Former KHON-2 sportscaster Les Keiter is being immortalized on stage.

His daughter, New York-based Cindy Keiter Reilly, has written "They Call My Dad the General," and will appear in the one-woman multimedia show in a three-performance run Sept. 23-24 at La Pietra-Hawai'i School for Girls. A fourth showing will be staged Sept. 30 at 'Iolani School.

A La Pietra graduate, Reilly is returning to Hawai'i after three decades to perform the tribute to her father's six-decade career (he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown in 1998).

For tickets, call 924-7515.

— Wayne Harada, Advertiser entertainment writer

WILSON OUT OF 'TROPIC THUNDER'

LOS ANGELES — Owen Wilson, hospitalized after an apparent suicide attempt, has dropped out of the upcoming ensemble comedy "Tropic Thunder."

The 38-year-old actor will not appear in the DreamWorks movie, already six weeks into production on Kaua'i. Sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to comment, told the Associated Press that Wilson was to have a cameo role in the film, which stars Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr. and Ben Stiller, who is also directing.

Wilson was taken by ambulance to a hospital Sunday after police responded to a call about a suicide attempt at his Santa Monica home. Wilson's publicist has declined to say whether the actor tried to take his own life.

MALAWI CHECKING UP ON MADONNA

NEW YORK — The Malawi welfare official overseeing Madonna's efforts to adopt an African toddler said yesterday he will make a trip to the singer's London home next week to assess her suitability as an adoptive parent.

Penston Kilembe canceled a visit in May, the first of two court-ordered trips to check on the adoption process. Newspapers have spoken of an internal ministry dispute over the possibility that Madonna paid his expenses for the trip.

Kilembe said the financing was always meant to be shared between the prospective adoptive family and the Malawi government.

"But you have to remember that our budget on children's issues is very, very small so we may not able to afford that one ... it's in the best interest of the child that she does support, as a way of complementing government efforts," he said.

Madonna and her husband, film producer Guy Ritchie, took David Banda, then 14 months old, home last October.

HELMSLEY POOCH INHERITS $12M

NEW YORK — Billionaire Leona Helmsley's pampered pooch will go on living in the lap of luxury.

The Queen of Mean cut two of her grandchildren out of her $4 billion fortune, but left her largest bequest to Trouble, her tiny white Maltese.

A source said the $12 million trust was created to care for the dog, who once starred in ads for the Helmsley Hotels.

The luxury-hotel queen died last week at age 87.