Melveen Leed, Da Tita, will be Da Puna — short for Kupuna and meaning grandparent — by late summer.

The singer's daughter, Kaaikaula (Kaula) Naluai, who is captain of the Hawaii Rainbow boat, is a couple of months pregnant. Kaula and fiance Damian Sempio, an occupational therapist, plan to get hitched ... but keiki may arrive before the wedding.

Leed is ecstatic, of course. "I've waited so long to be a grandma ... I told Kaula I wanted a grandchild before I go. They don't know what it is, but I think it's a boy. And of course, I'll spoil the kid."

Kaula is in the midst of early morning sickness, and her sea legs as a skipper don't help. This is her first pregnancy.

Da Tita, who still sings from 5 to 8 p.m. Sundays at the Elks Club, said that when Kaula performed with her prior to the holidays, "she had a glow about her; her voice was so beautiful." Must've been the hapai-ness ...

ON STAGE: Director Vanita Rae Smith already is rehearsing her Army Community Theatre all-star cast for the February launch of the Tony Award-winning musical, "Curtains," at Richardson Theatre. The backstage musical-and-a-whodunnit boasts a couple of reunions, with troupers who've done shows together earlier, like Tina Shelton who is reteaming with Tom Holowach (they previously co-starred in "Camelot" together) and Lenny Klompus and Renee Garcia Hartenstein (they earlier shared the stage in "Once Upon a Mattress"). "Curtains" will be a Hawai'i premiere and looms as a blockbuster with high audience appeal; we've seen it in New York with David Hyde-Pierce ...

Wonder why the group Kalapana is vigorously backing Saint Louis School's Edinburgh-bound "Rent" production, with a one-night concert at 8 p.m. Jan. 17 at Mamiya Theatre to raise funds for the summer trek to Scotland? Kalapana member Gaylord Holomalia's daughter, Kanoe Holomalia, and D.J. Pratt's niece, Brianna Pratt, have roles in the hit show ...

Following December's "Nutcracker," Ballet Hawaii president Susie Schull and husband Gunner spent Christmas in New York, giving rave reviews to "Billy Elliott, The Musical," Sir Elton John's new ballet-themed musical on Broadway based on the hit film. The Schulls also took in a pair of Tony winners, "Wicked" and "In the Heights" during a brief stay in the Big Apple ...

WHEE, THE PEOPLE: Grammy winner Dennis Kamakahi was the first to sign on to perform on Keith and Carmen Haugen's rained-out "Peace on Earth" concert at Kapi'olani Park Bandstand prior to Christmas, now set for Feb. 4 at the Mission Memorial Auditorium near City Hall. This, despite the fact that Kamakahi flies out with the missus Robin the next day for the 2009 Grammys in Los Angeles. The Haugens are hopeful that others in the cast — the likes of Melveen Leed, The Tradewinds, Ronnie Miyashiro and more — will do the makeup show, too, and yes, it's still free ...

KHON2 anchor Joe Moore and his family visited his dad in Orlando, Fla., during the holidays; he returns to Channel 2 News tomorrow ...

It's not every day that Time magazine's Person of the Year plays golf on our greens, slurps shave ice in Hawai'i Kai and dines at Alan Wong's restaurant. Yes, president-to-be Barack Obama had one of the most visible of Hawaiian vacations — ever! ...

National Guard troops in Kuwait got Christmas greetings from their beloved Island family, thanks to the efforts of TV entrepreneur Emme Tomimbang through her "Emme's Christmas Island Moments at Honolulu Hale," which this year was streamed on the Internet. Tomimbang's assistant Joanne Corpuz and webmaster Gay Dochin worked long and hard to make it work. Staff Sgt. Michael Keopuhiwa e-mailed Tomimbang with appreciation for "a great show ... makes it worth being here, to know everybody back home is thinking and supporting all of us troops here and away from family and friends ... "

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.