Hawaiian-style hoopla

Never doubt the resolve of true fans, especially if there’s a chance of meeting a favorite celebrity and being seen on national television at the same time.

That was the attraction Monday when NBC’s "Today" show brought its three-ring circus to Waikiki Beach in a broadcast that started at 1 a.m. so it could be seen live in its regular time slot on the East Coast.

More than 250 people were on hand when the show started, standing on the sand at the water’s edge outside the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. The producers had hoped for 1,000, but those who did show up held colorful signs and took photos with their smartphones. Two fans held small, bewildered dogs overhead. A pair of clowns showed up and Waikiki resident Paul Simon wore a rubberized horse head and held a sign that read "Hi mom."

The 38-year-old Simon had no answer for the obvious question of why. "Because," he said. "I don’t know. Why not?"

That wasn’t the case for Melissa Kim, a 28-year-old event planner from Kailua. She arrived at 10:30 p.m. so she could get a prime spot along a plastic barrier that separated the crowd from "Today" hosts Matt Lauer, Natalie Morales, Savannah Guthrie and Willie Geist.

"I have the biggest crush on Matt Lauer," Kim said. "Don’t tell my husband. Today’s our wedding anniversary. He’s at home with our son."

The broadcast was the first of a five-stop, cross-country tour that NBC is calling "Today’s Great American Adventure." The co-hosts finished the show at 4 a.m. and cleared the hotel by 6 a.m. to catch a flight to Bozeman, Mont., and today’s broadcast from Yellowstone National Park. After that they will travel to Chicago, Orlando, Fla., and the Jersey Shore in New Jersey.

It was the show’s second visit to Hawaii. NBC brought the "Today" show to Maui in 1995 but that show was recorded in the afternoon.

The Waikiki broadcast was a sometimes raucous event that included Tahitian dancing complete with drums from Tihati Productions, Jake Shimabukuro on ukulele, luau food, North Shore wave photographer Clark Little, poi pounding and a visit by Gov. Neil Abercrombie.

"Today" show production crews were in Hawaii last week to prepare taped segments that included surfing lessons, a canoe race and a visit to Pearl Harbor.

After stage manager Dave Auerbach waved the crowd into a cheering frenzy to start the three-hour show, the first taped segment gave viewers a reality check about life in Hawaii: breakfast cereal that sells for nearly $6 a box and some of the nation’s worst traffic.

But the vast majority of the show was light and fun as Lauer described "epic" surf on the south shore and Guthrie noted their hula lessons would definitely make the Christmas blooper reel.

Missing from the broadcast was "Today" weather anchor Al Roker. He got a call at lunch Sunday detailing the devastating Oklahoma tornadoes and caught the next flight out of Hono­lulu. He didn’t even finish his mai tai.

The trip to Hawaii was also short for Geist, who flew in Sunday from a friend’s wedding in Nashville, Tenn. His entire Hawaii trip spanned 12 hours.

Geist, who works on MSNBC’s "Morning Joe," which starts at 6 a.m. on the East Coast, said he didn’t mind the early start. "I’ve been working on morning TV so long that sadly, I’ve gotten used to it," he said. "I lost the distinction between night and morning."

But Morales, who arrived in the middle of last week, battled jet lag. "We’re all on New York time, so it’s been a difficult adjustment," she said. "I’ve been doing a lot of 5 a.m. runs. It’s nice and peaceful, though."

Lauer felt better than he thought he would. He said he was expecting the show to be a blur. "But you get to a location and you meet local people, and the crowds turn out no matter the time and the adrenaline kicks in," he said.

That said, the show’s Hawaii visit was special and Lauer credited the fans.

"The postcards and the tourist information always says that people are kind and generous and warm," he said. "You know what? Every state writes that. But the fact of the matter is that since we have been here over the weekend is it is absolutely true for every person we have come in contact with and I think that is what we walk away with."