murphy's held its annual St. Patrick's Day celebration yesterday. Last year Murphy's annual fundraiser raised more than $5,000 for Hawaii families supporting a child with cancer. Every donation helps ... The recent comic skit on “;Saturday Night Live”; with two disgruntled visitor industry workers portrayed by Dwayne “;The Rock”; Johnson and Fred Armisen did not please Lt. Gov. ”;Duke”; Aiona and tourist industry officials, but Monday's CNN report on “;Traveling to Hawaii on the cheap”; certainly will. Low airfares to the isles and reduced hotel rates were given strong play ...

...Model agency owner Kim Medeiros, owner of Central Island Agency, married her business consultant Patrick Lester, March 5, in Carmel, Calif. Now he is her consultant for life. Kim's CIA does business here, Beverly Hills and the Monterey Peninsula. She has a home in Waimanalo. Patrick lived here for several years. They will make their home in the Monterey Peninsula area ...

...Philip Richardson, president of Current Affairs, helped out with the reopening of the Royal Hawaiian March 7, and he will never forget it. He walked right into a glass door and wound up with a swollen nose ... This is late, but I want to say I'm sorry about the death of publicist Mona Wood's dad, Arthur K. Wood, 90, on Feb. 19. Mona and I are not related except in a calabash way. She calls me uncle, that's nice, and she is niece Mona to me. Condolences to the family ...

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Ben Wood, who sold the Star-Bulletin on Honolulu streets in World War II, writes of people, places and things Wednesdays and Saturdays. E-mail him at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).