Hula drama ‘Hanau Ke Alii’ comes to Waimea

Hula drama “Hanau Ke Alii” will kick off its statewide tour at Kahilu Theatre in Waimea this weekend.

Hanau Ke Alii is the life story of the renowned warrior King Kamehameha I, illustrated through ancient storytelling, hula, chant and Hawaiian martial arts. The performance is a composite of untold and unpublished stories of Kamehameha collected from the elders of Waimea and the Kohala District who are lineal descendants of Kamehameha.

In preparation for the tour, the halau worked with about 3,000 members of the Waimea community to create authentic pieces of art/artifacts to bring the story to life. This includes five 30-foot tall, massive kahili, which have never been seen before. Community members also helped craft forty niho ilio kupee (dog tooth anklets), weaponry, feathered skirts and more.

To better understand the time period and culture of the era, the community and the halau also worked together to pound 30 sheets of kapa for all of the clothing in the show, including skirts, tops, loin cloths and kihei, among others. No modern clothing or fashions will be featured during the performance.

Following Saturday’s performance, the drama makes its way to The Maui Theater, Kauai Community College Theater, Oahu’s Blaisdell Concert Hall, and, lastly, Lanai and Molokai.

Tickets are $35/$30/$25/$20 and can be purchased online at kahilutheatre.org or by calling 885-6868. Tickets can also be purchased Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Kahilu Theatre Box Office at 67-1186 Lindsey Road in Waimea.