{"id":2982,"date":"2026-07-24T06:04:38","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T06:04:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=2982"},"modified":"2026-07-24T06:04:38","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T06:04:38","slug":"broadway-style-musical-the-epic-tale-of-hiiaka-opens-in-december-at-ko-olina","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=2982","title":{"rendered":"Broadway-style musical \u2018The Epic Tale of Hiiaka\u2019 opens in December at Ko Olina"},"content":{"rendered":"
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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\u2019iaka and her sister, Pele, will be told through the format.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe Epic Tale of Hi\u2019iaka The Hawaiian Goddess\u201d follows goddess Hi\u2019iakaikapoliopele on a quest to find the dream lover of her sister Pele, the volcano goddess.<\/p>\n

The production was discussed during an all-star panel at the Hawaiian Council\u2019s Native Hawaiian Convention at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center.<\/p>\n

Cast and creative team<\/h2>\n

Grammy-nominated and N\u0101 H\u014dk\u016b Hanohano Award-winning artist Amy H\u0101naiali\u2019i portrays Pele in the production. She said she is learning a new spiritual skill for the role.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

\u201cI\u2019m learning how to chant,\u201d H\u0101naiali\u2019i said. \u201cKumu Patrick is so beautiful and lets me be vulnerable in learning how to chant. Half the time I\u2019m balling and crying trying to get through it because it\u2019s such a beautiful connection to your k\u016bpuna.\u201d<\/p>\n

H\u0101naiali\u2019i also spoke about the emotional complexity of her character, including Pele\u2019s relationship with Lohi\u2019au.<\/p>\n

\u201cA vulnerable part of her is falling in love with Lohi\u2019au, but her sister falling in love with Lohi\u2019au and how do you deal with that,\u201d H\u0101naiali\u2019i said. \u201cThat\u2019s in every family. Sisters are always fighting over the same k\u0101ne.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

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\u201cThe biggest challenge was how do I create something that appeals to two worlds,\u201d Jackowitz said. \u201cOne, people that have direct ancestors of lineage of these characters who grew up \u2014 this is their sacred text \u2014 and the other, they love musicals, they never heard of these people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cultural collaborators<\/h2>\n

H\u0101naiali\u2019i said it was integral that Kumu Keali\u2019i Reichel, Kumu Patrick Makuak\u0101ne, designer Manaola Yap and other scholars and experts joined the project.<\/p>\n

Yap described his approach to costuming for the production and spoke of lessons from his mother, Nani Lim Yap.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you had to make a p\u0101\u02bb\u016b for Pele what would you do,\u201d Manaola Yap said. \u201cShe\u2019s like let\u2019s take this fabric and burn it and I was just like yeah because this is not Merrie Monarch,\u201d he added to audience laughter.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

\u201cNews flash. It\u2019s not me. It\u2019s not Jason Momoa. It\u2019s not the actor. It\u2019s not the storyteller. It is the mo\u2019olelo, especially when it\u2019s mo\u2019olelo k\u016bpuna,\u201d said Moses Goods who portrays \u201cK\u0101ne\u201d and \u201cPana\u2019ewa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rehearsals and performances<\/h2>\n

Rehearsals are set to begin in September with four shows per week scheduled. Cast members are already in physical training ahead of rehearsals.<\/p>\n

H\u0101naiali\u2019i said she is preparing by practicing chants on a treadmill.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m literally singing on a treadmill \u2014 that\u2019s really what I\u2019m doing, is practicing my chants on a treadmill because it\u2019s four shows a week that we are doing,\u201d she said. \u201cI haven\u2019t done that since college.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe Epic Tale of Hi\u2019iaka\u201d opens Dec. 5 at Ko Olina.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cThe Epic Tale of Hi\u02bbiaka\u201d will open Dec. 5 at Ko Olina, bringing the story of Hi\u02bbiaka and Pele to the stage for the first time as a Broadway-style musical.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2981,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2982","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nBroadway-style musical \u2018The Epic Tale of Hiiaka\u2019 opens in December at Ko Olina - Hawaii Moving Insider<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=2982\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Broadway-style musical \u2018The Epic Tale of Hiiaka\u2019 opens in December at Ko Olina - 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