How big is the world's largest hotel?

Ask globetrotting Pamela Young of KITV4, whose "Mixed Plate in Macau" airs at 8 p.m. today on Channel 4 (repeating at 1 p.m. Sunday). She's back from a Macau visit with cameraman Ken Chong, staying part of the time at the world's largest resort, the Venetian Macau on the Cotai Strip. They discovered that the $2.5 billion behemoth — part of the country's biggest construction boom — was the size of 56 football fields and employs a staff of 12,000.

Young said it took 20 minutes every morning to get from hotel suite to breakfast buffet site, "primarily because we'd get lost every single time." Young did a lot of eating, because she neither drinks nor gambles, and Chong — who tried his luck at the tables — said that baccarat, not blackjack, is the biggie in Macau. Young ran into Evangeline Lei, formerly of the Marriott in Waikiki, who works in the Venetian's public relations office, proving even in a gargantuan hotel, it's a small world. ...

WHEE, THE PEOPLE: Kimo's in Lahaina was buzzing on Labor Day as Peter Fonda, the Hollywood actor and Oscar nominee, dined with pals. Across the restaurant that same night, Los Angeles Lakers star Luke Walton, son of NBA great Bill Walton, was having a great time with friends and other NBA players. ...

Ron Bright, who is directing Paliku Theatre's revival of "Miss Saigon," escaped with his family from their Kane'ohe digs for a Labor Day weekend in Waikiki to mark his 75th birthday. Upon return to rehearsals for the play, opening Oct. 3, the cast and crew serenaded him and cast member Misaki Kawa-chi, who also had a birthday; they shared a cake-and-ice cream moment. But actresses portraying bar girls in the musical only got slivers and mini-portions of the birthday goodies, per instructions from costumer Evette Tanoue, who still is completing the scanty bikinis for their on-stage scenes. Bright wore a Ho Chi Minh T-shirt, a gift from Tanoue, who just returned from a Vietnam trip for fabrics and costumes. ...

itemizations: With all that midweek focus on Kim Gennaula leaving her anchor's seat at KGMB9 in November to become a director of philanthropy at Kapi'olani Health Foundation, there was a slight distortion of her move there. Gennaula and Lynne Wooddell will share the title, working alongside each other, and they have common ground: Both are mothers with two children and have incredible connections in the community, balancing a career and motherhood with a passion for the health of Hawai'i's children. And poor Gennaula: She shed tears during the 6 p.m. newscast when she was part of the news, with wet eyes at 10 p.m. She starts her new job Sept. 15, relinquishing her 5 and 6 p.m. slot, but will continue doing the 10 p.m. weekday newscast through Nov. 26. Keep the Kleenex handy. ...

The Three Phantoms — Craig Schulman, Cris Groenendaal and Kevin Gray — did four tunes at the KSSK Road Runner Music Hall at the 'Iwilei studios last Friday — and earned a standing ovation from the invited audience, the first time since the in-house venue was launched. The Phantoms return to the Hawai'i Theatre for a three-day gig starting Friday. ...

With Greg Azus of Onstage Productions taking over the operations at Pipeline Cafe, look for renovations and upgrades along with a slew of comedians. Due in October: Gilbert Gottfried on Oct. 1, Paula Poundstone on Oct. 15, Doug Benson on Oct. 22, and Ralphy May on Oct. 29. ...

HITHER 'N' YON: Ann Hart, president of Temple University, is here from Philadelphia to host a dinner at the Hau Terrace at the Halekulani Hotel for the local Temple alumni. Besides talking about the vast changes at Temple since the alumni graduated, she's announcing the new George and Joy Abbott Center for Musical Theater, named for the late legendary Broadway producer-director and his widow, who lives in Honolulu. Joy Abbott's sister, May Ann Beamer, who is Keola Beamer's wife and a Temple alumna, will attend the dinner. Pianist Betty Loo Taylor will provide accompaniment when Joy Abbott and Gary Aiko present a program of Broadway, jazz and some Hawaiian hospitality after dinner. And since president Hart and her husband Randy are celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary in Hawai'i, Aiko and Abbott will offer the "Hawaiian Wedding Song" ...

Jack and Maydelle Cione are prepping for yet another cruise — they leave Sept. 24 for a two-week Princess Cruises voyage to Central America, which includes that Panama Canal segment. Upon his return, Jack heads to Samoa for the Miss South Pacific Festival, a contest he started 20 years ago. ...

Frannie Kirk, Outrigger Entertainment honcho, also plans a fall journey to Florida — then a Panama crossing, too. ...

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.