What a performance…read more.. Thank you to Terry K for taking me on this journey to something that I've never tried personally is to see a play and Manoa Valley Theatre offers us some amazing performances that I've been lucky to see a play though it's never been at Manoa Valley venue itself and what a difference it is. The vibe here is full of energy as many start arriving and you need to check in and verify your seating which the staff does and also informed us that the air conditioning wasn't fully operational and provided us with a bottle water is a nice gesture though was slightly warm the cool Manoa air kept us decently cool. As we get to chill prior by getting a drink and/or snack is nice and there are great options available including some alcohol. Kim's Convenience is the play and from what we were told is once a series on Netflix which I don't have but I like that I have no idea as I can enjoy the play just as they visualize which was great and fun since it was a comedy, if anything the seating leaves no room for anyone to pass in front of you so I had leave the row and wait in the aisle for others to take their seat but in all comfortable and easy to view the play without being blocked from the previous row. Bravo to this creative and wonderful evening with a great friend as doing something unique like this was so much fun and a memorable experience. Thank you!

The Princess and the Iso Pea was very good. Cast was fantastic. I was pleasantly surprised by the…read morequality of sound, light effects and friendliness of the ushers. Snacks were available for purchase both before the show and during intermission. Cash and card accepted. Parking is available on the street and at Manoa Market place. Manoa Market place was suggested in an email I received from the theater confirming my tickets. Everything was well organized. Warnings: The theater has seen better days and is very dusty. It's an allergy nightmare and if you have a dust allergy request seating away from the walls. Seating is old and uncomfortable. Be prepared if you have back issues, it's an older theater. There is only one women's restroom with 4 stalls. My entire intermission was spent in the line.

2026 Hawaii Rainbow Film Festival. Located in the heart of Honolulu, surrounded by the urban…read morerevival of Chinatown. 2nd floor bar and lounge area allows for drinks and food. Tons of parking in the surrounding public garages.

I was blessed enough to experience various shows at the Hawaii Theatre Center, the most recent…read morebeing a showing of Nosferatu (2024) for Halloween, which was a special experience with some friends who are also into horror flicks. The theater supports both movies as well as live shows, which makes it a unique cultural space. You're not supposed to eat in the theater itself, and if you want to drink you would need to buy a sippy cup-like container from the bar. I suppose it is meant to protect the theater from decay, all these protective measures. The bartender who served us wine was friendly enough. I loved seeing the art around the theater.

Love Classical music concerts - not enough parking for venue. You cannot park in the Kewalo Basin…read morePark lot because u will get locked in when park gates close after sundown - I parked in the Harbormaster parking area( as the signs instructed) near the lifesaving jet skis and boats. Mentioned it first because parking made me worry and other drivers after me were driving around and around with nowhere to park. After the concert, it was pitch black in the harbormaster area . The Hookupu or kupu facility has clean, large restrooms, meeting rooms and a larger area for musicians to play. The featured musicians were talented and gave the audience heartfelt performances . They were truly connected with their instruments and I experienced angelic tones. There is a pleasant outdoor area with bench seating and sometimes you can see the sailboats returning to their docks. Please add more lights in the Harbormaster parking lot and have security for the patrons or users of the facility

I found this place 6 years ago & signing up for classes here was the best (and smartest) thing that…read moreI ever did for myself. I'll have to say that when I first got here everyone knew each other. I could tell I was walking into a family that had known each other for years. Which made me nervous cuz that's why I left my previous dance studio in the first place. But Applause welcomed me with open arms & by the second week I felt like one of their own. As the years went by the family only got bigger & bigger because that's the kind of place applause is. Not only do they have amazing teachers in dance, voice, & acting but they also have FANTASTIC workshops from broadway stars & other accredited people that I was able to put on my résumé. Sadly, I do not dance at Applause anymore. Thanks to my mentors at Applause, I've been living in NYC for 2 years where I am now applying all my training to peruse the dreams that I had when I signed up for classes at this studio 6 years ago. Whenever I come back to Hawaii, I always make sure that Applause is one of the first places I go back & visit.

APA has been my home for two years now. It is a great environment for every personality, where they…read moreall come together to share their love for the arts. Whether you take class for fun or to pursue a serious future in performing, the teachers and ohana of Applause Performance Academy offer amazing support, dedicated training, and most of all, genuine happiness. A range of many ages mix in different leveled classes, that are suited for each students' needs. The teachers truly invest in your talent and potential whether it is offering individual help to a student in, out, or after a class. Styles of dance including ballet, contemporary, lyrical, hip hop, modern, musical theatre, technique, jazz, tap and a conditioning class for strengthening and maintaining flexibility for dancers are offered in addition to voice and acting classes. If a welcoming studio with a BIG heart is what you are looking for, I truly recommend Applause Performance Academy. - S.B. student of APA

I was lucky enough to attend a Lei Day event at Waikiki Shell featuring live music and hula, and…read morethe setting could not have felt more perfect for it. The venue immediately reminded me a little of the Hollywood Bowl, but on a much smaller and somehow even more charming scale. With Diamond Head rising in the background, the views are absolutely spectacular and give the whole experience a distinctly Hawaiian sense of place. I was also impressed by how good the acoustics were, especially in an outdoor venue. It's very easy to access from the main Waikiki hotel area, which makes getting there surprisingly convenient. Between the music, the atmosphere, and the scenery, it ended up being one of those memorable Honolulu evenings that really sticks with you.

