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Ready to kick the habit?
Castle Medical Center’s six-week Breathe Free Stop Smoking program provides free nicotine patches and lozenges. The next session starts Jan. 4 at the hospital’s Wellness Center Auditorium. "This total lifestyle approach to quit smoking helps prevent weight gain and effectively manage stress," Castle said. Insurance is accepted and scholarships are available. To register, call 263-5400 or visit www.castlemed.org.
Doppelgaenger a New Year’s star
Andre-Philippe Gagnon, the "Man of 400 Voices," will be performing at 9:15 p.m., followed by Cecilio & Kapono at 10:30 p.m. through midnight, on New Year’s Eve in the Coral Ballroom of the Hilton Hawaiian Village.
C&K you know. But unless you’re a Quebecer, Gagnon might be unknown. In his native French-speaking part of Canada, however, Gagnon is a kind of musical superstar. He’s an impressionist of the most peculiar sort — he does famous singing voices. Gagnon first broke onto the scene with a spot-on send-up of "We Are the World," singing everyone from Michael Jackson to Lionel Richie to Bruce Springsteen back in the ’80s, which was featured on the Carson-era "Tonight Show."
Since then, Gagnon has been busy performing, combining musical mimicry with comedy, all over the world and particularly in Las Vegas, Quebec and France.
The current tour is aimed at English-speaking audiences.
Tickets, available in the main lobby, are $100 and $75, and include the Cecilio & Kapono concert that evening as well. Information: 949-4321 or www.hiltonhawaiianvillage.com/resort_activities/event_calendar.cfm.
Isle tale tells of Superwoman
You know the isle as Chinaman’s Hat, although to ancient Hawaiians it was Mokolii, formed from the broken tail of a huge dragon that attacked Pele’s younger sister Hiiakaikapoliopele, known simply as Hiiaka. This tale is but one of many oral traditions regarding this Hawaiian heroine.
Hiiaka will be the subject of "The Hawai’i Superwoman," a talk by historian Nanette Napoleon in Mission Houses Museum’s monthly Talk Story series, at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 12, at the Kana’ina Building on ‘Iolani Palace grounds.
The core of Hiiaka’s legend traces her journey from Kilauea Crater across the island chain to Kauai to lasso and drag home Pele’s lover Lohi’au. Pele gave Hiiaka a magical pau skirt and other powers to wield against supernatural forces. It’s sort of a Hawaiian Odyssey.
"For me, Hiiaka is a symbol of a strong, brave, smart and assertive woman who overcomes many dangers and obstacles to fulfill her task. She is a fantastic role model for modern-day Hawaiian women," said Napoleon in a news release. "For me, she truly is the Hawaiian Superwoman."
Talk Story is a lecture series focused on Hawaiian fables.
Free admission and parking. Information: www.missionhouses.org.
Fireworks blast for 2011 start
Look to the skies on New Year’s Eve for aerial fireworks displays at these locations:
» 8:45 p.m., Hilton Hawaiian Village, free
» Midnight, Honolulu Harbor, with entertainment on seven stages at Aloha Tower Marketplace; event tickets are $20, $50 VIP. Call 566-2377 or visit www.alohatower.com.
» Midnight, visible along Waikiki Beach, free.
