Koa’e Kea dinner honors Hawaiian Room with hula

A treasure chest of hula was on view Nov. 15 at Koa‘e Kea’s dazzling dinner extravaganza in the Ala Moana Hotel’s Garden Lanai. Koa‘e Kea is an organization made up of retired Hawaiian Airlines hostesses, mainly of the DC-3 aircraft era, who all had to be able to sing and dance hula to get what is now called a flight attendant’s job in the 1940s and ’50s.

There was no political correctness in hiring in the early years. Women were first hired in the 1940s when the male stewards went to fight in World War II. Koa‘e Kea was co-founded by Abigail Chong and Carol Mae Vanderford in 1996. For their recent dinner party, the organization teamed with TeMoana Makolo and the Hula Preservation Society to bring the Hawaiian Room in New York’s Lexington Hotel, which closed in 1966, back to life. Makolo was a Hawaiian Room choreographer and dancer.

The Hawaiian Room opened in 1937 and became a hot Manhattan nightspot, showcasing some of Hawaii’s leading entertainers. Making the room famous over the years were Ray Kinney, Alfred Apaka, Jennie Napua Woodd, Kui Lee, Manu Kanemura Bentley, Lei Becker Furtado, Ed Kenney, Emma Veary, Mona Joy Lum, Mahi Beamer, Clara Inter, known as "Hilo Hattie," Tutasi Wilson, Lani McIntire, Pualani Mossman, "Uncle" Keola Beamer, Betty Makia, Momi Kai Gustafson, Leialoha Kaleikini, Iwalani Lum-King Rodriguez and Olan Peltier Carpenter.

The room drew celebrities such as Marlon Brando, who had his eye on Lum-King, but she wound up marrying pro golfer Chi Chi Rodriguez.

Koa‘e Kea powerhouse Hale Ka‘ohu Rowland, Makolo and the preservation society’s Maile Loo conspired to put on the great Hawaiian Room experience at the Ala Moana Hotel. The highlight of the night was when emcee Makolo called upon Furtado and Bentley (in wheelchair due to an injury) to the stage.Furtado kicked off her sneakers to dance, and Bentley danced in her chair to "Beyond the Reef," winning a huge standing ovation.

The Lei Hulu singer-musicians’ backing dancers were Kimo Alama Keaulana, Jeff Ahoy, Charles Tilton, Leonard Jenkins, Namahana Kealoha and Frank Damas. The room was really lit up by the Leilani Alama dancers in colorful cellophane skirts that duplicated the costuming at the Hawaiian Room. Each dance brought loud cheers.

Before the "Lexes" took the stage, the evening began with the group Naluhoe, made up of Vicky Hollinger, Kawika McGuire and Pakala Fernandes. They were joined by hula dancers, kani­ka­pila style. Lena Machado‘s "None Hula" was gracefully danced by Oni Leong, Likelike Davis, Harriet de Costa and Mahi Beimes. Others who danced were Rowland, Ivanelle Mountcastle Choy, Joe and Shirley Recca, Kathy Wada, Eula May Sweet, Lorna Kaeck, Millie Cole and Robbie Avilla.

The evening closed with every hula dancer in the crowd of 200 standing up and dancing to "Kea­loha." It was beautiful. …

Last month the Hula Preservation Society organized a trip to the "Lex" for about 30 people, including 17 former Hawaiian Room performers: Joy, Makolo, Lum-King Rodriguez, Angie Costa, Iwalani Carino, Mapela Wong, Vicky Racimo, Kaui Santana, Kehau Kawa­mura Spector, Luana Hodges, Olina Brill, Ginny Eche­var­ria, Ioana Caba­nos, Leo­nani Hagen, Mamo Smith, Wai­lani Bell and Pua Kapele.

The group was welcomed for their weeklong visit by a message Oct. 6 from New York Mayor Bill de Blasio. It read: "It is a great pleasure to join with the Hula Preservation Society in welcoming the Hawaiian Room artists back to New York City. The Island of Manhattan is known for its tall buildings, fast-paced lifestyle, and the many movers and shakers who call it home. But for nearly 30 years, our residents and visitors alike had the chance to escape the city’s hustle and bustle in a midtown oasis that transported them to a whole other island that was home to a very different kind of mover and shaker.

"The Hawaiian Room first opened its doors in 1937, offering customers the opportunity to experience Hawaiian culture through traditional hula dance performances and authentic music. The talented dancers and musicians who performed at the Hawaiian Room introduced diverse audiences to this distinctive form of dance, and we are delighted to welcome these artistic professionals back to the five boroughs and applaud them for all they contributed to New York’s thriving culture."

The visitors’ schedule included a screening of "The Hawaiian Room," a film by Ann Marie Kirk. Singer Amy Hanai­ali‘i Gilliom, whose grandmother Woodd was an early Hawaiian Room star, performed in a public program.

Ben Wood, who sold newspapers on Honolulu streets in World War II, writes of people, places and things. Email him at bwood@staradvertiser.com.