Shari Lynn returns to Hula’s Bar & Lei Stand with two shows, at 5 and 6:30 p.m. today. It’s a hana hou, resulting from her earlier "By Request" gig at Hula’s. …
The new shows are called "Let’s Du-Et," since Mary Gutzi, a Broadway performer, will be aboard for the duets (get it?) songfest, as well as solo turns for both gals. Keyboardist Jim Howard has arranged a Stevie Wonder medley, too. …
Shari, of course, wowed ’em a couple of seasons ago, when she played Mama Rose in Diamond Head Theatre’s "Gypsy."Gutzi also knocked ’em over recently as Norma Desmond in DHT’s "Sunset Boulevard." They’re local divas who eventually plan to tour "Let’s Du-Et" on the mainland. …
Shari also headlines Hawaii Public Radio’s "It’s Delightful, It’s Delovely, It’s December," at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 16 and 4 p.m. Dec. 18 at the Atherton Performing Arts Studio. Don Conover will be on keyboards, with Ernest Harada (no relation) guesting on Friday and Shari’s students comprising the La Pietra Select Girls Chorus sharing the spotlight on Sunday.…
WHO’S NEWS: Jimmy Borges will join the Brothers Cazimero in "A Cazimero Christmas," Dec. 9, 10 and 11 at the Hawaii Theatre. Reservations: 528-0506. …
Entrepreneur Jack Cione is off to Samoa this week to help judge the Miss South Pacific Pageant on Friday (he founded the event years ago). This, after a trek to New York for Broadway theater ("‘The Book of Mormon’ is the funniest musical I’ve seen," he coos.) and a Norwegian Epic cruise originating in Barcelona that enabled him to script his next "Follies" show at the Arcadia. So who said he’s retired? …
WHO’S NEWS: Celia Kenney, Punahou eighth-grader, earned her Screen Actors Guild card by portraying Reina, the boy-crazy, carb-shunning pal of Matt King’s youngest daughter in George Clooney‘s "The Descendants," now on screens everywhere. She’ll be on stage in Diamond Head Theatre’s "Cinderella" and Punahou’s "Aladdin Jr.," and will be Dorothy in the Performing Arts Center of Kapolei’s "Wizard of Oz." And she maintains good grades while she acts. …
Quite a bit of artistic stage crossovers lately. Honolulu Theatre for Youth managing director Becky Dunning was checking out a rehearsal for HTY’s "Tasi’s Gift: The Tale of a Samoan Bowl," playing at Tenney Theatre through Dec. 17. Jordan Savusa plays Rat in the new play and was Mouse in HTY’s "Goodnight Moon," so the hefty chap is taking some ribbing playing rodents. Then at Manoa Valley Theatre, Dunning and Savusa were posing for publicity pics for MVT’s radio drama, "It’s a Wonderful Life — a Live Radio Play," running Dec. 8 through 11; Dunning is volunteer stage manager, Savusa is reading George Bailey. The cast also features Nicole Tessier, who is HTY’s stage manager by day; Elitei Tatafu Jr., MVT regular last seen in "The 39 Steps"; Shannon Winpenny, who earlier directed MVT’s "Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding"; Lauren Murata, who was in MVT’s "August: Osage County"; and Troy Apostol, who was in HTY’s 2005 mounting of "Nothing Is the Same." Reservations: 988-6131. …
Kumu Kahua’s "A Jive Bomber’s Christmas," in production through Dec. 11, is set at a wartime internment camp where hope lives amid the holiday spirit; it taps 442nd lives and mantra ("We never leave a man behind"). Reservations: 536-4441. …
SHORTS OF SORTS: At the recent APEC lunchtime summit at the JW Marriott Ihilani resort at Ko Olina, President Barack Obama and his guests, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, China President Hu Jintao, Japan Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and other world leaders, got a taste of locally made Il Gelato’s haupia gelato dessert — the same one creator Dirk Koeppenkastrop provides to such eateries as Roy’s, Hoku’s, Azure, Alan Wong’s Pineapple Room and Michel’s. Yums! …
When the national tour of "South Pacific," which features Honolulan Cathy Foy Mahi as Bloody Mary, was in snowy Colorado recently, ex-pats Fred and Julie Honda and their daughter Pattipopped in for a look-see. …
And that’s "Show Biz." …
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Wayne Harada is a veteran entertainment columnist; reach him at 266-0926 or wayneharada@gmail.com; read his Show and Tell Hawaii blog at www.staradvertiser.com.
