SHOW BIZ
Bullock and beau dine around town

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

Sight 'ems: Actress Sandra Bullock and beau Jesse James have kept oglers busy. They were part of a party of seven at Roy's in Hawai'i Kai last Sunday, enjoying themselves. Also had a relaxing dinner at the Ocean House restaurant at the Outrigger Reef Hotel last Thursday, where she ordered crab cakes and opakapaka with ginger sauce and he had shrimp cocktail and a tenderloin steak. Watch for a pic of the couple in the next People magazine. ...

Ignace "Iggy" Jang, concertmaster of the Honolulu Symphony, celebrated his engagement to Christine Suehisa with dinner at Chef Mavro's. Word is that Iggy's proposal came late in the evening, with the couple arriving at the Mo'ili'ili restaurant after the last seating. Chef George Mavrothalassitis and staff were more than happy to accommodate the couple, serving a romantic (and celebratory) dinner. ...

Out Maui way, Nicole Richie has become a big fan of Valley Isle fashion designer Maggie Couloumbe. So when she showed up to shop at Maggie's Lahaina boutique, the staff closed the store so Richie could enjoy a private look-and-see. Chef James McDonald, whose Pacific 'O and I'o restaurants are right next door, sent over a platter of pupu and a bottle of champagne. That's a change of pace from the "Simple Life" experience ...

Whee, the people: Liz Damon, now based in Las Vegas, will make a rare Honolulu appearance when she guest-stars in the " '70s Nostalgia Night/Battle of the Bands" event, from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday at the Hawaiian Hut at the Ala Moana Hotel. It will be a reunion of sorts, since she appeared in a similar nostalgia-laced celebration earlier this year in Las Vegas. Damon will perform "1900 Yesterday," her signature hit with the Orient Express, joining show principal Dalton Tanonaka on stage. What her fans may not know is that she has been battling breast cancer and has undergone chemotherapy. "When I did the show in Las Vegas, I had to wear a wig — I'd lost all my hair at the time — and there were some nervous moments," she said. Bands such as Flashback, King Pins, Soulz, Dimensions and Calientes will perform, with some proceeds going to Big Brothers/Big Sisters and the American Cancer Society. Tickets are $30. ...

Speaking of Vegas: As mentioned here recently, the "classic" Society of Seven (the original group, with founders Tony Ruivivar and Bert Sagum), opens Aug. 7 at Bally's Jubilee Theatre, in a matinee (3 p.m.) slot. Ruivivar, Sagum and Filipina songbird Lani Misalucha (also sharing the Bally billing) have been interviewed for the "News From America" show (aimed at Filipino viewers) on the Filipino Channel and airing worldwide tomorrow (and repeating over the next few weeks), according to Sagum. ...

Sonya Balmores, Miss Teen Hawai'i USA, is off to Palm Springs for the Miss Teen USA national pageant set for Aug. 6 (NBC will carry it). She just graduated from Kaua'i High School (with a 3.9 GPA) and has completed national commercials for Nike, Target, Macy's and Billabong. Takeo has designed her competition gown. ...

What's in a name? Confusion, if it's "Don Tiki Adulterated — the Remix Project," a music CD distributed by the Mountain Apple Company. Shelley Coscina of Mountain Apple said a buyer at Longs 'Aiea refused to carry the release because of an adults-only implication.

Coscina tried to explain that the product is a recording and that adulterated means "tampered with," as opposed to unadulterated, or pure, since the music tracks were remixed by deejays around the world. The store still declined to include "Don Tiki Adulterated" on its shelves — which Don Tiki co-founder Lloyd Kandell found funny. ...

Itemizations: A local dude, who goes by the name mikallangelo, 25, is one of 50 semifinalists for the Mr. Gay.com contest now under way. Voting is at www.gay.com, and the winner will be dubbed Mr. Gay.com Universe. ...

And the beat goes on: Dale Payson, who's been doing the morning drive show on Bob FM (KHUI 99.5 FM) for the past four months (he also hosts the " 'Ohana Road" TV show on KITV), does his final stint on the station tomorrow. With the impending sale of the station (new owner, possibly a format switcheroo, too), change is in the wind. ...

Local girl Megan Ward co-stars with Patty Duke in the TV movie "Murder Without Conviction," airing Sept. 5. Stay tuned for details. ...

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.