Life is often a series of ups and downs, and entertainer Horace Dudoit found out this week that what goes up doesn’t always go down – or vice versa.
Dudoit, the leader of the musical group Ho‘okena, did some routine shopping at Macy’s at Pearlridge this past Tuesday (Nov. 4).
He pressed a button in an elevator, and yes, you guessed it: the elevator was stuck.
“It took 20 minutes for one of the employees to see me pounding on the glass, which was insulated through double glass,” he said. “And it took another 25 minutes for HFD (Honolulu Fire Department) to come and help me out.”
It was a routine shopping trek. He caught the elevator to get to his car outside Macy’s, and then the drama began.
“The emergency button was not working; neither was any other button in there,” said Dudoit. “When the elevator closed and started going up, it dropped a fast one, and I panicked a little because I didn’t know how much it went up, and I was hoping that it
wasn’t going to drop more, which gave me anxiety.”
He phoned his wife Nani, who was working at home, to alert Mach’s security people. She alerted the folks.
“The first question they asked her was ‘how long has he been stuck?,’ which pissed me off more.”
About the same time, an employee saw and heard Dudoit pounding and waving.
They summoned HFD, and he gave the first responders a 10 rating for their professionalism.
“They were supposed to wait for an elevator technician to get there to open the elevator,” he said. But clearly, when there’s a proverbial fire, they take action.
“The firefighter told me to try and help pry open the door from my side, which I tried earlier but failed, but I was able to get it a little open.”
When he was rescued, Dudoit said he was stuck higher up than he imagined.
So, will he utilize the Macy’s elevator anytime soon? His comment: “I will use the escalator from now on”…
Royal Hawaiian Band celebrates Christmas
The Royal Hawaiian Band will stage “Kalikimaka Ho‘omau” (It’s Chrstimas Every Day”) at 7 p.m. Nov. 28 at the Blaisdell Concert Hall.
The event is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required for the general public, but the presenters are asking invited guests to respond to receive reserved seats.
Doors open at 6 p.m., with pre-concert entertainment beginning at 6:20 p.m.
An all-star slate of performers will be featured, including Henry Kapono, Raiatea Helm, the Kamehameha Schools Children’s Chorus, the ‘Ohana Jazz Trio with Noel Okimoto, Dean Taba and Tommy James, Kumu Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Kala‘i Stern, Karen Keawehawai‘i, Malia Ka‘ai, Starr Kalahiki, Kanani Oliveira, and Ku‘ulei Hazlewood.
The Royal Hawaiian Band will perform, too, under the direction of Clarke Bright.
And that’s Show Biz…