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Cha Thompson, co-founder of Tihati Productions and one of showbiz’s busiest souls, is home and recuperating after recent surgery at the Queen’s Medical Center. She hit her head in a fall at home and required surgery due to bleeding in her brain.
She is weathering the worst but is concerned abouther shaven head. But you know what? Her head’s perfectly shaped, anchored by a fantastic smile, and while her hair is slowly growing back and staples have yet to be removed from her scalp, Thompson’s new look projects a hip, modern and radiant vibe, reminding me of "Good Morning America" anchor Robin Roberts after her health problems. …
"I will be back," Thompson said, in a twist of Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s wartime "I shall return" slogan. Meantime, rest is her ultimate elixir. And get well, kiddo. …
The injury came at an inopportune time, causing Thompson to miss multiple events she helped coordinate for the recent Hawaii Food & Wine Festival, including a Signature Event (the Savory Ever After 12-course gala at the Aulani resort). Son Afatia Thompson prevailed in her absence, tending to the entertainment, which included the smooth, romantic vocal stylings of Paul Shimomoto, often dubbed "Hawaii’s Michael Bublé." Publicist Mona Wood-Sword and her hubby, Max Sword, the Outrigger Hotel exec, were among the guests, and she was so taken by Shimomoto that she hopes to hire him for clients in October. (By the way, Wood-Sword is pau as spokeswoman for Duane "Dog" Chapman and wife Beth). Shimomoto might be remembered as the winner of the Vicky Holt Takamine-produced Hapa Haole Music Festival a few years back. …
Regular Tihati performers Taimane Gardner and Tihati’s Men of Fire also entertained the crowds. …
Award-winning culinary pioneers Roy Yamaguchi and Alan Wong, who are co-founders of the food and wine event, mentored guest emcee Adam Richman (of the Travel Channel’s "Man vs. Food," "Man vs. Food Nation" and the new reality show "Fandemonium") in local attire and talk; Richman, the dude with the huge appetite and competitive spirit, donned a cool aloha shirt and properly identified "slippahs" the island way (not flip-flops). …
FILM FARE: Ex-Honolulan Jason Momoa, who had a recurring role on "Game of Thrones," is set to direct "Kane," about an alcoholic former boxer who turns to Detroit’s illegal fighting community to earn funds needed for medical treatment of his ex-wife. Momoa, 34, earlier earned his director’s stripes with "Road to Paloma." He describes "Kane" as an action flick with a phoenix-rising-from-the-ashes theme and said he decided to do it in the Motor City because it "used to symbolize much of what was grand and noble about America, then lost it all to economic decline and urban decay," according to The Hollywood Reporter. …
HITHER ‘N’ YON: Entertainer Mary Gutzi, a veteran of stage musicals, will teach a master class on "How to Audition" from 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 6 at the Manoa School of Art and Music at Manoa Marketplace. All ages and levels of experience are welcome. To register, call 779-5363 or visit manoaschoolofartandmusic.com. …
Grammy-winning New Orleans jazz master Delfeayo Marsalis, brother of Wynton and Branford, joined local musician-educator Benny Uyetake, a 2013 Na Hoku Hanohano winner, in a free workshop for Uyetake’s students at Kalama Intermediate School in Makawao on Tuesday. Marsalis was there for Maui Jazz and Blues Festival, which ended Sept. 8. …
ITEMIZATIONS: "Life Begins at 80 … and the Music Never Ends: An Evening With Joy Abbott and Betty Loo Taylor," airs at 7:30 p.m. Monday on PBS Hawaii. The jazz singer and "Lady Fingers," whose CD "For All We Know" won a Na Hoku Hanohano Award in 2008, host guest jazz warbler Jimmy Borges in a cameo. …
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