What a great show!…read more Love the way they incorporated the Hawaiian culture to Cirque du Soleil. I don't want to spoil the experience so I will refrain from details, just know that you will not be bored and keep your eyes open to everything around you! It truly is a beautiful and amazing show. Would I go back? Yes, as I am sure I may have missed something.

So glad I finally got to see 'Auana in February 2026 after they were dark when I was last in O'ahu…read morein August 2025. Just know that the theater is by far the smallest Cirque theater I've been in, and I've seen all of their shows in Las Vegas and a few of their travelling shows in San Francisco and Dallas. As far as the show... I will say that Hawai'i in general leans HARD into the "wise indigenous / magical Native" trope to the point it feels self-stereotyping. (See @Itzeaglee on Instagram where he calls out people expecting Native people to act "indigenously.") This trope is central to the show which can feel a bit silly. This Cirque production also seems to lean into the "mystical kūpuna" (which is the Hawaiian version of the "noble savage") stereotype. The show begins with a fake, clueless tourist (actor) who is put to sleep by a native musician (in traditional clothes.) The wise, mystical musician has no need for the tourist's money that he tried to hand him during the show. The tourist actor is awoken and surrounded by smoke as dancers encircle him as the female kūpuna does a Hawaiian chant. He's frightened and tries to flee as the dancers boldly, but free from emotion, spin a canoe paddle during their dance. It segues into a scene where what I assume is Maui's Manaiakalani is thrown into water and as it's pulled up, a curtain drops and shows the Polynesians boating to Hawai'i. The subsequent scenes are centered around different aspects of Hawaiian history, from pre-contact, to the touristy tiki luau influx, to modern beach & street culture. Overall, I think it's most comparable to the Cirque show Mad Apple, which has a New York City theme and plays in Las Vegas. I like the cohesive theme and the clear narrative throughout the performance. The costuming and live music make the show extra special. My favorite part was the woman who made sand painting art. Visited: February 2026

Walking into the Hawai'i Theatre, you're instantly transported into another era. An era of soft…read moreelegance and timeless artistry. From the moment you pass through the doors, you're surrounded by a blend of old-world elegance and Hawaiian warmth. Built in 1922, the theatre has hosted everything from silent films and Broadway plays to concerts and Hula performances. Today it seats about 1,400 guests, offering an intimate experience where every seat feels close to the stage. The acoustics are excellent, the seats are comfortable, and the staff and volunteers are friendly, welcoming, and genuinely helpful. There's also a small bar and lounge with high-tops, perfect for enjoying a drink and conversation before the show. Inside the theater, you see tall, fluted Corinthian-style columns that are richly detailed. The curved arch overhead is decorated with mosaic-style tiles in warm tones,and I absolutely LOVE the lush deep red velvet curtains that frame the stage. They add so much warmth and elegance. Having attended many shows throughout the years, I've always been mesmerized by the mural above the stage and decided to do some Googling while waiting for the show to begin. I learned it's Lionel Walden's Glorification of the Drama. The painting depicts a grand procession of mythic figures -- a golden-robed muse in her chariot, attendants, musicians, a lion handler -- all celebrating the power of theater. The central figure, often interpreted as the Personification of Drama, leads the way. Knowing that part of the mural was once lost to water damage and later painstakingly restored makes it even more meaningful. Parking is easy at the municipal garage on Bethel Street, just a block away. The short walk is now well-lit, a welcome improvement from years past when it was dark and sketchy. Entertaining audiences for over 100 years, the Hawaii Theater is a recognized as a National Historic Landmark. Attending a show here, you're not just watching a performance, you're also living and breathing a beautiful piece of Hawaii's historic culture.

It was a treat to watch Guy Hagi and Phil Rosenthal chat about the Somebody Feed Phil show…read more Will call opened early, was well staffed and efficient. Security did a nice job checking bags, and held my dinner leftovers on an entrance table, as food isn't allowed in the historic theater. It was easily retrieved after the show on the way out;) Restrooms were bright and lines moved quickly. Hot tip: fellow guests said that their $20 drinking glass in a safety cup is refillable at a discount on your next visit (they were enjoying wine, another had pineapple juice). If non alcoholic, that refill is free. Hmmm, we might have to try that next visit!

