For armchair globetrotters, the Kahala Hilton's "A Night Around The World," nightly through Saturday in the Maile Restaurant, is a smorgasbord of food and fun.
There are international delicacies to sample in that ample buffet dinner, and assorted musical tidbits to savor during a post meal hour-long show.

Certainly, it's impossible to take a grand world tour in an hour - maybe 80 days, as the song suggests - so what you get are quickie. Some good, some bad.

Lawrence Andrini: A maestro with a marvelous mandolin, has packaged a seesawing show that supposedly, if not infrequently, relates to a forthcoming world cruise offered by American President Lines. Hence the series of "Night" shows. Andrini's a nimble-fingered mandolinist with an expressive and creviced face and he really makes the jaunt joyful. One moment, he's offering Hungarian dances, another, he's plucking out "Zorba the Greek."

Several singers share the spotlight, and for my taste, Filipina songstress Amapola is the most poised, most charming.

Her native contributions - "Dahil Sa Iyo", in particular - plus colorfully candid "Yoshiko" (in Japanese) were among the evening's best works.

Two other voices in the revue - baritone Steve Carroll and soprano Giovanna Ditano - provided variety. He was the romanticist, weaving in and out of love items such has "Where do I begin" and "I Love Paris," she was the lark - operatic variety - chirping on the likes of "O Sole Mio"and a dash of Italian Folk Songs.

Dancers Iwalani Hicks and Michael Cui were fashionably dressed, but what they programmed was not necessarily chic. She did a curious version of "Aquarius" in either a Thai or Indonesian outfit, in addition to a hula to "Lehua Lani" in what resembled a steal from "My Fair Lady" feathered hat and all.

If anyone should rate a nod, it's Bernie Hal-Mann's band which had a difficult chore of tuning up such divers musical ditties as "Sound of Music,", "I Left My Heart In San Francisco,""McNamara's Band," and "Grand 'OLE Flag,"to fit the 'round the world merry go round'.

Sponsored by Kahala Hilton, American President Lines, Ruth Rittmeister of International Travel Service

MABUHAY: AMAPOLA, the Filipina songstress taking part in this week's "A Night Around The World" program at the Kahala Hilton's Maile Restaurant, has been extended a second time at the hotel.

She normally sings with Bernie Hal-Manns band in the dance sessions in the Maile Lounge. There are no "shows" - just sets that build moods of love here and abroad. And no cover or minimum, which appears to appeal to the locals.

So...the hotel has held her over through September 30. She was to have stayed on another week.

You can catch her with Hal-Mann after the "Night" cruises. Or from 8:30 PM daily except Sundays when the Maile resumes its usual policy next week...

by Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Editor

Jetting to a singing engagement is one of entertainer Amapola's biggest thrills.

"I get so excited," she said. "It's like a dream come true. I used to read about someone being a jet-setter. Now I get to travel by jet, singing in one city and then another."

She's taken a two-week leave from her singing spotlight at San Francisco's Spring House in the Bedford Hotel, to headline a benefit concert themed "Stars of the Philippines in Concert" at 7:30pm Saturday at the Waikiki Shell.

Amapola - onetime headliner at the Kahala Hilton's Maile Lounge - is topping the bill. Others in the show are Eddie Mesa, Susan dela Victoria and Armando Suarez.

"Sure I would love to come back to sing in Hawaii again," she said. "In fact, I had four offers to open up in Waikiki. Before, I used to say yes to anything. But I"m taking it slowly this time; I want to have room to call my home. You know, like Carole Kai and Liz Damon."

"I've been doing show-type performances, and I'm having a lot of fun."

"My home is still the Philippines, but I haven't been living there for about 1 1/2 years. I did visit home last January and Filipino entertainers are having a ball now. There's been a ban on foreign entertainers, so a lot of the local Filipinos are performing in the hotels and clubs."

AMAPOLA will be doing a recording next month in Los Angeles and expectedly, she's excited.

"It'll be my first in the US for Gold Star Productions. That's the studio where the Carpenters and Vikki Carr got started."

The Filipina songbird has formed her own band, but her musicians have stayed back in San Francisco - to carry on her shows.

"I've been opening up my shows with the song "Amapola" she laughed. That was my parent's favorite love song. My mom plays the piano; her favorite piece had always been Chopin's Polonaise. If she had a baby boy, she was going to name him Polonaise. If she had a girl, it would be Amapola.

"AND I'M GLAD I TURNED OUT A GIRL! Can you imagine anyone named Polonaise?"

"But then she could have liked "Chattanooga Choo Choo."

Following Saturday's concert - a fund-raiser for the Maryknoll sisters - Amapola has singing gigs in Maui and Kauai. On Thursday she jets back to San Francisco.

"I have to be singing Thursday night," she said. "But I enjoy this hectic life."

Photo Caption: AMAPOLA: HERE FOR A SING AT THE SHELL.