Cirque du Soleil premiered 'Auana, its first resident production in Hawaii that combines the islands' rich heritage with the show's trademark high-flying acrobatics.
'Auana premiered Tuesday night with a red-carpet event at the Outrigger Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel in Honolulu on the island of Oahu. Among the celebrities were Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, James Beard Award-winning Chef Roy Yamaguchi and Olympic gold medalist surfer Carissa Moore, who were joined at the premiere by Hawaii Gov. Josh Green.
"I thought the show was brilliant, the performers were amazing, but what I really loved is that our Polynesian culture is at the forefront of something that pierces cultures like Cirque du Soleil," said Johnson. "I think it's rare when you have something that can span from beautiful storytelling, culture, song, comedy and humor."
'Auana takes audiences through eight vivid dreamlike scenes with daring acrobatics to showcase traditional Hawaiian language, song and hula.
"We're bringing together a generation that is no longer apologetic about who we are. We stand in our 'ōlelo, we stand in our culture and we allow that culture to be in the firmament," said Dr. Aaron Salā, the show's cultural creative producer.
"If we find opportunities to tell our stories using platforms like Cirque du Soleil that catapult our work to the mainstream," Salā added, "I feel very simply but very firmly that Hawaii can change the world."