HULA LOOPS: St. Louis School's Hui O Na Opio, founded by kumu hula John K. Lake in 1966, plans to mark its 40th anniversary with a celebration on July 29. The Hui, which has assembled scores of students from St. Louis, Star of the Sea, Sacred Hearts Academy and St. Francis School, celebrated the Hawaiian renaissance in Hawaiian music and culture, sharing cultural notions that now have become part of the students' daily lives. The Hui wants to hear from ex-members. Call 847-3737 or e-mail HuiONaOpio@hotmail.com. ...

Judy Muncaster is probably best known as associate executive director of Ballet Hawai'i, but she has a whole 'nother life as a retired United flight attendant who takes hula (with other retired and current stews) from Ed Kalahiki. The kumu should be proud; Muncaster has been on a Diamond Princess Cruise with Mary Anne and David Stubenberg, Ballet Hawai'i board member Bob Sandla and wife Mary Lou, and she got up before 700 folks to participate in a passenger talent show, moving her hula hips as the vessel journeyed through the South Pacific. ...

TRAVEL LOG: Chef George "Mavro" Mavrothalassitis and his star chef de cuisine Kevin Chong are home after a quick trip to The Big Apple, where they cooked together at the James Beard House, showcasing Island products such as Big Wave tomatoes, Maui lavender and Hawaiian vanilla. They also cooked their restaurant's new trademark dish, onaga lau lau style. Mavro was particularly thrilled that Honolulan Paul Brown, a hairstylist to the stars and elite, was in New York for a salon show and chose to come to the Mavro dinner over other New York options. Veteran food critic Mimi Sheraton also attended, along with media foodies from Food Arts, Conde Nast Traveler and others. ...

Maui publicist and foodie Bonnie Friedman scored a rare reservation for El Bulli in Spain for a memorable feast: 30 courses over five hours. "An amazing experience," she notes. "Not what I would call 'dinner' and I wouldn't rush to do it again." El Bulli has been deemed the No. 1 restaurant in the world by Restaurant magazine. Friedman also enjoyed the Guggenheim in Bilbao and the Whitney and Guggenheim in New York and caught up with restaurant visits galore. She was thrilled to see Harry Connick Jr. in "The Pajama Game" ("We know he can sing but they were smart enough to give him a few minutes during 'Hernando's Hideaway' so he could go nuts on piano"). She spotted notables galore — Jake "Body by Jake" Steinfeld at JFK airport, John McEnroe at the Barcelona airport, Peter Krause ("Six Feet Under") at the Tribeca Film Festival and Mark Ruffalo after his "Awake and Sing!" performance. ...

Cameron Crowe and Ron Jacobs were spotted Sunday-brunching at Halekulani's Orchids. ...

Uke whiz Jake Shimabukuro will perform at Saturday's "Sunset on the Beach" when The N's new series, "Beyond the Break," which features his music, premieres here — unfortunately without cast participation. And local boy Jason Tam is a regular. ...

SIGHT 'EMS: Golfer Michelle Wie and her family dined at Sansei Seafood & Sushi Bar a few nights back at the Waikiki Marriott hotel. It was a two-fold celebration: to toast mom Bo on her birthday and to mark Wie's qualifying for the U.S. Open Sectionals. ...

His height left no doubt — that was basketballer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar lunching at Dixie Grill Ward Avenue the other day. At night, singers-dancers Quincy Marr and Wendy Porter had dinner, extending their stay following a terrific "In the Mood" performance at Hawai'i Theatre. The big-band show, of swing, jitterbug and ballroom dance music attracted a devoted audience of mostly seniors who lived the music but some younger folks who "discovered" the sounds and styles of a generation past. Among the many memorable numbers: an instrumental version, big-band style, of "Hawaiian War Chant" in the usual postwar version. ...

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.