Shelling out for an event…read more.. Honestly the last time that I've been back to the Waikiki Shell is my graduation o_O woah....though I could be wrong but sadly I don't get out very much but thanks to Nadine who asked if I was interested in a concert which I really was made me so happy to return and experience it all under the stars. Parking is always an issue but luckily we got there early...early enough to find one right away as it fills up quickly which you'll have to park at the next lot which can be a distance that we didn't want. What I wasn't prepared for was the wait as the time to enter was delayed by 30 minutes I did wished that I knew you could bring your own water just as long it's in a plastic bottle though there was lots of food options there it was spread out so far I wished there was just a single place to order but I was already exhausted from waiting that all I wanted to do was find our seats. Nadine selected great seats right in the center and close enough that we're able to see the concert well, bathrooms are at the front gate and I noticed there was another one on the opposite side as well, it's nice to have an open air atmosphere gave it a nice relaxing vibe. Thank you!

I just saw these ladies at the Blue Dragon on the Big Island and OMG, mind blown! They killed a…read moremedley of 90's jams (Kris Kross, Tupac...you name it, they nailed it!). If you have a chance to see them GO, you won't regret it.

Simple Souls is absolutely AMAZING. They blew me away every time I heard them (and after the first…read moretime, I went out of my way to hear them several more times, knowing my time on the island was unfortunately limited). Both of their voices are incredible -- rich, dynamic, versatile (hip-hop, pop/rock, ballads [only a few of the latter though, as these aren't napping performances], etc.), and with complementary ranges. And the variety of sound they get out of their two instruments is just incredible -- it's easy to forget that all they've got is a djembe and a guitar. This is also not your normal cover band (even your normal great cover band) -- Simple Souls puts their own spin on popular songs, which do the songs complete justice while not simply redoing what the original artists put out. I've recommended them to numerous people I know (plus a few strangers when I've found any possible excuse) and now I'm recommending them to you -- go see them! They're at LuLu's in Waikiki most Sunday nights (which doesn't have the best acoustics, unfortunately), and otherwise around the island.

I attended a live concert at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center and sat toward the back of the venue…read more Even from that distance, the sound quality was surprisingly crisp and clean. The audio felt a little far away because of the seating location, but I was impressed that it still came through clearly. The seats were comfortable enough, though nothing particularly memorable. Ticket prices were higher than I expected, especially considering the concert was not very full, but one great perk is that they offer a student discount, which can make attending events much more affordable if you're young! The best part was the person introducing the pieces - he really got into character!

A friend of mine could not go to Tahiti Fete so I went instead with one of our other friends. It…read morewas a competition, and there was also a halau from San Diego competing, so I got to see one of the instructors I know perform and some of her students. The set up for the competition was interesting. Open seating, and families were really territorial about seats, especially the ones that faced straight on. The sides were decent, but most of the performances faced one way. Debs and I got the stink eye when we walked up into the first section...it was all very funny! The emcees were great, although, I do wish the guy would stop bringing religion into the program. You can love God, but don't force it on others. The intermission entertainment, Vaughn Henry "Kealohamele" Claude Kalawa, were really good! So good, they inspired some of the patrons to go out on the floor and hula. It was great! There were retail and food vendors in the other hall. It reminded me of a very small Made in Hawaii festival. I got some tasty lumpia and pancit from Aloha & Mabuhay, although the son working the register didn't seem very happy to be there...LOL! I also got the garlic chicken and fried noodles from Lee's Waipio, and their Spam musubi was the best I have eaten in a long time. Mainland people just don't know how to do it. They were sold out of Tahiti Fete t-shirts and I was bummed, but when we were back in our seats, and the entertainment was done, one of the emcees announced there were 30 shirts available. Debs and I literally ran to the table. Overall, it was a fun day to be inspired by the young people dancing.

Happy that you could purchase from the vendors food, snacks and drinks to bring into the arena…read more Ushers available to Help you find your seats dressed in green and white printed aloha shirts. Security was posted within the audience seated throughout the concert. The ac was strong. An older crowd in the audience. The row in front of us had their heads bobbing to the music. The performer had local guests sing a duet with him, had BYU choir on stage, the Honolulu symphony Orchestra plus his own band performing. Glad there were two large screens to see Josh Groban sing. Helps when large and tall people sit in front of you at the last possible moment. Felt almost like a gospel vibe to me but could be cuz I was not familiar with the majority of his songs.

Ok... so depending on what you're going here for and why. Not everyone likes to be indoors cause it…read morecan get hot and the worst part of this place is the bathrooms. It's so off and confusing to where it's at. But, it is a decent place to have most events! If it's for a concert... Like we just went to for UB40? UH DUH!!! TOTALLY % YES!!! Why? Cause you'll be able to enjoy the show and SEE IT from the seats your in rather than watch los rod it ON A JUMBO SCREEN. Plus too, there are different choices of seating. Most people love the UPPER LEVELS. Yet, the stairs are a killer! AND... NO BARS so everything is balance and grace. But if your like me who USE TO LOVE IT, but don't anymore cause you worry your legs will give... well, there's the ground floor that has bleachers of seats. The seats are so much better NOW than they were before. So, highly recommend the ground floor for those who refuses to walk up stairs. Then there's the lodges. K those are GREAT, yet, my fear is falling OVER the ledge. And the stairs you MIST WALM UP to get there too! Lol! It's been a while since I've sat in this arena for anything. I think the last time was for a concert back in 2013! LADIES OF THE 80's with the hubby. Hehehe there were so much hubbies there that night. It was unbelievable! Anywho... great place to be at for events, concerts and whatnot. But terrible place to use heels and tight clothes (if you know what I mean) Oh! Prices varies with type of events and I truly honestly believe it's absolutely RIDICULOUS sometimes. However, I get it, bills must be paid and people must be bought to make the event go smoothly! Okie dokes artichokes! Have a good one and mahalo for reading... CIAO!