Hawaiian fashion designer and show producer Nake‘u Awai is sending word out early about his 40th Anniversary Hula Holiday Show, scheduled for Dec. 6 at the Pomaikai Ballroom at Dole Cannery in Iwilei. Performing will be Aaron Sala, Randy Hongo, the male dancers of Snowbird Bento, kumu hula Pohai Souza and her young female dancers, and kumu hula Joan S. Lindsey and her young male dancers. Tickets are $65 for lunch and show with 10 at a table. The marketplace will be open at 9:30 a.m., lunch is at 11:30 a.m. and the show starts at 12:30 p.m. Tickets are $65. Call Nake‘u at 841-1221 for reservations.
Nake‘u is a graduate of the University of Washington’s class of 1960. He was a drama major. He was a singer-dancer in TV shows in Hollywood, where he got into fashion design. Theater is his favorite creative activity, but fashion pays the rent. In the early 1960s Nake‘u, then known as Joel, sang in a trio with Jimmy Borges and Bob Ito, who was in the TV show "Quincy" starring Jack Klugman. Bob was also a ballet dancer from Canada. Most of their gigs were as a singing trio in hotel casinos in Reno, Tahoe and Vegas. Once they were told to do a dance act. Jimmy is a singer, not a dancer, but there he was on stage with two professional hoofers tripping the light fantastic — but not for long.
Nake‘u was a dancer for "Hollywood Palace," and Hawaii’s Wisa D’Orso was choreographer for the show. Nake‘u said he danced in TV specials starring Elvis Presley, Sammy Davis Jr., Petula Clark, Jack Benny and Bill Cosby. He also had a side business designing macrame belts. Nake‘u said that when Elvis first opened in Vegas after his Army service, he wore one of his macrame belts …
ONWARD: Three generations of Lin women helped businesswoman Ruth Lin celebrate her birthday on the Fourth of July, America’s birthday. Ruth’s daughter Deborah Gandolfini and her granddaughter Lily Gandolfini, 21⁄2, attended the dinner event and watched the fireworks from the Chart House. Deborah, a former model, is the widow of notable actor James Gandolfini. She and her brother Andrew Lin threw the party for their mom. Fourteen people attended. The decor for the table and favors were done in red, white and blue, and each guest was given a red, white and blue beaded lei. Rolando Sanchez sang a song. His wife, Wanda, was decorator for the party. Ruth said Lily enjoyed the fireworks …
To mark the 15th year of the John A. Burns School of Medicine’s Kahanamoku scholarships, a search is on for all doctors who are Kahanamoku scholars. A banquet is scheduled to honor them July 24 at the Elks Club. Nadine Kahanamoku,Duke‘s widow, was behind the scholarship program for Native Hawaiians. There are about 80 Kahanamoku scholars here and on the mainland. Scholars who have not yet contacted Dr. Martina Kamaka to attended this event should email her at martinak@hawaii.edu or call 692-1014 …
Let’s hear it for the U.S. women’s soccer team, led by Carli Lloyd with her three goals in a stunning 5-2 victory over Japan on Sunday to win the World Cup championship … Carla Beachcomber Lutz and her husband, Jess, will be arriving next month for their annual visit and will be here into October …
Ben Wood, who sold newspapers on Honolulu streets in World War II, writes of people, places and things. Email him at bwood@staradvertiser.com.
