My wife and I were recently treated to an evening out (without the kid). We went to see the new stage show in Waikiki, Cirque Hawaii. Veterans of the Vegas style stage shows like Cirque du soleil, “O,” Blue Man Crew and the like, we entered the former Waikiki Imax Theater with somewhat low expectations. I have to admit, we were pleasantly surprised and entertained.

Cirque Hawaii is a stage show along the lines of Cirque du soleil with a bit of a Hawaii twist. A little bit slapstick with some serious acrobatic performances set in a circus like stage. The talent of the performers was top notch – on par with the best of best. And, because the stage is built into a former Imax theater (think vertical), every seat has a great view. This show is well worth seeing if you’re looking for something different to do in Waikiki.

On the other hand… Even though this is Cirque “Hawaii,” you really don’t get the feeling that it is a “Hawaii” production. There’s just little Polynesian flare in the costumes, and an opening sequence that was just a tad something like a hula show. My take is that it should be either a make-no-mistake full on “Hawaiian” show, or stay away from the Hawaii theme completely. What they have with the current show is an attempt to play it both ways. As a Hawaii resident, I would prefer a show that wasn’t Hawaiian, but more like a Vegas show. But, knowing that the show needs to attract Hawaii visitors to stay viable, a little more Hawaiian flare might make it more appealing to tourists. In all fairness to the producers of Cirque Hawaii, not many Waikiki shows have been able to create a product loved by visitors and locals alike.

There is definitely a place for a live show like Cirque Hawaii in Waikiki. In order to survive, they’ll need a steady stream of tourist and a smattering of repeat local business. The show does have kamaaina prices (if you don’t know the word than it doesn’t matter, you can’t get the special price), still, I thought it was a little pricey. Tickets need to be very affordable so that I can afford to take all my out of town guests to see the performance. Even at the current kamaaina price, I may not be able to bring my whole family every time we have out of state visitors.

Bottom line, thumbs up to Cirque Hawaii, and good luck to the cast and crew! See their website at http://www.openrez.net/.

Posted by Netsato on Thursday, February 9th, 2006 at 10:34 pm.