‘The Twilight Saga: New Moon’
Rated: PG-13
Opens today in theaters

By Nancy Arcayna
narcayna@starbulletin.com

A little coaxing from representatives led Michael Welch to audition for the role of “Twilight’s” Edward Cullen — a character described as the “most beautiful creature on Earth.”
The film’s casting directors had him read the scene in which Bella Swan and Edward first meet in the chemistry lab.

“I was thinking … hey, this is not me. Edward wasn’t really working for me,” he said. “I didn’t do particularly well, but I did well enough to get a call back as a different character.”

Welch found the right fit in the role of Mike Newton, an athletic, somewhat geeky teen who is head over heels for Bella.

“I’ve brought in a lot of my own high school experiences to play Mike,” he said. “Mike and I both shared an unrequited love — liking people who are into someone else — so it was not difficult to reconnect with that mindset,” he said. “You never forget your first love.”

Newton continues admiring Bella from afar in the latest segment of the “Twilight” saga, “New Moon.”

“‘New Moon’ is going to be a much better film in many ways,” Welch said. “‘Twilight’ turned out great for what we had to work with. But in a lot of ways, it was a little independent film that could. ‘New Moon’ has a higher quality of overall production value. A lot more money and time were invested in ‘New Moon.’

“I think it’s going to feel different and look different. As the story evolves, the films are going to evolve.”

Welch called the whole ‘Twilight’ phenomenon “indescribable” and is grateful for the opportunities it has presented him.

“Nobody really expected this kind of success,” he said. “It certainly opened up doors for me in my career. … I got offers, particularly for leads in independent films and stuff like that.

“It’s hard to say where my career is headed. I’ll just throw my hands up in the air and let it be. I just strive to be the best that I can be … that’s all I can really do.”

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Craig T. Kojima / ckojima@starbulletin.com ‘CHEF CHAI CHAOWASAREE PRESENTS: AN EVENING UNDER THE STARS’ Chai’s Island Bistro’s 10th and Singha Thai Cuisine’s 20th anniversary celebration » Where: Events at the Tower, Aloha Tower Marketplace » When: 6 p.m. Friday » Cost: $90 general admission, $1,000 reserved seating (table of 10), $1,500 VIP seating (table of 10) » Info: 585-0011 or www.chaisislandbistro.com

In the face of sluggish crowds and dwindling revenues, it would have been no surprise if Chai Chaowasaree decided to play down the 10th anniversary of his namesake Aloha Tower restaurant and the 20th anniversary of Singha Thai in Waikiki.

But that’s not how Chaowasaree thinks. Instead of taking the safe route, the award-winning chef reached out to his colleagues and organized an outdoor tasting dinner that will feature some of the best food and live entertainment available in Honolulu.

“At first, I didn’t know if we were going to do it,” he explained on Monday at Chai’s Island Bistro. “But when I sent the first e-mail out, everybody responded. In fact, now we have too many chefs.”

The Beach House’s Rodney Uyehara, 3660 on the Rise’s Russell Siu, Hiroshi Eurasian Tapas’ Hiroshi Fukui, the Poke Stop’s Elmer Guzman and Ola Restaurant’s Fred DeAngelo are among the dozen featured chefs scheduled to participate in tonight’s big event. Despite the $90 advertised ticket price, Chaowasaree is adamant that guests will get their money’s worth while chowing down at all the different tasting stations.

“We just want to have a celebration (and) we’ve invited a lot of people,” he said. “We’re not here to make money, but we can’t afford to give it away. ($90) is a good deal, and it includes the beer, wine and entertainment.”

Chaowasaree’s sister, Joy Saetung, has always run the day-to-day operations at Singha Thai; he maintains an advisory role at that restaurant while overseeing what happens at Chai’s Island Bistro. Chai’s opened in 1999, replacing Trilussa Trattoria Pizzeria at the entrance to Aloha Tower Marketplace. Of all its neighbors back then, only Gordon Biersch and Hooters remain open today.

Still, some of the same issues that bothered Chaowasaree when he first opened his doors continue to affect him.

“When we first signed the lease 10 years ago, they said they’d build a parking lot, and 10 years down the road, it’s exactly the same,” he said. “But they take good care of us, (and) we’re fortunate that we’ve been here long enough where people know who we are.

“We’re still in the black, but you know, we don’t make the same money like we did and can’t spend like we used to.”

