NAME-DROPPING: Kaleo Pilanca, who has been doing radio (Island 98.5 FM) and TV ("Da Braddahs & Friends," on Oceanic 16), is ready for his close-up. Sometime in January, Pilanca expects to start work on a DVD he's titling "All Nahenahe," which will bring together the loves of his life: stand-up, surfing and character-creating. ...

Bree Bumatai, widow of Ray Bumatai, is leaving her Oceanic Time Warner post to join Aubrey Hawk Public Relations, effective tomorrow. With her theatrical background, most recently at Manoa Valley Theatre, Bumatai will assist Hawk in tending to two theater clients, MVT and the Honolulu Theatre for Youth. ...

Congrats to Dan Kelin II, who has earned two major theater fellowships this year, in the midst of his 20th season with the Honolulu Theatre for Youth, where he is drama education director. He just was honored with a teaching artist fellowship from the Montalvo Arts Center in Saratoga, Calif., which provides a three-month residency in Montalvo's Lucas Artist Program. Kelin also is recipient of a prestigious ASSITEJ/USA Ann Shaw fellowship (a theater nonprofit that supports professional theater for the young), which enables him to continue studies with Velu Saravanan, director of he Aazhi Children's Theatre in Pondicherry, India. ...

WHEE, THE PEOPLE: Eddie Sherman's "Frank, Sammy, Marlon & Me" (Watermark Publishing), his memoir of the celebs he admired and interviewed mostly during his reign as a three-dot columnist for The Advertiser, is just out. The stories about Hollywood types are fascinating. I've heard the yarns about Bette Midler and others many times, but in book talk, Sherman finally has learned to spell — and this is a great read. ...

After a trial run earlier this year, Jack Cione won't restage a "Mardi Gras Follies" at the Hawai'i Theatre. Instead of writing a new edition this time of year and prepping for auditions, he's transformed the Arcadia, where he and wife Maydelle live, to create a Christmas-Mardi Gras atmosphere. "If I'm still alive, there will be Mardi Gras in 2008," said Cione, who will take yet another interisland cruise in December. ...

Carolyn Cubit-Tsutsui is new to the Hawai'i Theatre staff, serving as stage manager. ...

Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" will be the spring production at Saint Louis School's Mamiya Theatre, opening March 2, and senior Dean So'oalo will be the Beast (he was Mushnick in the campus' "Little Shop of Horrors" last year), and Punahou sophomore Nataysha Echevarria will be Belle (she played Little Red Riding Hood in Diamond Head Theatre's recent "Into the Woods" production). Kyle Kakuno will direct, Roslyn Catracchia will be musical director, and the chorus will be populated by students from the community. ...

HOMETOWN TIDBITS: Sean Tiwanak, who has overcome congestive heart failure, has been working on a CD over the past 18 months, providing inspiration and an creative outlet during his difficult time. The CD, "Home to Me," should be out soon. ...

Swaine Kaui, who did local theater before earning his BFA in artistic direction and cultural fusion at Webster Conservatory of the Performing Arts and working on a master's in directing at Long Island University, has had numerous other jobs. They include directing a documentary on the Thai performing arts, toiling on an Asia Commedia Dell'Arte tour, playing Ito in a touring "Mame" and working on an "Ellis Island" musical in the southern states. He couldn't be happier, though, about a gig in January: He will be assistant director for Army Community Theatre's "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." ...

And that's Show Biz. ...

Show Biz is published Tuesdays and Thursdays. Reach Wayne Harada at 525-8067, wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com or fax 525-8055.