We're just back from a trek to New York for our annual nibble of The Big Apple, and it was sweet and delish — airline delays notwithstanding.

FIRST THINGS FIRST: Yes, Loretta Ables Sayre, our local Tony nominee, was absolutely enchanting as Bloody Mary in the Lincoln Center Theater at the Vivian Beaumont hit, "South Pacific," in which she'll continue through the Jan. 4 extension. The show's on an open-end run, so if you have an inclination to see what the hubbub (and glory) is all about, do so. You'll love Ables Sayre, as we did, not only for her onstage performance, but for the off-stage aloha she's generated with her fellow cast and crew, as well as stage door fans (including beaucoup locals) who wait to see her for photo and autograph ops after her performances.

She led a backstage tour (Randy, Gay and Andrew Hongo were there, too) of the Vivian Beaumont Theater, and we had dinner with her after a Wednesday night performance at O'Neal's, a restaurant near the theater and her East Side apartment. ...

"I am recovering from all of the hoopla that led to the Tonys," said Ables Sayre, who was recognized on the streets ("That's Bloody Mary!"), en route to dinner. Her fellow stars — Tony winner Paulo Szot (Emile de Becque), Kelli O'Hara (Nellie Forbush), Danny Burstein (Luther Billis) and Matthew Morrison (Lt. Cable) — are 'ohana now. "We're getting on to the task of finding the rhythm in our lives to do the show, keep up our health and our voices, and find the pockets of time to have a real life," she said. "Maybe I'll finally be able to see some of NYC and enjoy it all."

AND THAT"S THE RUB: You have to live and breathe theater and save energy for the eight performances a week; this ethic remains high and pure. ...

WHEE, THE PEOPLE: Bassist John Kolivas, whose Honolulu Jazz Quartet presents a fund-raising concert July 27 (with Pauline Wilson) at the Honolulu Academy of Arts' Doris Duke Theatre, surprised Ables Sayre at "South Pacific."

"My friend, drummer Bill Lanham, plays in the show (orchestra), so he invited me to sit in the orchestra pit with him," said Kolivas, who has longstanding ties with Ables Sayre. He just sat in the pit, but had to don a tux because he took a curtain call bow with the ork.

"I first worked with her in 1980 with the Beamer Brothers," he said. "The last show she performed in Hawai'i before being called to Broadway was 'You Somebody' at DHT (Diamond Head Theatre)," with Kolivas doing music. ...

SIGHT 'EMS: We saw 10 shows over seven days, including the refreshing "In the Heights" with Tony-winning Lin-Manuel Miranda, whose autobiographical hip-hop barrio musical continues to pack 'em in at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. This is the Best Musical produced by a hui that includes Hawai'i-born Kevin McCollum. ...

McCollum also has a newbie, "[title of show]," formally opening tonight at the Lyceum Theatre, about a team trying to mount a Broadway production. No stars, but a lot of charm — kinda like "A Chorus Line" except it's not about dancers, but about a lyricist and composer. ...

Estelle Parsons ("Bonnie and Clyde") has replaced Tony winner Deanna Dunagan in the compelling "August: Osage County" Tony-winning drama, but she brings star presence to the cast at The Music Box; and at a performance of Stew's autobiographical musical, "Passing Strange," we saw Frank Langella ("Dracula") chuckling over some of the scenes. This is the production moviemaker Spike Lee will shoot with and without audiences for either theatrical or cable release. ...

It was a hoot at "The Little Mermaid," to encounter Merwin Foard — so wonderful as the first Javert in "Les Misérables" here — in a small role as the ship pilot in the Disney musical that's selling out to a family audience at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. No, we didn't do a stage door visit. ...

Patti LuPone, who had a broken toe, still did her Tony-winning turn in "Gypsy" with all the bravura, fury and fire you'd expect from her; she wasn't going to disappoint her fans. She wore socks, not shoes, throughout the matinee performance we caught, not ever skipping a beat. ...

MERRY AND BRIGHT: The aforementioned producer McCollum, whose credits also include "Rent," "The Drowsy Chaperone" and "Avenue Q," has been negotiating to bring his holiday spectacle, "White Christmas," to a Broadway crowd for a November through January run. He's produced the show, based on the 1954 Irving Berlin film, in cities such as San Francisco, Boston, Detroit, Toronto, Los Angeles and St. Paul, Minn. If Radio City Music Hall maintains its holiday spectacle, and if "Scrooge" is remounted again, it would be a merry — and maybe white and bright — Christmas. ...

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.