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Courtesy Chad Jenkins ‘ONCE-A-MONTH PUNK!’ featuring Cronseedz, False Crack, Mistermeaner, Old Habits Die Hard and Pimpbot » Where: The Waikiki Sandbox, 2260 Kuhio Ave. » When: 10 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday (repeats every third Saturday) » Cost: $10 general admission, $5 with Hawaii ID » Call: 923-3597

Travel the streets of Waikiki on any given day and you’ll see a variety of transportation methods put to use.

Tourists roam the sidewalks and nearby sandy beaches on foot. Automobiles of all shapes and sizes occupy lanes on Kalakaua, Kuhio and every other inch of open pavement between Kapahulu Avenue and Ala Moana Boulevard. Mopeds — both the traditional, two-wheeled variety and newer, three-wheeled car-types — compete with bicycles and other vehicles on the road.

But nowhere will you find a skateboard. The act of standing on one while it rolls is illegal from Ala Wai Boulevard to the ocean. Get caught by Honolulu’s finest, and you’re looking at a $55 citation for the first offense.

To raise awareness about the issue facing Waikiki’s skateboarding community, local promoter Stunt Dog Productions teamed with House of Flys and Volcom to launch “Once-A-Month Punk!,” a punk showcase that aims to provide a meeting location for anyone interested in changing the no-skateboarding law.

“When people think of skateboarding, they think of tricks and the use of any possible city terrain to become a skate spot,” House of Flys co-owner Simon Elbling said earlier this week. “I understand … that’s not cool, but as a transportation use, I think we need to come up with a compromise for those who skate.”

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FL Morris / fmorris@starbulletin.com IN CONCERT ‘LIFE IS A GIFT’ featuring Millicent Cummings » Where: Atherton Performing Arts Studio, 738 Kaheka St. » When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday » Cost: $25 general admission; $20 for HPR members; $15 for students » Call: 955-8821

Millicent Cummings’ career as a songwriter and recording artist enters a new cycle tomorrow night with her performance at Hawaii Public Radio’s Atherton Studio.

She recorded her last album, “Altar Native,” at Atherton in 2007 and records her next one there tomorrow.

“It’s a multidimensional performance with musicians coming off and on the stage throughout the night,” Cummings said Friday. “In the first set I’ll also be doing ‘Altar Native’ revisited in a completely different context (with different musicians than in 2007). … The second set will be the new album, which is world songs.”

“Altar Native” was a sophisticated and witty take on Hawaiian history and some of the social and political problems now facing the islands. Some residents appreciated her insights. Others did not.

“Some people are a little scared of it, and some people are curious why a white malahini wahine is talking about these things,” she said. “And quite frankly, there is some degree of sexism involved in the music scene here.”

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Courtesy Warner Bros.

‘The Blind Side’
Rated: PG-13
Opens today in theaters
2.5 stars

Review by Burl Burlingame
bburlingame@starbulletin.com

This is a true story — no, make that A True Story! — so you can be clubbed over the head a little harder with the artlessly ballyhooed actuality of this tale.

Just the facts: Michael Oher, one of several Tennessee kids of a crack-addicted mother, has grown up on the streets and in foster homes, and my, how he has grown. At age 16 he’s a lummox, gigantic and withdrawn, barely surviving.

One night, as Michael is stumbling in the rain and looking for a place to sleep, he’s spotted by the wealthy white family of a classmate and invited home. It’s a snap decision and a decent, honest one; Sean and Leigh Ann Tuohy wind up keeping him, adopting him and then managing him into a college degree and football career.

Sounds too redemption-driven to be true, but it is. Today, Michael Oher plays guard for the Baltimore Ravens. And you’re niggled by suspicion throughout the film — do the Tuohys think of Michael as a kind of cause, a sort of pet, a release valve for white guilt?

There’s that other annoyance, too, the notion that the only way out of hard times for an uneducated black kid is through professional sports. But that’s what happened; Michael became a football player, not a NASA scientist.

At another point Leigh Ann says to Michael, “You know, I never even asked you if you actually liked playing football.” And Michael replies resignedly, “Well … I’m good at it,” and shrugs. Whatever makes Mom happy.

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Editor’s Note: This week we welcome a new feature to the pages of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.

Born and raised in Indiana, Reynolds is a graduate of Indiana University and first moved to Oahu in 2005. Traveling is her “one true love” and has led her on backpacking trips throughout Europe, Canada and Asia. She returned to the islands earlier this year and says she is “now here for good.”

