Besides the Hawaiian Grammy nominees announced recently, two expats with Island ties and visibility are in other races for the 2010 awards show, set for Jan. 31 at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Dean Pitchford, the noted ex-Broadway performer turned film and stage composer turned children's author, has earned his second nomination for best spoken-word album for children for his "Captain Nobody" novel. Kimo Cornwell, former Kalapana trouper and current keyboardist for Hiroshima, is part of the fusion jazz group's second nomination for best pop instrumental album for "Legacy." ...

Chris Bright, a Kamehameha Schools senior and eldest grandchild of Ron and Mo Bright, is the lone Islander tapped to play in the 2010 U.S. Army All-American Marching Band during the televised 2010 All-American Bowl Jan. 9 in San Antonio. The nation's top high school senior football players and marching musicians will assemble, and, yep, the Brights will be in the stands. ...

UPDATE: Roland Cazimero is still hospitalized and continues to improve in his battle with pneumonia. "The pneumonia bacteria is not infectious, so we don't have to wear (over-the-mouth) masks," said sister Tootsie Cazimero. "I feel better knowing he's there (in the hospital) where they can help him at the touch of a button," said Robert Cazimero.

Exercises to improve his breathing and elasticity in his affected left lung have helped; but the bed rest in the hospital is best to monitor his diabetes, too. Consequently, The Brothers Cazimero have canceled their usual Wednesday gigs at Chai's Island Bistro for the rest of December and next month; and their Christmas concert this weekend is off, too. At press time, only family members could visit Roland, and flowers are now OK but no fruit baskets. However, Roland welcomes notes and cards, and if you want to know where he's hospitalized, give me a call. ...

STAGE BITS: Manoa Valley Theatre's "Winter Wonderettes," which closed a week ago, will best be remembered for Pomai Lopez's presence — as singer, prancer, Suzie Snowflake and gymnast — she not only cartwheeled across the stage, she did a split! And got down to her undies! All in good holiday fun. With colleagues Aubrey Lee Glover, Becky Maltby and Alex Lanning, the Wonderettes provided warm holiday harmonies — stirred with comedy. ...

The Paliku Academy of Performing Arts provided the first float and was the first performing unit in the recent Käne'ohe Christmas parade. To keep with the parade's 50th anniversary on "A Golden Christmas" theme, PAPA fashioned a float to mimic a golden toy train, with come-to-life "toys" followed by 40 singers and dancers performing Christmas hits. The thespians also will stage "The Magic of Christmas," a musical, from noon to 1 p.m. Dec. 20, and attendees are asked to bring a new toy (or donate money) for Toys for Tots. ...

FOOD TALK: Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto dined at Kevin Y. Aoki's Doraku Sushi at the Royal Hawaiian Center. He had the lobster salad, the Doraku roll and other fusion-style sushi but also created a new miso soup with tenkatsu (tempura) flakes, cilantro and jalapeno peppers. Doraku exec chef Hide assisted. ...

Chef Mavro's Beaujolais Nouveau feast, which diners have given a thumbs up, is on a hana hou run (three courses, $59) through this Saturday. ...

And that's Show Biz. ...

Reach Wayne Harada at 266-0926. Read his blog Fridays in TGIF and at http://showandtellhawaii.honadvblogs.com.