Amazing show, so fun, great talent. Emcee, dancers, band and fire dancers…read more Ambiance is outside but on a rooftop. So if the weather does not cooperate, it could be dicey. We didn't get a few drops but not too bad. Food was ok, salads, sides were very good. The meats not so much. The only thing was really good was the barbecue pork. The kalua pork was dry and tasteless. The fish was inedible and so dry. No seasonings on the kalua pork. Desserts were ok, a pineapple cake, coconut pannacotta and mini Malasaga donuts. Mai tais were good, not a lot of liquor but good. You come for the show and was the best. See my pics.

My brother secured reservations for our family at the Hilton's Friday Fireworks Luau on the Great…read moreLawn ($249 each). Since my family was already staying at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, my husband and I trekked it over to their part of Waikiki. We had Golden Circle seating which was not VIP but we had 3 drink tickets each along with a welcome drink upon entering. We were seated with an okay view of the stage. It was warm and it was nice to be dining al fresco. They had live music and we were called up to the buffet table-by-table. The food was so-so but we found things to eat. There was Kahlua pork, roasted chicken, fish, salad, bread, etc. For the drink tickets, it's easier to go up to the bartender and order rather than wait for a server. Drinks that were available to us included: soft drinks, POG, beer, wine, and premixed cocktails. Needless to say, we did not use up our tickets but my husband tried and he even tried giving a few away. While dining, they started the show on the stage. The talented performers put on a great show and even my dad got in on the fun. Once the performance ended and the dining concluded, we were directed towards the lagoon where we would have a great view of the fireworks. The staff was on top of clearing plates and helping guests. The fireworks show lasted about 10 minutes or so but it was a lovely way to spend an evening with family.

Cordero was our server... bravo Cordero, I had to hunt you down to thank you and give you a tip…read moreafter the show! The show was AMAZING and we have seen 25 + luau shows over the past 30 years! Check in fast and efficient! Loved loved loved the interactive activities before dinner! Tip - do the bamboo headband activity first not the flower wrist band as it takes a long time to make the head band and it's great in photos! Don't forget to get a temporary tattoo! Bar service is fast! Most people didn't tip but I did and no acknowledgement so probably won't tip in the future! Celebrity seating is worth it! Host was uber funny and extremely talented! So was every performer and band member!!! Loved the tree climber he was hilarious! Order uber 5 minutes before the fire dance ends and stand in the back and watch! It will save you a lot of money! Bravo Ka Moana Luau!! PS Use less salt on the pulled pork please PSSS - Loved the older fire dance performer who started the fire dance show!!!!!!

