Though Aunty Genoa Keawe is gone, her spirit lives on in granddaughter Amanda Pomaika'i Keawe-Lyman, who has been subbing for Grandma on Thursday nights at the Waikiki Beach Marriott resort. Her dad, Eric Keawe, says that Pomai, as she is widely known, has completed two tracks, "Ku'uipo Hula" and "E Ku'ulei, E Ku'uipo," which will be part of an album project dedicated to Aunty Genoa and released on her Genoa Keawe Records label. The timetable, however, may be an issue.

"With Pomaika'i a stay-at-home mom of three children and a part-time teacher, it's been a hard act to juggle life in the recording studio," said Eric Keawe. "With her tutu still active in the entertainment community, Pomaika'i was comfortable as a support side-person when tutu got tired. Tutu was so proud of her granddaughter."

Indeed, the CD would be a fitting homage to Aunty Genoa and a bridge to the 'ohana's next-generation of merry music-making. Aunty should be smiling from the heavens. ...

"I already miss her," Eric said at the funeral at Borthwick. "I miss her asking who's home and who's not." ...

WHEE, THE PEOPLE: Ballet Hawaii will present "Giselle" as its August production, capping an intensive summer program that attracts students from the United States and Japan. To prep for the show, Ballet Hawaii president Susan Schull (joined by artistic director Pam Taylor-Tongg and school and volunteer coordinator Lesley Young) trekked to California to scout San Francisco Ballet's "Giselle" and male lead Joan Boada, last seen here in "Nutcracker." ...

The group was joined by Amanda Schull, Susie's daughter, who was with the S.F. Ballet and starred in the the ballet movie "Centerstage." Amanda has been tapped for a role in "Mao's Last Dancer," to be shot in Australia, where Chinese dancer Li Cunxin now lives after defecting to the U.S. and dancing with the Houston Ballet. In the movie, Schull plays his first wife. ...

SHOP TALK: At last week's Nordstrom opening gala — a benefit for Bishop Museum, Hawai'i Theatre Center, and HUGS, a nonprofit that helps families with seriously ill children — Mountain Apple Co.'s Jon de Mello and Leah Bernstein were spotted camping out at the shoe department with Robert Cazimero. With five shoe departments under the roof, Nordstrom should be a magnet for the likes of Imelda Marcos. Shoe fiends bypassed the martinis and gravitated for the designer footwear with, ahem, pricey labels. But ah, that's shoe biz. ...

The Cazimeros do "Hana Hou!" Friday at the Hawai'i Theatre.

BITS 'N' PIECES: Beauty and wine were the buzz at Ruth's Chris Steak House at Waikiki Beach Walk a few nights back, when Robert Mondavi Jr. and wife Lydia Mondavi were dining. He's the wine-family heir from Napa Valley; she was here to introduce a line of cosmetics and skin care items, each using grape-seed extract from vineyards, to Neiman Marcus. ...

Another wine couple, Vanessa Wong and Nick Peay, are Hawai'i-bound for a sip-and-sup affair at Vino. You can do just the wine tasting, or partake of a dinner with wine pairings. Chuck Furuya of Vino visited their Peay Vineyards last fall and was blown away — "if you have been keeping up with the wine media, you will know the Peay wines are certainly getting their share of praise, acclaim and high scores," he says.

HITHER 'N' YON: Brittni Paiva will perform Friday and Saturday in Kirkland and Kent in Washington state. Owana Salazar and Cindy Combs will also be there. ...

REMINDER: Jerry Santos and his Olomana are no longer at the Paradise Lounge at Hilton Hawaiian Village; they're doing Friday sets from 8 to 11 p.m. at the Tapa Bar. ...

Ramiele Malubay, the Filipino contestant on "American Idol," lists Lani Misalucha, the songbird from the Philippines who's part of the Society of Seven act at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, as one of her musical influences. Right on! ...

Tony Ruivivar of the aforementioned SOS says audiences have been giving up to eight standing ovations for performances by Misalucha and Martin Nievera, the latter a guest star with the SOS. Next stop: Guam shows starting May 10. ...

And local boy Anthony Ruivivar (Tony's son), well known for his Carlos Nieta role on NBC's "Third Watch," has completed a small role in a 2008 film, "Play Dead." Since "Watch," you might have spotted him on a variety of shows — "Chuck," "CSI," "Traveler," "Criminal Minds" and "Numb3rs." The first-season "Third Watch" DVD collection also is out. ...

The 45th annual Merrie Monarch Festival in Hilo will attract hula enthusiasts from here and abroad; it's set for March 30 through April 5. As usual, KITV 4 will capture the the excitement live. ...

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.