When "The Producers" bows tomorrow night at Diamond Head Theatre, one of the unsung heroes surely will be Willie Sabel, technical director and set designer, who raided every Don Quijote with the impossible scheme of gathering 17 walkers (those helpful aids for those who have difficulty walking) for a key (and outrageously hilarious) production number in the Mel Brooks musical. After Sabel acquired said walkers, he and staff spent hours gluing feathers to create eight dancing and singing pigeon puppets (for yet another manic number). ...

And the show also requires two complete sets of offices for Bialystock and Bloom, the one-two punch in the show (played by Dennis Proulx and Don Nahaku, respectively), with one in all white. Because of DHT's minuscule wing space, Sabel created mirror images back to back, which will be lifted and reversed at intermission. ...

Also with her hands literally and figuratively full, costume designer Karen Wolfe has been outfitting tap-dancing storm troopers, the little old ladies with walkers, and beer-steined and pretzel-topped showgirls. It's absurd and amazing — but it's unabashedly Mel Brooks. ...

HAPPY TALK: And wow, isn't it marvelous that our own Loretta Ables Sayre is among the "South Pacific" Tony Award nominees (she's up for best featured actress in a musical), in her first-ever outing on Broadway? As director Bartlett Sher told us this week about Ables Sayre: "She's incredibly brave in her work and dedicated; audiences really love her." He mentioned an Island connection, too: "My stepfather's from Hawai'i — Douglas Chung. And yes, all my relatives on the Chung side are there. Cousins, aunts ... but I haven't visited for a while. We did get together, however, in California." Sher also is up for a best director Tony. ...

Ables Sayre had yet another backstage visitor a few nights back at Lincoln Center. "I was told someone wanted to see me, and I thought it was the makeup people," she said. "So I had my stage makeup on, and my hair was hammajang. So who steps in front of me, but Diane Keaton. I nearly lost my mind; I love her so much, we were talking and laughing — and I had a camera, so I asked if we could take a picture together. I can't believe she was in my dressing room." And Julie Andrews was in the audience, too. ...

ITEMIZATIONS: Violinist Jared Burnett, the lanky (6-5) performer in the just-closed "Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy" show at Blaisdell Concert Hall, will repeat his Soul Tree role when the production opens June 16 at the Broadway Theatre in New York. Last Saturday, he brought his vibrant electric green instrument to the Perry & Price Show at John Dominis, sharing his artistry for the pre-Mother's Day crowd. His big news: He'll appear on the "Regis and Kelly Show" June 2 to promote the Cirque company's debut on the Great White Way. ...

And Steve Boulay, president of the Salt Lake City-based New Space Entertainment group, and his wife, Liz, celebrated the successful run of "Cirque Dreams" here with dinner at Ruth's Chris Steak House at Restaurant Row before heading for their flight. With two back-to-back hits (New Space also brought "Menopause the Musical" here), you can expect more shows from this camp soon. So stay tuned. ...

AROUND TOWN: Look for Michael Emerson, who plays Benjamin Linus on ABC's "Lost," tomorrow night on "NightTime With Andy Bumatai." The segment was taped earlier this week. He really isn't as creepy as appears in the role as the leader of the Others ...

Smokey Robinson was the bomb in last Friday's "Back to Romance" concert at a packed Waikiki Shell concert. He was amazing, reviving his old hits with The Miracles and as a break-out soloist (and there was a keg-load) and those he wrote for Gladys Knight and The Temptations. He changed outfits three times, hauled out backup singers and two dancers, and clearly had a ball for a good 90 minutes. I don't know which was more fun, watching him relish his triumphs, or watching a gawking, applauding, singing-along Willie K up front on the table we shared with Jack and Cha Thompson and Afatia and Nicole Thompson. Both Willie ("that's my era," he cooed about Smokey's songbag) and Afatia (closely watching the pro's smooth and agile moves) were adoring fans. Afatia had taken the stage in the first half of the concert, along with Jimmy Borges, Nina Keali'iwahamana, Robert Cazimero, Cecilio & Kapono, Eric Gilliom, Nathan Aweau and Kaukahi, all backed by the Matt Catingub Orchestra of Hawai'i. But no denying: The man of the hour was the Smokey sensation. Ooh baby, he really had a hold on everybody, the way he did the things he does. ...

Greg Gabaylo, the juggler and hypnotist, is the intermission trouper in the OC16 "Brown Bags to Stardom" hoopla currently airing. ...

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.