Jim Nabors, the amiable show-biz veteran, has been sporting dark glasses day and night — to conceal bruising near his left eye, thanks to skin cancer surgery.

We ran into Nabors at dinner the other night at Alan Takasaki's Le Bistro in Niu Valley, where he also confirmed what we've been hearing: His castmates from the "retired" "Merry Christmas With Friends and Nabors" are eager to revive the holiday show (which ran a delightful 10 years at the Hawai'i Theatre) without him headlining but still participating. "I'd do the finale," said Nabors. "I won't carry the load." Stay tuned. ...

Comedian Frank DeLima was at Le Bistro, too. Seated near the restaurant's entry, he had several folks bidding him adieu as they exited, including a few acknowledging him as the cardinal. As in Cardinal Vermicelli El Dente, the eminent but faux Roman Catholic priest. ...

SHOW BREEZES: Lea Salonga demonstrated her stage savvy in her splendid Blaisdell Concert Hall visits over the weekend. Yes, she sang the expected — like "I'd Give My Life for You" from "Miss Saigon"; and "I Dreamed a Dream" and "On My Own" from "Les Misérables" (the latter was the audition song that earned her the Kim part, the former was the key song she delivered when playing Fantine for eight months last year on Broadway) — as well as the unexpected, like the cutie about Taylor the latte guy at Starbucks. Most of all, she endeared with her radiance, her delivery, her rapport with the crowd (largely Filipino, to whom she communicated in her native tongue). In short, it was the kind of smart, snappy, revealing "cabaret" show from a Broadway star in total control — of her repertoire, of fusing drama to a song, of impromptu surprises (a chap from the audience, Chris Dela Cruz who was not a plant, was a well-prepared singer Saturday night) to make her "A Whole New World" from "Aladdin" the intended duet. And she even tossed in two hana hou numbers. ...

While Salonga was here, one her big fans, Isle singer Randy Hongo, was in her native Manila. "The irony is devastating," he e-mails. He'd seen her as Mei Li in "Flower Drum Song" on Broadway, when pal Alvin Ing was also in the cast. Hongo and wife Gay were in the Philippines for a two-week mission with the Honolulu Southern Baptist Churches and were accompanied by three Olivet Baptist Church hula dancers, Danette Kong, Etsuko Oshiro and Ethel Kubo. Randy and Gay sang "Dahil Sa Iyo," which surely must be the nation's unofficial anthem, and got thunderous response. While chowing at Kublai's, a yakiniku eatery, he got homesick after hearing Nina Keali'iwahamana "Red Sails in the Sunset" on the in-house sound system. ...

THE BUZZ: Gotta hand it to comic Margaret Cho. Never has anyone dared to do three back-to-back concerts the same day (and night) as she did last Sunday at the Hawai'i Theatre. Even the add-on 10 p.m. performance had about 800 takers. ...

And Melissa Etheridge's three-hour, no-intermission Blaisdell Arena sing-out Friday has to be one of the givingest ever by a rocker. ...

We took in the concluding matinee of Kaimuki Performing Arts Center's "West Side Story" on Sunday, and were impressed by the dedication and effort these young adults and school kids have invested in an extracurricular activity. While rough around the edges, the stage classic had esprit, best demonstrated in the gals' "America" (led by Dani Yamamoto as Anita and Kanani Rose as Rosalia) and the Jets' "Gee, Officer Krupke," which sizzled with vocal and choreographic fire. And, yes, the cast managed to get the tear ducts to open when Tony (Ian Vahovich) is shot and embraced by Maria (Allison Chu) in the waning moments of the "Romeo and Juliet"-inspired retelling of needless gang warfare. "West Side" marked the 20th anniversary of the drama group's livelihood at Kaimuki, under the stewardship of Peggy Anne Siegmund. ...

ABOUT PEOPLE: Don Conover plays from 1 to 4 p.m. St. Patrick's Day at the Honolulu Elks Club. For the Irish holiday, you may call him Don O'Conover and expect Irish ballads and bawdy sing-alongs. ...

Gayln Kong Akaka, the Punahou School costumer who, as a young actress, played the title character in Rap Reiplinger's "Fate Yanagi" video, chuckles over the shooting at a Waimanalo beach and a cast dinner together (though she can't recall where) that evening, years ago, where Reiplinger demonstrated rare kindness. "He brought me a rose," said Akaka. See "Fate Yanagi" reinterpreted for a new generation of fans in Honolulu Theatre for Youth's "Rap's Hawaii," closing at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow and 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Tenney Theatre. ...

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.