About the Show: The
exotic South Pacific comes to life in Waikiki's hottest new indoor stage
production - TE MOANA NUI. Far beyond
the unsuspecting world, lies a captivating realm across Te Moana Nui (the vast
ocean). It is a realm filled with
exciting tales of hundreds of Pacific islands and her people. Stories of unparalleled beauty, fierce
savagery, intoxicating fragrances, and Pacific adventures told nowhere else in
the world. Through
beautiful artistry of song and dance, vibrant and colorful costuming, and
enchanted storytelling, these stories are revealed at Te Moana Nui. Whether you are experiencing Waikiki for the
first time, or a seasoned visitor, Te Moana Nui (the vast ocean) weaves
together the stories and people across Hawaii and the South Pacific like never
before.
I have lived in Hawaii for 23 years and was super excited to
go to my first luau! At first I was
surprised that it was indoors, but the upside to that is you won’t have to
worry about the weather. Gem and I
arrived about half an hour after doors opened to enjoy the live music and
interactive activities. We first headed
to the flower craft table, where we created our own floral wristlets by
stringing beautiful orchids.
Next, we headed over to the Kapa table where we were
introduced to the Hawaiian art of stamping or 'ohe ka pala. We customized our own souvenir stamp card by
choosing a variety of stamps and colored paints.
The activity that had the longest line was the Tatau Pasefika
or Polynesian tattoos. Here, the Polynesian
artisans draw a simple temporary Polynesian design on the guests. You just indicate where you would like the
drawing and the size of it. Some guests
requested their own designs.
After the activities, we enjoyed a delicious all you can eat
buffet dinner that features salads, poi, lomi lomi salmon, poke, pickled onion,
chicken long rice, kalua pig, furikake crusted mahimahi, and roast prime rib of
beef.
While dinner was wonderful, my
favorites were found at the dessert table.
I loved the poi andagi, pineapple upside-down cake, chocolate macadamia
tart, and coconut macaroon. The haupia
and guava chiffon cake looked delicious as well.
We
shared a table with two couples: one
from Florida celebrating a birthday and another who were parents of one of the
show’s dancers. We were all stuffed from
dinner and dessert and as I began enjoying my coffee, the show started.
The
show’s high energy level never stopped from beginning to the end. The lively narration of tales connected the beautiful
dances. We were impressed by the skills
of the dancers and also the amazing costumes.
The highlight of the show for me was the jaw dropping fire dance. I held my breath in awe as the dancer
astounded the audience by lighting his tongue on fire!
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| A lively fun dance. |
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| I loved their beautiful headdresses. |
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| The costumes were elaborate and authentic. |
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| Watching the dancers perform with poi balls is very entertaining. |
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| This one was a little scary. |
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| Remarkable hula dancers. |
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| The dancers had so much energy! |
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| The dances capitavate the audience. |
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| My favorite part of the show. Thankful for the saftey net they put up. |
This show is sure to enrapture both visitors and locals alike and audiences of all ages. I know my daughter would love watching the beautiful Polynesian dances and my son would definitely aspire to become a fire dancer. I was lucky enough to be pulled on stage during the audience participation portion. It was nerve wracking, but it made my first luau even more fun and absolutely unforgettable!
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| I can't dance! |
Te Moana Nui is brought by Tihati Productions, the largest and longest running entertainment company in the State of Hawaii. Tihati provides authentic Polynesian entertainment and currently employs over 1000 employees, musicians, singers, dancers, and choreographers from every Polynesian island group.
Thank you to our sponsor for tickets to the show! All opinions are entirely my own.
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