ACROSS THE SEA: Dean Pitchford's hit Broadway musical, "Footloose," will make its London debut April 3 at the newly renovated Novello Theatre (formerly the Aldwych) in the West End, which is akin to New York's Broadway as the hub of stage productions.

The show, with lyrics by Pitchford and music by Tom Snow, bowed in January in Cardiff, Wales, to enthusiastic reviews. Hawai'i native Pitchford will huddle with the director before the London premiere. Based on the movie, the show debuted in October 1998 in New York, logging more than 700 performances.

"The excitement surrounding this production has already resulted in various European producers announcing plans for productions in Austria, Germany, Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Hungary and Poland — all this while the Italian-language tour of the shows continues to break box-office records," Pitchford said. ...

THE LOCAL ANGLE: Keoki Kerr, KITV-4 reporter and sometime actor, is off to New York to catch a bunch of shows. Before leaving, he did a photo shoot with Gene Allen for Army Community Theatre's "Damn Yankees," the baseball-themed musical in which he'll star in May. Only strikeout: Kerr was wearing an antique baseball costume as he last-minute-shopped at Longs — and got stares and glares. ...

John Rampage, Diamond Head Theatre artistic director, was pleased to see former student Q'orianka Kilcher in this month's Vanity Fair Hollywood issue as "The Natural." Kilcher was Pocahontas in "The New World," earning raves and an award from the National Board of Review. Rampage remembers her as a student at DHT in fall 1998. ...

Karen Keawehawai'i has been sitting in for KSSK's Larry Price, particularly at the Saturday-morning breakfast shows at John Dominis, since January. Price, recovering from bypass surgery, returned to his seat next to Michael W. Perry on March 4; Keawehawai'i surprised the "Coach" with a lei and a kiss upon his return. ...

On the same show, Perry welcomed veteran entertainer Art Todd, who was celebrating his 92nd birthday, and Perry told the "Chanson D'Amour" hit-maker that as a youth of 12 back in 1960, Perry won that recording in a radio station contest. The tune has been a signature for Todd and his late wife, Dotty, for years. ...

AROUND TOWN: Gil Duldulao, the local boy who has choreographed and danced with the likes of Janet Jackson and Britney Spears, is coming home to teach again — one of four Broadway Dance Center instructors providing hip-hop and jazz instruction March 25 and 26 at the Waikiki Beach Marriott hotel. The sessions, also with Brian Friedman, Mia Michaels and Cris Judd, include day workshops, vendors and a competition, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday ($150 for each day, $250 for both). Call (212) 584-9304 or see www.broadwaydancecenter.com. ...

Mickey Graue, a fourth-grader at Aikahi Elementary, was snatched up by The Others in episode 7 of this season's "Lost." He has an interview in "The Untold Story," a magazine available on the West and East coasts. His dad is Dennis Graue, Don Ho's conductor and pianist. ...

San Francisco 49ers' legendary Steve Young dined with the Dallas Mavericks' Shawn Bradley recently at the Hilton Waikoloa Village's Kamuela Provision Co., opting for salmon brulee and rib-eye steak with garlic mashed potatoes and green asparagus. ...

Michael Wurth's "Pele O Ka Foodmart," which premiered at the Hawaii International Film Festival, is headed to the Pacifika Hawaiian Film Festival of New York, May 19-21 in the Big Apple. "Pele" was made for an Island viewership, but, Wurth noted, "It's encouraging to know the film might make a difference elsewhere." ...

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.