Broadway-style musical ‘The Epic Tale of Hiiaka’ opens in December at Ko Olina

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A Broadway-style musical rooted in Hawaiian culture is set to open Dec. 5 at Ko Olina, marking the first time the story of Hi’iaka and her sister, Pele, will be told through the format.

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“The Epic Tale of Hi’iaka The Hawaiian Goddess” follows goddess Hi’iakaikapoliopele on a quest to find the dream lover of her sister Pele, the volcano goddess.

The production was discussed during an all-star panel at the Hawaiian Council’s Native Hawaiian Convention at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center.

Cast and creative team

Grammy-nominated and Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award-winning artist Amy Hānaiali’i portrays Pele in the production. She said she is learning a new spiritual skill for the role.

“I’m learning how to chant,” Hānaiali’i said. “Kumu Patrick is so beautiful and lets me be vulnerable in learning how to chant. Half the time I’m balling and crying trying to get through it because it’s such a beautiful connection to your kūpuna.”

Hānaiali’i also spoke about the emotional complexity of her character, including Pele’s relationship with Lohi’au.

“A vulnerable part of her is falling in love with Lohi’au, but her sister falling in love with Lohi’au and how do you deal with that,” Hānaiali’i said. “That’s in every family. Sisters are always fighting over the same kāne.”

The musical is produced by Tony Award-winning producer and Maui resident Michael Jackowitz, who said the production has been years in the making.

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“The biggest challenge was how do I create something that appeals to two worlds,” Jackowitz said. “One, people that have direct ancestors of lineage of these characters who grew up — this is their sacred text — and the other, they love musicals, they never heard of these people.”

Cultural collaborators

Hānaiali’i said it was integral that Kumu Keali’i Reichel, Kumu Patrick Makuakāne, designer Manaola Yap and other scholars and experts joined the project.

Yap described his approach to costuming for the production and spoke of lessons from his mother, Nani Lim Yap.

“If you had to make a pāʻū for Pele what would you do,” Manaola Yap said. “She’s like let’s take this fabric and burn it and I was just like yeah because this is not Merrie Monarch,” he added to audience laughter.

“News flash. It’s not me. It’s not Jason Momoa. It’s not the actor. It’s not the storyteller. It is the mo’olelo, especially when it’s mo’olelo kūpuna,” said Moses Goods who portrays “Kāne” and “Pana’ewa.”

Rehearsals and performances

Rehearsals are set to begin in September with four shows per week scheduled. Cast members are already in physical training ahead of rehearsals.

Hānaiali’i said she is preparing by practicing chants on a treadmill.

“I’m literally singing on a treadmill — that’s really what I’m doing, is practicing my chants on a treadmill because it’s four shows a week that we are doing,” she said. “I haven’t done that since college.”

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“The Epic Tale of Hi’iaka” opens Dec. 5 at Ko Olina.