Woof! This experience was a challenge to enjoy and felt extraordinarily exploitative…read more I will preface that I did not purchase these tickets but was given them. I did not do much research ahead of time. I do not go to luaus because I know there are many issues with them being so exploitative, but I absolutely was trying to approach with an open mind. I'm not sure where to start. Uh. I guess I'll go chronologically. The check in lines were incredibly long so they are not very accessible. There was very little information on the accessibility of the space on their website. We got there early but were told they wouldn't start check in for a while and to go find a place to sit and wait. We weren't warned about the line at all. I'm disabled and so we found a place to sit and watched the line grow and grow. By the time check in started, the line had hundreds of people, so we decided to wait hoping the line would move quickly. But after about 20 minutes passed after check in started, the line did not seem to be shortening at all. We talked to a staff member about us being early and not being able to wait in the line due to being disabled and she told us there's nothing they could do about it. I think we ended up waiting over 40 minutes. When we actually finally got to check in, one of the women recognized us and said they should've helped us from the beginning and was very sweet and apologetic. She gave us some extra drink tickets which was a lovely gesture. As you go in, you are greeted with leis and a photo op. We immediately noticed the garb worn by the staff looked like plastic and fast fashion costuming. The photo op felt strange to us and we declined. But we observed the staff going up to people with the printed photos for purchase. It felt quite money grabby. As we entered the area, there's more plastic. A lot of the decor was made of plastic and felt gimmicky. The ground had artificial grass and there was a wall covered in fake foliage for pictures. We went to the bar to grab drinks and the drink tickets offered you very limited options. I got the Mai tais with my drink tickets, which were only 9 oz and I would guess maybe there was half a shot of rum in each. My friend got some of the mocktails, that they had to pay extra for, and the drinks had like a strange aftertaste we couldn't understand from looking at the ingredient list. They did not want any more after that. We then went to grab dinner from the buffet. I'm vegetarian and so my options were limited. The stir fried noodles had a strange aftertaste as well and I couldn't finish them. I only really enjoyed the Hawaiian rolls with lilikoi butter and the fresh pineapple. My friend agreed there were some weird aftertastes in the food. They eat meat, so they definitely enjoyed more of the food than I did, but they also couldn't finish their plate. By the time we had started eating, we noticed all the cultural activities had closed so sadly we could not really partake in any. When the show started, they created fire on stage to light the torches, which was probably our favorite part of the show. It felt the most authentic. Then, there were performances by the same 4 women and 4 men in different garb to represent different cultures of Oceania. Again, the costuming seemed to be made out of plastic/fast fashion materials. Coconut bras made of shiny plastic and even hula skirts made of colorful tinsel. I felt particularly uncomfortable when I saw the performers do the haka dance with painted on moko, or the traditional tattoos of the Māori people. My friend suggested that some of the performers might be Māori, but based on the hesitancies of the dancers to commit making the faces traditionally seen in the haka made us feel like that probably wasn't the case. We felt immense discomfort at the amount of cultural appropriation we were watching throughout the performances. Beyond that, we noticed that all of the dances were incredibly fast-paced, which isn't aligned with what we understand about a lot of these cultural dances. So everything felt sped up to keep the attention from the audience, which means that some of the more technical aspects of the traditional dances were neglected, and to me, they were noticeable. We also noticed that some of the dancers were struggling to catch their breaths towards the end of the show, which seemed to highlight out how unnecessarily fast paced these performances were. It is clear that the dancers worked very hard and they brought incredible energy to their performances, so I do not have anything but wonderful things to say about them. We ended up leaving early because of our discomfort with how exploitative the experience felt. It is clear that the staff and performers work quite hard to run this event. They are the ones that deserve any stars from this review. The immense issues we observed stem from the people who are making decisions to be as extractive and exploitative as possible.

What a beautiful local theater! We were in Oahu for Spring Break and traveling with our theater…read moreteen so thought to check the listing and luckily there was a show: West Side Story and it fit into our schedule. Easy parking, clean rest rooms, no frills concession, and cute merch. I got the reusable cup too. People were so nice and friendly. We sat at the very back of the theater and enjoyed it. The actors were so talented and so glad we were able to see it. My teen also got autographs and the actors were so happy and willing to sign her playbill. A couple were surprised that they were being asked for an autograph. When in Hawaii, after enjoying the beach and watching the sunset, why not catch a musical produced well run by the local community and supported and loved by the community.

Come From Away is a must see! It's a true story based on…read morethe events of 9/11 that took place in a small town, Gander, New Foundland where planes were diverted after the world Trade Center was attacked. The story is one of goodness and it left me in tears. Love, love, loved it.

We don't love touristy activities. We saw luau's from the beach and in the International Market,…read moreand were sure we did not want to pay the price to attend one of those. We saw that Nutridge was on a mountain, with views over the city and the ocean, in a beautiful park, in a lovely estate that hosted about 50 people at a time, and that during the 4 hours we were there, we would experience Hawaiian culture and activities. We had the experience we hoped for. The small staff was so friendly. The MC was a lot of fun and kept the evening moving. The dancers were lovely and were part of the activities as well. Every part of the entertainment was interactive and inclusive of the guests. It was not a sit-and-watch evening! The buffet dinner was delicious and plentiful, offering several traditional dishes, all of which we were encouraged to try. There were so many fun things going on, you had to be there. The evening ended with a dance party! We brought jackets and bug spray, just in case, but didn't need them. Wear comfortable clothes and walking shoes for the short walks through the beautiful grounds as you move between activities. This was one of the highlights of our holiday and was worth every penny. Thank you for a great experience, Nutridge Luau folks!

