Change is imminent with the "classic" Society of Seven, the Tony Ruivivar-led Island act, still pumping out the energy and vibes at the Flamingo showroom in Las Vegas. Marc Escueta, who joined the band as a featured singer, impressionist and dancer in August 2006, has left the group to pursue other interests. He briefly reunited with his previous group, the San Fernando Band of Guam, but now is exploring other options, possibly tapping his marketing degree.

"We had Martin Nievera join us when Marc left, so it was perfect timing," Ruivivar said of the transition period. "By the time Martin leaves our show on April 13, we'll have someone in place. For now, we're the Society of Six."

Plus one, of course, since diva Lani Misalucha is very much part of the vocal landscape, doing "awesome duets with Martin," Ruivivar said. "Martin does a medley of his hits in the show; he tells the audience it has always been a dream to sing in his father's spot." His dad, of course, is crooner Roberto Nievera, who used to sing with Ruivivar, Bert Sagum and other SOSers. ...

FILM CLIPS: Sherry Shaoling, who still calls Hawai'i home, is L.A.-based now, but en route this week for Chicago, where she has landed a role in a movie titled "Baby on Board," which stars Heather Graham, Jerry O'Connell, John Corbett, Lara Flynn Boyle and Ian Ziering.

"I'm sooo excited!," she said last week, after a New York casting agent gave her a heads-up. She had prepped an audition video on her last day of a recent Honolulu visit, with the kokua of Brett Wagner, the indie filmmaker whose "Chief" short was shown at this year's Sundance Film Festival. (Shaoling has just completed another Wagner project, "The Beauty Queen.")

They shot the audition tape on her MacBook computer webcam, said Shaoling, with pal Joey Calderone helping — but then the unimaginable happened: She somehow lost all that footage, and had to reshoot a sequence — alone — in the privacy of her bedroom.

"Bottom line is, I booked the job," she crowed. ...

WHEE, THE PEOPLE: Look for Japanese singer Agnes Kimura's anthology CD to be issued sometime this summer, coinciding with her performance in the 26th annual Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Festival in August. Keith Haugen, her friend and adviser, is producing the disc; Haugen introduced Kimura to Hawai'i back in 1990, when he first suggested she should be the first foreigner to participate in Milton Lau's ki ho'alu festival. The story goes that she was such a fan of local singer-composer Audy Kimura, she "borrowed" his surname for her formal show-biz handle. ...

Jason Kanda, a local playwright-actor, will appear as the title figure when the Hawai'i Theatre presents "Rumpelstiltskin" March 11-13 at the Downtown showcase for school audiences. The lone public play date is 7 p.m. March 12. The production is directed and choreographed by Hester Kamin, education director at Hawai'i Theatre. For tickets, call 528-0506, or go to www.hawaiitheatre.com. ...

Marsha Nadalin and staff from the Marsha Nadalin Salon and Spa spent much of this month cutting hair for the entire cast of Kaimuki Performing Arts Center's "West Side Story" in traditional 1950s styles, to prep for tomorrow's opening. There's a family connection: Marsha's daughter Emma is in the show, which is being directed by Peggy Anne Siegmund. For tickets, call 733-4913. ...

Hall of Famer Franco Harris (Pittsburgh Steelers) dined at 'Elua at the Uraku Tower recently. ...

OSCAR REFLECTION: OK, it was a better-than-middling Oscar prediction tally for us this year; missed best picture (thought the voters would go with "There Will Be Blood" instead of the winner "No Country for Old Men") and we erred on supporting actress. But got actor, actress, supporting actor and director correct, for four out of six. ...

While host Jon Stewart was better this time, his material lacked sizzle. Rusty writers? Were Ellen DeGeneres or Billy Crystal asked? They might have been better suited for the task...

ITEMIZATIONS: Restaurateur Ed Wary (Tio's Garage & Taco Station, Auntie Pasto's, Dixie Grill) is a teacher at the University of Hawai'i's School of Travel Industry Management, and has been consulting for the National Restaurant Association by helping the Chinese rev up for the summer Olympics in Beijing. Turns out that Wary's son Andrew, who's 21 and a student at Northern Arizona University, will be working at the Olympics, too, for a catering company tending to the needs of athletes, media and VIPs. Andrew used to bus tables at his dad's restaurants, and papa Ed's proud, indeed, that the chip off the ol' block is following in his footsteps. ...

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.