ON STAGE: Ann Harada (no relation), best known to New York theater-goers as Christmas Eve in the Tony Award-winning musical "Avenue Q," has taken over the Madame Thernadier role in the Broadway revival of "Les Miserables," which has extended its six-month run (it now continues through Labor Day). She's playing opposite Gary Beach ("The Producers") as Thernadier, with a cast that includes Lea Salonga (Fantine), Alexander Gemignani (Valjean), Ben Davis (Javert), Mandy Bruno (Eponine), Ali Ewoldt (Cosette) and Adam Jacobs (Marius). Harada, a Punahou School alum (1981), is happy to work with another former Punahou grad, Doug Kreeger ('97), who's understudying Marius. ...

Let's hope that when the Cheetah Company of "The Lion King" plays Honolulu starting Sept. 15 at Blaisdell Concert Hall, the cast will include Kevin Gray as the villainous Scar. Gray assumed the role in March in Cincinnati, and Honolulans may remember him in "The Three Phantoms" concerts here with Cris Groenendaal and Craig Schulman. Gray, a theatrical veteran, is a nice guy offstage, whose credits include "Kiss of the Spider Woman," "Miss Saigon" and "The King and I." Individual tickets go on sale with a hoopla at 6 a.m. Saturday at the Blaisdell box office and at 9 a.m. at Ticketmaster locations. ...

CASTING NOTES: When Diamond Head Theatre premieres "Gigi" on May 18, Candes Meijide Gentry is Gigi, with Scott Wallace (Gaston Lachailles), Gary Morris (Honore Lachailles), Terri Madden (Madame Alvarez), Devon Guard (Aunt Alicia) doing other leads. John Rampage directs and choreographs, with Laurence Paxton handling musical direction. ...

Hawai'i's Kelly Hu will portray Detective Rachel Hanover in "Stiletto," a film starring Burt Reynolds, Michael Biehn and Tom Berenger. Local boy Garret Sato plays Aki; shooting starts next week. Sato also has a lead as Keo Tanaka in an indie dubbed "Wasteland," and he appears as The Monk in "Fear of Attraction." ...

AROUND TOWN: We took in the finale of "Altar Boyz" at the Hawai'i Theatre," where audiences were enthusiastic but minuscule, and noticed that by Sunday's closing, all five chaps playing the Christian boy band were into flashing "shaka" signs. A distinct difference from last Wednesday's opening night, when only Jesse JP Johnson was in shaka mode — no doubt a tactic he picked up on an earlier visit when he was in "Grease." Best overall trouper: Ryan J. Ratliff as Mark, with nuanced energy, gay abandon and charm to spare. ...

With "Spider-Man 3" debuting May 4 in theaters nationwide, why not beat the rush and see Spider-Man in person? OK, it won't be Tobey Maguire in person, but a costumed dude will spin his own web with a live appearance at this weekend's Spring New Products Show at the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall, between noon and 6 p.m. Saturday, at the Hawai'i Children's Discovery Center area. It will be possible to meet and greet and take pictures. ...

Michael Nakasone brings the Royal Hawaiian Band to The Royal Hawaiian hotel's Coconut Grove for a concert from 2 to 3 p.m. Sunday — a wonderful opportunity to see and hear the band in an exquisite setting. There will be hula, a Hawaiian trio and solo singers — and the event, intended for visitors but open to locals, is free. ...

ANOTHER MUSICAL NOTE: "Na Mele No Na Pua (Music for the Generations)," a new monthly Hawaiiana series in the still-blooming, still-evolving Waikiki Beach Walk project, will be launched tomorrow with a performance by Eddie Kamae's Sons of Hawai'i, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. tomorrow at the Grand Lanai of the Embassy Suites hotel. The program, free to the public, is a joint project of the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame and the Hawai'i Academy of Recording Arts, with scheduling set for the last Saturday or Sunday of each month. Brickwood Galuteria and Kimo Kahoano, the reunited morning team on KKNE Radio, will emcee. ...

And that's Show Biz. ...