By Carey Reynolds
Special to the Star-Bulletin

Brasserie Du Vin is a cozy restaurant modeled after the cafés of rural France and hosts a mellow and romantic crowd of people looking to relax. But every first Friday, the atmosphere turns into a lively mix of people waiting for Chinatown’s art galleries to open.

If you are not a fan of French cuisine, this might not be the place for you — the dishes bring you authentic tastes and bold flavors, although they tend to be a bit salty. Every time I go to Du Vin, I enjoy the mussels, baked brie and fresh mozzarella.

Another one of the best things about this restaurant is the perfectly baked French bread served immediately after you’ve been seated.

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John Berger / jberger@starbulletin.com

Seulyn Au Dang and her husband, Marvin Dang, congratulated Randy Brunett, managing partner of Oceans808, as he hosted the club’s first-anniversary party Nov. 10.

Some skeptics said Oceans808 wouldn’t last a year, but Brunett and his staff proved them wrong.

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It is, as Uncle Tom Moffatt would put it, “The show all Hawaii has been waiting for” — Elton John and percussionist Ray Cooper in a one-nighter at 8 p.m. January 6, 2010 at the Blaisdell Arena.

Tickets, priced at $67, $97 and $157 go on sale Saturday, November 21, at 9 a.m. at the Blaisdell Arena Box Office, online at www.ticketmaster.com, at Ticketmaster outlets, and by phone at 800-745-4000. Tickets are reserved seats, all ages, and limited to six per customer. Applicable service charges will be added to each ticket.

The show is Elton’s first here in nine years and adds Honolulu to the list of cities he and Cooper are playing in what is now a world tour. While Elton is celebrating the world-wide success of his latest album, “Rocket Man-Number Ones,” the tour is also a reunion with Cooper, who first worked with him in the late 1970s and again in the 1990s.

The duo is coming to Hawaii after a performance in the Royal Albert Hall in London and a series of concerts in France and Italy.

Lanai Tabura ‘COMEDY RUN AT THE CUPOLA’ featuring Lanai Tabura, Shawn Felipe and Kaleo Pilanca » Where: Honolulu Design Center, 1250 Kapiolani Blvd. » When: 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Dec. 2 » Cost: $12 (food and drinks available) » Info: 956-1250

Anyone can perform a great stand-up comedy set alone in their car during rush hour traffic. Taking that act beyond the fantasy stage requires getting out in public, testing it on other people and finding out what bits work and what bits need work.

Veteran comics already comfortable working an audience also need a place to test material. Successful singers sometimes complain about fans expecting to hear the same old hits and nothing but the hits, but if a comic tells the same jokes too many times, fans might think they’ve run out of ideas.

Veteran comic Lanai Tabura addresses both sides of the issue on Wednesdays at the Honolulu Design Center’s Cupola Theatre. Lanai — his public moniker for more than two decades — is co-headlining the local comedy showcase with two other stand-up veterans, Shawn Felipe and Kaleo Pilanca.

Newer talents also have a chance for stage time when space is available. Champ Kaneshiro, the designated host of the show, was indisposed when I stopped by last week, so Lanai was the emcee and two younger talents — David Lee and Paul Kane — got an opportunity to perform.

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Cindy Ellen Russell / crussell@starbulletin.com
The Honolulu Youth Symphony rehearsed last month at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

A good interviewer always ends a conversation with either “Is there anything else you’d like to talk about?” or “What else are you working on these days?”

Put the question to Willie K and the conversation can continue for quite a while. Willie returns to Oahu this weekend for a benefit performance with the Hawaii Youth Symphony on Sunday, but, since you asked, he is also:

>> Writing a rock opera, as yet untitled, and looking for musicians “who understand what I’m doing. I want to create my own ‘Tommy,’ my own ‘Dark Side of the Moon.’”

>> Anticipating the release of “You May Not Kiss the Bride,” a film in which he not only appeared in a prominent role, but also received “front credits” and a spot in the score.

>> Working on an album for Universal Records in England.

>> Preparing a private concert in Oklahoma for an American billionaire.

>> Planning a new Willie K DVD.

>> Recording a live CD with his new trio (Oahu saw them at the Waikiki Aquarium this summer).

>> Anticipating a world tour with Simply Red in 2010.

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