Island actress Loretta Ables Sayre yesterday won a Theatre World Award, which honors performers in their debuts on Broadway, for her work as Bloody Mary in Lincoln Center Theater's revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein's "South Pacific." The award is a recognition by a committee to encourage and inspire newbies to continue to pursue their stage dreams.

Ables Sayre's "South Pacific" co-star, Paulo Szot, who stars as Emile de Becque, also was named a recipient of the award, called the Janus.

The honor helps bolster both actors' bids for this year's Tony Awards.

The Theatre World Awards ceremony will be held June 10 at the Helen Hayes Theatre on Broadway; the Tony winners will be announced in a CBS telecast June 15 from Radio City Music Hall.

— Wayne Harada, Advertiser entertainment writer

HOLLYWOOD P.I. FOUND GUILTY

LOS ANGELES — A Hollywood private investigator was convicted yesterday on federal racketeering and other charges for digging up dirt for his well-heeled clients to use in lawsuits, divorces and contract disputes against the rich and famous.

Anthony Pellicano, 64, was accused of wiretapping stars such as Sylvester Stallone and running the names of others, such as Garry Shandling and Kevin Nealon, through law enforcement databases to help clients in legal and other disputes.

Pellicano was found guilty of all but one of the 77 counts against him. The jury found him guilty of racketeering and racketeering conspiracy, wiretapping, wire fraud, identity theft, conspiracy to intercept or use wire communications and manufacture or possession of a wiretapping device. He was acquitted of unauthorized computer access.

The jury also found four co-defendants guilty of a variety of charges.

SHANIA TWAIN GETTING DIVORCED

TORONTO — Shania Twain and husband-producer Robert "Mutt" Lange are splitting up after 14 years of marriage.

Twain's publicist provided no further details yesterday. The 42-year-old Canadian country star and 59-year-old Lange have a 6-year-old son named Eja.

Twain's best-known hits are "Man! I Feel Like A Woman!" and "You're Still the One." Lange produced three of Twain's albums: 1995's "The Woman in Me," 1997's "Come on Over" and 2002's "Up!"

ADOPTION DELAY FOR MADONNA

LILONGWE, Malawi — Madonna won't know until next week whether a Malawi boy she found in an orphanage in 2006 will become a permanent member of her family, her lawyer said Wednesday.

Lawyer Alan Chinula had expected the judge to rule on the adoption Wednesday but said the hearing was delayed after a Malawi human rights group presented arguments on "shortcomings" in the African nation's adoption laws.

Chinula said the group was not challenging the adoption and he expects it to be approved next week.

The pop star and her husband, film director Guy Ritchie, have been caring for the boy, David Banda, in London. He'll turn 3 in November.