We had a tough time picking a luau for our visit to Hawaii and I'm so glad we decided on Nutridge!…read moreThe whole experience was wonderful from the beautiful grounds, the entertainment, to the cultural information, games, music, we loved every second!!! The proximity to Waikiki was so convenient. They also provide transportation if you need or or you can drive yourself to the location. I would recommend Nutridge to anyone looking for a luau that is smaller, interesting, and beautiful!

Came here when it was less crowded the seating area is big wide open with chairs, tables, and a…read moregreen luscious outdoor view. There were only a few vendors like maybe 4 trucks at the time we got a plate from a vendor called "Wasabi Express by Tiger" the white woman who most likely also works with the main chef randomly approached us recommends it for my partner and I says it's going to taste great it's made fresh daily,, said why not we came for a trip but honestly it was mid and this is why I don't listen to people but realistically I should've just dogged it in my opinion; understand it's Hawaii we are in a touristy spot, but too overpriced for something that tastes like yoshinoya meat and rice that tastes just like fried rice from a regular Chinese takeout

Went here with friends! The food selection and trucks they have is alright! I thought it would be…read morebigger and lots of trucks like OC night market in LA but i cant complain, the food is amazing! And love the drink i got from the truck strawberry pineapple flavor from tropics truck

OMG Priscilla Queen of the desert…read moreOne of the best performances I've ever seen in my life !!! so full of energy! that artistry the creativity the Costumes!, the imagination, the choreography, the dancers, the singers. Everyone was really, really really great!

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!

Improv Superette! Laughter is medicine and Improv Superette is the perfect venue for it!…read more Parking- Street parking is da bestest. Harbour Court for security.

Saw "A Holiday Themed Improv" tonight and was so heartened to watch the current generation take…read morehold of our attention and keep it for the entire evening!! Improv isn't an easy skill for the novice. You have to be quick on your feet to take whatever scenario is thrown at the actors, act it out on the spot, and interact with the other actors to expand on the situation. The audience ate it up and laughed so much (especially the local/non local clips). It was the fourth of four nights for this hardworking crew and they were exhausted at the end of the show. If this troupe of young people can successfully fill a community theatre for four nights, it gives me hope for this generation. Mahalo, kids!!

I enjoyed my one time I went there to see Johnny Valentine and am sad to hear they closed the venue…read morepart. I loved arriving at this shopping center and going through the music classrooms, almost like a speakeasy. Cute older couple that runs the place. Very...Italian decor? Moody, night club vibe on the upper level, older crowd mainly. The food and drink were not too bad. Would I go just for the food? No. But the ambiance was really cool to experience, I'll miss it!

Medici's is a special little gem in Mānoa transporting you to a magical space filled with music,…read morefood, and happiness. The club opened in April of 2014 and features jazz, blues, classical musicians in Hawaii. This was our second time here and loved it. Tim and Carolyn (owners) are very welcoming couple who work in tandem to operate this place. Tim is the chef, artist, and manages the music events upstairs. Carolyn is the musical director for the school downstairs. All proceeds from dinner/shows help support the Manoa School of Music and the Arts downstairs. The ambiance is beautiful and well-decorated with plants, art, paintings. Tim is an artist, so you will find his paintings for sale too. We took one home during the NYE event and admire it everyday. Your ticket includes live music and a tasty 4 course gourmet meal who is cooked by Chef Tim. Just a word of warning is that the meal is on the smaller side. The dishes are served on mostly paper plates but I assume that's how they also keep the costs lower. Most of the attendees seem to be 50+ so the food might be catering to those who are older and don't eat as much. Although we ended up being content by the end with drinks. You will likely end up sitting with strangers since the tables are large, circular, and can seat up to 6-8 people. This can be a good way to socialize and make some new friends. They also have a bar that has very reasonable prices. $25 wine bottles and only $7.50 for beer/wine glasses. Cocktails available too. Highly recommend this place if you're looking for a special place to enjoy the beautiful tunes of jazz. Hard to find places like this anymore!