ESPN keeps cameras
on islesHAWAII is usually well represented on national television on the big networks, or in the case of golf's four-man tournament of champions on Kauai, Turner Network Television. But ESPN, which has many hours to fill each day, is the champ in the islands. For instance, they'll be covering the ALTRES King Kalakaua Regatta Saturday from Magic Island to the Aloha Tower Marketplace. It won't be shown live, but video of the event will be screened from time to time over the next year ... ESPN will also be covering golf's 1999 Mercedes Championships at Kapalua Jan. 7-10 ... Let's hope the announcers don't make any monumental goofs such as the one Dan Patrick came up with during the network's coverage of the New Orleans-49er game in San Francisco Monday. As cameras focused on the Golden Gate Bridge, Patrick identified it and said "It connects the city of San Francisco with Oakland." Say what? It actually connects S.F. with Marin County -- Patrick was thinking of the Bay Bridge ...
WELL, what did KHNL-TV expect from a young reporter like Su Shin when they sent her to Hickam Air Force Base at 5 a.m. The perky Shin might have been talking to a gang member as she interviewed Gov. Ben Cayetano after he spoke to President Bill Clinton: "So, what did you guys talk about?" ... Honda Civic has a winner in its TV commercial featuring two jolly losers who talk about losing their hair, breaking up with their girls, getting passed over for a promotion -- again! Then, because they're driving Civics, they're happy anyway, smile and say "Have a nice day," and drive off ...
Whale of a surprise
VERSATILE Lisa Leung is known variously as a violinist or a fiddler, depending on what kind of music she's playing. Her love of Irish fiddling has been fueled by trips to the Olde Sod for some down home music making. She's the regular fiddler with the local group Irish Hearts, but she's also into cajun music and plays with the zydeco group Bon Ton Roule. And Leung plays some mean violin with a Balkans folk music group and can whip up Gypsy czardas with the best of them. Now she's out with her first CD, and it features -- improvising with whales? She and Pierre Grill used the songs sung by actual whales to accompany them and come up with a unique collection called "Whale Cry of the Ocean." On RVR Records, a portion of the profits goes to the Pacific Whale Foundation ...SWING music fans take note: Abe Weinstein and friends will be swinging at Nick's Fishmarket every Sunday in December, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. No cover or minimum ... A visitor to the Hawaiian Humane Society did a double take when he encountered the sign, "Incoming Arrivals." He couldn't find a similarly redundant sign for, "Outgoing Departures" ...
Santa's Coming!
WHILE theater groups in town vie for audiences, Anna Viggiano and her husband Lindbergh Marzo know they'll have the biggest box office hit in town yet again. Now in its 19th season, the pair's original puppet theater production, sponsored by Liberty House, is directed by Anna and choreographed by Diamond Head Theatre's John Rampage. Performers include Grace Bell and Katie Shriver, now in Army Community Theatre's "A Grand Night for Singing," and Aiko, who played Val in ACT'S "A Chorus Line." The puppet production plays to 8,300 people during its run of 77 shows, Saturday through Dec. 24, Ala Moana Liberty House Special Events Room. For tickets, call 945-5559 ...
Dave Donnelly has been writing on happenings
in Hawaii for the Star-Bulletin since 1968.
His columns run Monday through Friday.Contact Dave by e-mail: donnelly@kestrok.com.