The Cirque Comes to Town

The compelling narrative of ‘Auana unfolds across eight chapters, each telling a distinct Hawaiian story.

There’s excitement in the air in Waikīkī.

It’s 9 a.m. on Wednesday, October 16, and 140 people have gathered at the Outrigger Waikīkī Beachcomber Hotel to meet all together in person for the very first time. For months, this diverse team — a mix of acrobats, dancers, musicians, costumers, lighting and sound technicians, stagehands, directors, advisors, and more — have been working independently in Honolulu, Montreal, and beyond in preparation for a new stage show.

Today, this group will share a blessing. They’ll begin testing lights, begin practicing stunts and aerial maneuvers, and generally explore the capabilities of this newly renovated stage at the Outrigger Beachcomber. Two months from today, they will open ‘Auana, the first Cirque du Soleil production in Hawai‘i.

“It’s at the scale of any Cirque [du Soleil] show, but ‘Auana has a different heart and soul because it’s rooted in Hawai‘i,” says show director Neil Dorward. “The way this performance combines hula, music, acrobatics, costumes... All of it is integrated to tell a story with a spiritual connection. ‘Auana is not going to be like anything else people have seen.”

In 2022, after creating his first show with Cirque du Soleil, Mad Apple at New York-New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Dorward invited his family in the UK to attend opening night. “I figured, they already came this far, traveling from London to Las Vegas. I have to take them to Hawai‘i,” Dorward says, knowing that his mother and grandfather, a minister in Scotland, loved the Islands but had never visited. “While we were staying on Maui, I got a call asking, ‘Can you come to Waikīkī?’”

On O‘ahu, Dorward met Outrigger Chief Commercial Officer Sean Dee, who had seen Mad Apple and wanted to bring Cirque du Soleil to Hawai‘i. Dee later introduced Dorward and his creative team to several local community voices, including cultural advisor and ethnomusicologist Aaron J. Salā, fashion designer Manaola Yap, and Kumu Hula Hiwa Vaughan.

“They took us around O‘ahu and Hawai‘i Island and we learned so much,” says Dorward. “Bishop Museum was a great source of inspiration. So were the many stories, the mo‘olelo, of Hawai‘i’s past.”

Dorward and his team found that certain narratives naturally lent themselves to adaptation for the stage. For example, the tale of two star-crossed lovers: Kaui, a fisherman, and Naupaka, sister of Pele who became jealous of the couple’s affection. To escape the fire goddess’ fury, Kaui fled to the mountains while Naupaka went into the sea. In ‘Auana, this passionate, tumultuous romance is brought to life by a roller-skating duo with flexible spins that defy gravity.

The O‘ahu chieftess Mamala — who was not only a legendary surfer but also a shapeshifting mo‘o that could change her form into a beautiful woman or a shark or a giant lizard — comes to life in a performance that combines acrobatics, dance, and diving into an enormous water bowl. A graceful Lyra act using an aerial hoop becomes an homage to Hina, goddess of the moon. “We’re not telling a strictly historical play. It’s about capturing the spirit of these stories,” says Dorward.

Yap would become the costume designer for ‘Auana, creating meaningful patterns inspired by nature for performers’ costumes as well as incorporating his signature hand-carved designs into the show’s background set pieces. Vaughan choreographed hula performances for each of ‘Auana’s eight chapters, which represent the colors of a rainbow. “Hula is the heartbeat of this show,” says Dorward. “Hula helps tell the stories and explains what we’re doing in each scene.”

Salā, who was recently named CEO of the Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau this past September, became cultural creative producer for ‘Auana, helping educate Dorward and his team about Hawai‘i history and culture.

“We did quite a bit of scholarly research and cultural immersion to help guide the development process,” Salā says. “Cirque du Soleil challenges its performers to accomplish nearly impossible physical feats and achieve the highest standards of excellence. It was my responsibility to hold myself accountable to the same level of excellence as a storyteller and cultural practitioner.”

A graceful Lyra act using an aerial hoop becomes an homage to Hina, goddess of the moon.

In Hawaiian, ‘auana means to wander; to venture off the beaten path; to embark on a journey from place to place. Audiences will likewise traverse through pivotal moments in Hawai‘i’s past. The show opens with the Polynesian migration to the Hawaiian Islands interpreted as high-flying acrobats using voyaging swings to take to the sky. In honor of Hawai‘i being the birthplace of surfing (he‘e nalu, literally “wave sliding”), a balancing Rola Bola act symbolizes the agility and coordination of surfers on stage.

“Developing ‘Auana was a dynamic process. There were acrobatic acts we really liked that didn’t make it into the final show because they didn’t match stories we wanted to tell. Then there were stories that were cut because they didn’t work with acrobatics on stage,” says Salā. “Luckily the team had camaraderie and a commitment to get this right. We’re trying to create a stage fantasy that is larger than life but each moment has to be rooted in authenticity.”

Hawai‘i’s “golden age” of tourism is brought to life with foot jugglers performing intricate flips, a nod to island visitors constantly hurrying to their next destination. An artistic sand painter celebrates the connection between the Hawaiian people and the land, while ‘Auana closes with the Wheel of Life, a daring acrobatic performance representing the story of the endangered ‘alae ‘ula waterbird, which stole fire from the god Maui and gave it to humans.

“‘Auana is an opportunity to experience hula and stories of Hawai‘i intertwined with the spectacle of Cirque du Soleil in a way that is unprecedented,” Salā says. “I believe that Hawai‘i has the key to heal the world. The more ways we can share Hawaiian narratives in the mainstream, the better equipped we are to help bring about a meaningful change.”

‘Auana by Cirque du Soleil opens December 2024.
Visit cirquedusoleil.com/auana for information.