HAPPY TALK: After I mentioned that Marlene Sai would be assuming the role of Bloody Mary in the Hawaii Opera Theatre's production of "South Pacific," July 27-29 and Aug. 3-5 at Blaisdell Concert Hall, I got a query from Rachel Hoffman, a New York casting director. She asked about the possibility of Sai taking on the part in a 2008 Lincoln Center revival of the Rodgers and Hammerstein evergreen! Goofy (as Sai's buddies call her) could expand her "Bali Hai" and "Happy Talk" tunes to a New York audience. It's exploratory at this point, but just being asked is an honor. Hoffman's company has cast Broadway hits such as "Hairspray," "Wicked" and "Rent." Stay tuned. ...

Meanwhile, Sai is part of the "Radio Hula" Hana Hou! concert tomorrow night at the Hawai'i Theatre, where Tony Conjugacion, Aaron Sala, The Radio Hula Quartet (Danny Kiaha on bass, Mark Yim on rhythm guitar, Jeff Au Hoy on steel guitar and Conjugacion on 'ukulele) also will perform. Tickets are $33. ...

SIGHT 'EMS: That was Charo, the cuchi cuchi cutie, having a business lunch at Cassis by Chef Mavro on Monday. The Las Vegas resident ate mahimahi, spinach and Big Island ogo with herb sauce. ...

While Mick Fleetwood's Island Rumours Band cranked out Fleetwood Mac's "Rhiannon" at Saturday's Diamond Head Crater Celebration, there was a historic moment — when Fleetwood announced that John McVie, one of the pillars of the original Big Mac, was in the VIP section. It was a meeting of giants, too, when Fleetwood met Mayor Mufi Hannemann. Hizzonner, also a huge Earth, Wind & Fire fan, was happy to meet founding member Verdine White. Celebration producer Ron Gibson flew to Maui, where EWF did a sell-out concert at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. And guess what — Gibson's already working on the 2008 celebration. ...

NOTABLE 'N' QUOTABLE: Matthew Fox, Jack on ABC's "Lost," was keynote speaker at his alma mater, Columbia College, recently. He told graduates about looking ahead at hopes and dreams, that "the safest choice may not be the best choice." He added, "Live for your own passion, not the aspirations or expectations others have for you. Trade fear for trust. ... As of tomorrow, you are the author of your own life." ...

Little Kai Adam Lovern Drewes did something his dad, KHNL weekend anchor Paul Drewes, seldom does: Arrive early. So says Drewes' colleague, Diane Ako, about the arrival May 15 of the little boy. Born six weeks early and weighing 4.5 pounds, he spent time in intensive care before he could return home with mom Gina. Kai's appetite is up, although his weight is slow to increase, but hey, good things come in small packages. And Ako is visibly expectant, too. ...

LITERARY LIGHTS: Tom Moffatt spoke at the Hawaii Book Publishers Association's Ka Palapala Po'okela book awards at McCoy Pavilion on Friday. In the audience were writers James Houston, Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and Kaui Hart Hemmings, whose novel "The Descendants," set in contemporary Hawai'i, is just out from Random House.

STAGE CUES: The Actors Ohana, led by Scott Rogers of The Academy of Film and Television (1174 Waimanu St.), will stage Martin McDonagh's brilliant dark comedy, "The Lieutenant of Inishmore," for four weekends, beginning tomorrow. "The Actors Ohana was formed a year and a half ago to do projects, mostly film, but I saw the play in New York and somebody had to do it." There were no nibbles for other theaters here so Rogers tapped his students, whom he describes as "a ragtag group of actors who want to work ... to experiment, to become good actors." Biggest task: working on the Irish accents. And his key advice: "You don't know acting till you do theater." ...

Al Waterson appears tomorrow night as the Teen Angel in Army Community Theatre's "Grease" at Richardson Theatre, but not at Saturday's finale due to a prior commitment. ...

And that's Show Biz. ...