Kristin and Maile Kai

It’s a twofold mystery: 1) How the heck my grandniece, 13-year-old Maile Kai Merrick, had the courage, fortitude, and most of all, talent and poise, to come out cold (the two had never met) and appear onstage at the Granada in front of a full house to sing a duet with veteran Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth; and 2) how the heck Janet Adderley (a Broadway veteran herself) manages to sniff out, hone, encourage, tweak, bolster, nurture, and ultimately embolden the young talents she shepherds at her School for the Performing Arts here in Santa Barbara, Pacific Palisades, and Austin, Texas (her home state). If you were among the 1,400-plus members of the audience to attend, you saw two remarkable performances that night two weeks ago: the first by Ms Chenoweth, whose fearless artistry continues to sparkle, and Maile Kai’s unrehearsed but oh so professional Granada debut that earned her and Kristin a well-deserved hoot-and-holler standing ovation.

Chipping In

Just a short note to mention the 23rd Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Golf Tournament (and 10th Annual Bobbie Kline Memorial) takes place on Monday, November 4 at La Cumbre Country Club. Check-in is at 9 am, shotgun start begins at 11 am and the $230 entry fee includes green fees, cart, range balls, box lunch, and an awards presentation. All proceeds go to Breast Care Imaging Center at Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital and the Breast Cancer Resource Center in Santa Barbara. If you’d like to join this group of (mostly) women players or maybe even donate or help sponsor it, contact Bonnie Crouse at 805-886-5649.