As someone who has never seen a Cirque du Soleil show before, we didn’t exactly know what to expect. We knew it’d be a spectacle, though.
The ʻAuana show at the Outrigger Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel promises a blend of jaw-dropping acrobatics, live music, stunning visuals, and storytelling rooted in the islands. That mix of production ingredients left us curious. How will the show interpret the culture and spirit of Hawai‘i?
What unfolded was a thrilling 80 minutes of an experience. One that left me in awe and wanting more.
ʻAuana is a show filled with athleticism and visual elements immersed with a series of mo‘olelo (stories), each of them extending its connection to the land, history, and culture of Hawai‘i. Fast-paced with a touch of comedy sprinkled in.
It was a fantastical world that included stories of the Polynesian migration, today’s tourism industry, and odes to the island’s natural elements like water, sand, and lava. Several of the acrobatic acts drew audible gasps from the audience. I was at the edge of my seat, watching the combination of strength, precision, and creativity.
One story highlighted the sport of surfing and included a performer balancing on top of what looked like a two- to three-foot board, placed on one, then two, then three, four, a total of five rolling cylinders!
We were hooked, completely mesmerized by one acrobatic feat after another. The excitement transcended to our eyes glued to one of the last routines of the night.
A fiery backdrop of volcanic rock and lava, animated with smoke and sparks, lit the theater, emulating Kilauea’s eruptions. In front of it stood a 30-or-so-foot high revolving machine above the stage with two performers leaping, somersaulting, and even one point jump roping on either side of their respective circular cages.
So many parts of the production beg for your attention as we found ourselves looking back and forth from the aerial acts to the digital screen. One of the routines was mainly a shadow sequence in which a sand artist created different pictures of Hawaiian imagery in real time. It was a stunning portrayal of the culture using natural elements of the culture.
What makes the show so special is how it seamlessly integrates hula with that Cirque du Soleil physicality. The live Hawaiian instrumentation and vocals anchor the show emotionally, adding that extra warmth and authenticity, the level of detail to which I highly respect.
The costumes are a standout, detailed with blended texture and cultural fit. Even the hat of one of the character’s, the Trickster, was hand-woven by the show’s choreographer Kumu Hula Hiwa Vaughan’s mother.
The performers move as a collective, and as a whole, makes the show feel grounded and intentional. And the talent is there. In fact, it’s everywhere as the show is a melting pot of global pros, featuring performers from Hawai‘i, Mainland U.S., United Kingdom, Spain, France, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Ukraine, and Russia.
All in all, the show is a sensory feast. A show the entire family will love and remember. A vibrant reminder that tradition and innovation can thrive alongside each other.
