AUGIE'S AGENDA: Comedian Augie T's stand-up shows have been Wednesday sellouts at the Sheraton Waikiki's Esprit Lounge, so the Island 98.5 deejay is being wooed to spread the laughter to Sheraton's Neighbor Island properties. Expect a Secretary's Day show (Sam Kapu III joins him) on April 25 here. He's also pegged to do Mother's Day shows on May 12 at the Keauhou Beach Resort and May 13 at the Maui Beach Hotel, with an O'ahu date to be announced shortly. Mainland gigs are mounting and a DVD taping show unwinds Aug. 15 at Augie's alma mater, Farrington. "Everything I have been doing has been such a fun and wonderful learning experience," he said. ...

HITHER 'N' YON: Shawna Masuda, 19, is just back from her first-ever visit to New York, where she snagged an audition for "Rent." Masuda, who's wowed local audiences in such shows as "Cats," "Miss Saigon," "Kismet" and "Beauty and the Beast," stayed with Candice Yoshioka, whose parents are Emmett and Judy Yoshioka (Shawna has studied music with Emmett). She managed to catch "The Threepenny Opera" and "Altar Boyz" and shared her adventures with parents Lynn and Darrell Masuda over dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse upon her return. Shawna is back at Romano's Macaroni Grill, where she is a singing saluta. ...

Lyric Opera of Chicago baritone Quinn Kelsey of Honolulu will participate in the Lyric's end-of-season "Rising Stars in Concert" tomorrow at the Civic Opera House in Chicago. He'll also be in the Lyric's 2006-07 season starting this fall. ...

PERSONALITIES: Maybe there's something to the ritual of offering gin and ti leaf to appease the gods. Ron Gibson, producer of Saturday's Diamond Head Crater Celebration, made the customary offering for good luck (praying for good weather) with Chandler Cone, the festival's youngest volunteer. A wooden tiki also was placed on stage — and guess what, it all worked. Despite a muddy field, Gibson and his GM Entertainment partner Mark Mellick were greeted with sunshine and good vibes, a marked contrast to last week's drenching. Now they're thinking of the second annual celebration. ...

Saturday's Kanikapila Comedy show — with Kaleo Pilanca and Mel Cabang — was a sellout, with 100 turned away. ...

Despite the downpours and cancellations, Hawai'i Pacific University Theatre's "The Gin Game" drew 52 (including Glenn Cannon, Earll Kingston, Maxine Hong Kingston, Roger Long, Jim Hutchison and John Hunt) last Sunday in Kane'ohe. Which prompted this quip from actress Joyce Maltby to cast mate Don Pomes: "Well, at least we're playing to a full deck." ...

TRADE WINDS: When members of the Society of Seven — the original and the Las Vegas spin-off — joined Melveen Leed at Monday's SOS charity golf tournament at Makaha West, their "That's What Friends Are For" brought down the house. The event benefitted Jewel Bautista, daughter of Gary Bautista, who died in January during a show. Reminder: The classic SOS will be in concert at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow and 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Hawai'i Theatre. ...

Eddie Kamae & the Sons of Hawai'i — with Kamae, Analu 'Aina, Mike Kaawa, Ocean Kaowili and Paul Kim — reconvene for rare shows at 3 and 8 p.m. Saturday at the Shannon Center in Whittier, Calif. ...

Bill Rancic, the first winner of NBC's "The Apprentice," visits Lahainaluna High today. The school — one of 10 winning an appearance via an "Ace for a Helpful Place" promotion with Ace Hardware — also gets a $5,000 donation. ...

Roselani Ice Cream maker Cathy Nobriga Kim does a lot of volunteer work. As an alum of St. Anthony's School, she co-chaired a recent silent auction and encountered a cute little third-grader seeking a bandage for a cut. As Kim applied one on his finger, the child remarked, "Auntie, you smell like ice cream!" ...

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.