F.H. Kekoa

“Bring tissues,” said absolutely everyone when I told them I was seeing Parade at Mānoa Valley Theatre. I waved off their warnings, as I was already familiar with the show, as well as the true story of the contentious 1913 trial of Leo Frank on which the show is based. My hubris, however, was no match for this stunningly beautiful production, but my watery eyes were not the result of the tragedy of the protagonists, nor of the cruelty and bigotry at the forefront of the story.

E ola ka lāhui!

What did our critic think of GREASE at Diamond Head Theatre? Leave 2025 behind, put your gladrags on, and lace up your saddle shoes, because Grease has arrived at Diamond Head Theatre, and tonight everybody's gonna party like it’s 1959!

RENT is as relevant as ever, and UHM did it justice.

Explore Hawai'i's vibrant theatre scene with upcoming shows like 'Escape to Margaritaville' on Hawai'i Island, 'Aloha Kaua' in Maui, and 'Grease' on O'ahu, running through May 2025. Discover show dates, venues, and captivating stories in this spring preview.

A bright new addition has set up “shop” at Kumu Kahua: The Improv Superette, the newest improv group on O’ahu, featuring a large cast of talented Poly improvisers playing classic improv games, served with two scoops of local flavor.

There is magic afoot at Diamond Head Theatre with the Tony-winning American classic Master Class, penned by the late great Terrence McNally. With beautiful set design (and cameos!) by Randy Tandal, deft direction by Bryce Chaddick, and an incomparable performance by leading lady Amy K. Sullivan, this one is not to be missed.

From Kāne'ohe to The Lion King on Broadway, Ezekiel talks about hard work, dedication, inspiration, and what it takes to make it to the Great White Way.

Released in 1954, ten years after D-Day, the movie White Christmas was a bonafide blockbuster. It was the first Paramount movie shot in the widescreen VistaVision format, and featured rich and vivid Technicolor, which the costumers and set designers used to their full advantage.

Local stories are always in style.

Gods and mortals, stories and songs, sea and sand--all make a splash at Mānoa Valley Theatre!

The holiday season is just around the corner, and the islands have some wonderful theatre offerings to keep spirits high! Check out some of the shows we’re looking forward to, broken down by island, and listed in order of opening date.

Moses Goods’ “superhero origin story” Lovey Lee finally comes back home to Kumu Kahua Theatre four years after its digital premier over Zoom in 2020. Based on the true story of māhū icon Kealoha “Lovey Lee” Kelekolio, the show paints an intricate, beautiful, and often heartbreaking portrait of queer Hawaiian existence in the 1970s, straddling the very different worlds of Lovey’s one hānau and San Fransisco.

Lots of great shows are on the horizon across the islands!

Diamond Head Theatre casts an icy spell over the heat of Hawaii’s kauwela with its 2023-2024 season closer of Disney’s Frozen, a “monster” of a show and a tremendous get for the Hawai’i theatre scene. This is by far one of the biggest undertakings artistically and technically in recent DHT history, even bringing on Broadway vet Charlie Williams to direct, who has been a part of this show since its pre-Broadway run in 2017.

Some top picks from across the islands for the last half of the summer

This show is doing the most! The first of three offerings for the Hawaii Shakespeare Festival runs now through July 22.

What did our critic think of TOOTSIE at Diamond Head Theatre?

KĀMAU, KĀMAU A'E, and UA PAU run Thurs-Sat, with the full trilogy on Sunday, through June 30 at Kumu Kahua Theatre.