Matthew Morrison, a Broadway star who turns out to be a former resident and Waikiki performer, is filming a Fox TV pilot, "Glee," which will air in March after "American Idol," a terrific time slot.

Morrison is on leave from "South Pacific," the Tony-winning musical, in which he plays Lt. Joseph Cable, the American serviceman who falls in love with Liat, the daughter of Bloody Mary, who, of course is portrayed by Hawai'i's Tony-nominated Loretta Ables Sayre. He'll return to the cast in November and remain through his contract run, till January.

"Glee" is an hourlong comedy created by Ryan Murphy of "Nip/Tuck" success, filming in Los Angeles. Morrison will play a young Spanish teacher at a Midwest school (possibly Ohio) who takes over the campus glee club, which has become a haven for outcasts. Lea Michele has been cast as one of the singers and the format will include four or so pop songs each week, sort of like "Idol" without the judging and competition.

Morrison, whom we met backstage last summer at Lincoln Center after seeing the show, used to be a part of the late Don Ho's Waikiki revue in the 1990s, and adores the Island lifestyle. We ran into him at a performance of Paliku Theatre's "Miss Saigon." ...

NAME-DROPS: Honolulan Joy Abbott was in New York recently to catch a performance of "Enter Laughing" at the York Theatre, and paused at O'Neal's near Lincoln Center for dinner with industry pal Donald Sadler, a dancer. Coincidentally, the aforementioned Ables Sayre popped in with friends, too, so there was a burst of hometown hugs and kisses and camaraderie. Abbott, who is spending the fall in Philadelphia, was bedecked with a crownflower lei from local theater booster Gayle Harimoto. ...

You can't imagine the parade of notables who've seen the show and visited backstage: Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick and Mitzi Gaynor are among the latest. Others: Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep, Sting and Trudie Stiles, Denby and Darah Dung, Don Conover and Ernest Harada, Elizabeth Lindsey and sister Linda, Anne Namba and David Cassidy, Caroline Rhea, Michael Casupang and Karl "Veto" Baker and their Halau I ka Wekiu (who chanted and presented Ables Sayre with a feather head lei), Tom Moffatt, Laurie and David Callies, Ed Hubenette (of Marriott hotels, who brought a gang of 30, including Bernie Caalim), Lo Kaimuloa, Ross Okamura, Jon Monahan and Jay Talwar, and Sen. John Kerry and wife Teresa Heinz Kerry (who took Ables Sayre, fellow performers Kelli O'Hara and Paulo Szot and others to O'Neals for dinner to celebrate Teresa's birthday). ...

LIGHTS, CAMERA: Justin Bruening, playing Mike Tracer on NBC's revived "Knight Rider" series, is here for a limited shoot, headquartered on the North Shore, with a Hollywood crew doing the filming with local hires. But don't expect to see "KITT" varrooming along the coast; the car's not here. ...

Hannah Cornett, a Kapolei resident who's a budding Hollywood star, will be here next month for a round of press meetings. She's in the new Matthew McConaughey film, "Surfer Dude," and on the cover of Fitness RX. ...

HITHER 'N' YON: With the downturn in visitors in Waikiki, it's probably a good thing that the opening of the Jimmy Buffett restaurant, under construction at the 'Ohana Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel, has been delayed, from sometime this fall until early 2009. It's a huge emporium, on the lobby level of the hotel, stretching from the escalator to the area where the old Don Ho show operated. Would assume that Mr. Margaritaville would be here for the opening, so this begs a question: Will there be a concert, too, for diehard Parrotheads? ...

Japanese TV crews have been dickering to film that "Waikiki Lu'au on the Lawn," featuring a Tihati cast, at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Now, that would be an enticing element to woo visitors here. ...

Huggo's on the Big Island was the site for a gourmet seafood fest when chef Sam Choy dined with his good friend E. Aaron Schosso of Maui Jim's. They savored Huggo's seafood platter, sauteed mahimahi with wasabi mashed potatoes, monchong crusted with black and white sesame seeds, and grilled shrimp with Thai curry peanut sauce. They toasted the evening's bounty with King's Estate Pinot Grigio — accompanied by a brilliant sunset. ...

Kevin Iwamoto, former entertainer and a key player in corporate business, was in town last week to address the Best Western conference at the Hawai'i Convention Center. He is leaving Hewlett-Packard, taking a buyout and considering options to remain active in the biz world. ...

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.