The creative folks at Stages Repertory Theatre are recognized for knowing how to have a good time. So it was no surprise when they rocked kick-off party traditions with their bash at Armandos, a launch for the "Hullaba Luau" gala that is set for April 9.

Horton Realty Associates's Larry Horton, a lead sponsor of the gala, hosted the party where performers Ross Chitwood and Holland Vavra reprised duets from their Stages hit musical The Andrews Brothers. Consider it a warm-up for their gala star turn in the ballroom of the Four Seasons Hotel.

In the mix were gala chairs Kate McConnico and George Lancaster, both in tropical finery including fragrant leis flown in from Hawaii for the party. Adding to the fun were Carolyn Farb and artist David Graeve, Kitty Horton (the party host's mom), Nixon Wheat, Carolyn and Tom Paul and Sally and Phil Edmundson.

Late-night glamour

How swell to have been included in the relatively small group that broke bread with Joel Gray and Marvin Hamlisch, following their Society for the Performing Arts songfest at Jones Hall Saturday night. SPA gala chairs Georgia and Mike Foulard hosted 40 SPA friends and board members to their home for the seated dinner prepared by City Kitchen.

Guests were seated at two long tables in the rose garden on the side of the Foulard's River Oaks home where the two stars were affable and "absolutely charming," according to SPA development director Priscilla Larson. Among the lucky group were SPA executive director June Christiansen, board chair Jay Jones, Terry Wayne Jones, Theresa and Ed Mallett, Norah and Henry Adams, Theresa Einhorn and Don Yurewicz, Lisanne and Jim Rogers and Cortney Cole.

Feast fit for kings

A coincidence that both the Purdue and Duke basketball teams had dinner at Morton's the Steakhouse on Thursday night before going head-to-head at Reliant Stadium on Friday? Who knows for sure? But the reality is that the Duke guys, who dined at Morton's downtown, whipped the Purdue team, that beefed up on manly fare at Morton's Galleria. As you know, Duke went on to beat up on Baylor on Sunday and is now headed to the Final Four.

Foreign affairs

Peripatetic traveler Franci Crane is still dusting off her boots from a three-week tour of Africa. (Those who know her well know that Crane is working on filling her passport with stamps from practically every country in the world).

One of the visual highlights, she reports, came in Madagascar where she watched a duo of lemurs prance around Newt Gingrich's brimmed hat. The former Speaker of the House was part of the tour group that visited 10 countries including the Kalahari Desert in Botswana. There, meerkats climbed atop the heads of tour members and stood up on their hind feet. Crane says their guide explained that the critters thought the travelers were termite mounds.

Sight 'ems

Sacramento Kings power forward and former Houston Rocket Kenny Thomas posing for a photo shoot in and around the uber-contemporary digs of Hotel Sorella . . .

Vesta and Dr. Pedro Frommer dining at DaMarco with Mary Tere and Ricardo Perusquia . . .

Marylou Pringle and Sonny Garza lunching at La Griglia where they chewed over the details of the April 22 ArtBridge luncheon which they are chairing. Best-selling author Marianne Williamson is featured speaker . . .

La Griglia hopping at lunch on Tuesday when Ed Wulfe, John Nau, Sharon Adams, Keith Mosing, Ali Ebrahimi, Vidal Martinez, Cindy Clifford, Ramon Manning, Rusty Hardin and Liz Decker wereamong the many notables dining a various tables.