Wearing a fragrant lei, an aloha shirt and a smile from ear to ear, Neil Dorward looked more like a tourist in the lobby of Oahu’s Outrigger Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel than the director and co-creator of Cirque du Soleil’s first resident show in Hawaii, which, incidentally, was a mere three hours away from its world premiere next door.
But with his passion project having the protection, guidance and support from Hawaiian spirits since the beginning, who needs to stress on opening night?
“The Hawaiian gods 100% for sure guided us during the creation of this show,” said the London-born Santa Monica transplant. “The ancestors were there throughout the process as well. The story of this show comes from the spirits of Hawaii, and they are a constant presence.”
An “‘Auana” performer goes on a surfin’ safari with cylinders. (Photo by David Dickstein)Based on the spirit and history of the Islands, the resplendent, yet respectful, story is told through eight amazing acts that serve as milestones of the protagonist’s quest for self-discovery, understanding and inner peace. Before he succeeds — spoiler alert, but is it really? — this lost soul, a wanderer if you will (“auana” means “to journey” in Hawaiian), returns to his island home after leaving his Hawaiian roots behind to see what else is out there. The transformative world he’s drawn into is what spins (and twirls and leaps and bounces) in front of the audience, bringing with it circus of the sublime.
So, cue the aerialists, contortionists, acrobats (two on roller-skates, and no wife has ever trusted a husband more), a sand artist, a speed juggler and a dude who surfs on an ever-growing stack of rolling cylinders. Proving how deep the talent pool is, the surfer dude isn’t even the grand finale. That honor goes to two wild and crazy guys who do everything but play pickleball on a giant rotating wheel suspended high above the stage. This edge-of-your-seat pièce de resistance is as gratifying as it is gravity-defying.
Juggling acts are often a dime a dozen, but not in “‘Auana,” Cirque du Soleil’s first resident show in Hawaii. (Photo by David Dickstein)Don’t go hungry now; “‘Auana” is definitely no luau show, even though the two dozen or so that go on every week in Waikiki could be Cirque’s biggest competition; tourists from the mainland just love Hawaii’s version of dinner theater. If any comparison must be found, “‘Auana” is reminiscent to “‘Ulalena,” a more modestly produced musical stage show about the history and mythology of the Hawaiian islands. That show closed in 2018, five years before the Maui theater it graced for nearly two decades didn’t survive the devastating Lahaina wildfires.
In at least one respect, “‘Ulalena” lives on in “‘Auana.” John Signor is their common-bond musical director, and with his latest work, he does justice to sensational original music by Los Angeles-based composer Evan Duffy, whose credits include the movie “Crazy Rich Asians” and Cirque’s “Mad Apple” resident show that “‘Auana” director Dorward help bring to Las Vegas in early 2022.
Before excusing himself to do one more interview leading up to addressing the world premiere audience, the director was asked if he approached “‘Auana” differently than his previous Cirque du Soleil gig. After all, Sin City and the Big Pineapple are two very different vacation destinations.
“‘Mad Apple’ was created for a late-night audience and with regard to ‘‘Auana,’ first and foremost, this is for the [Hawaiian] community to be proud,” Dorward said on his big night. “We are honored to showcase the artforms of Hawaii to the rest of the world.”
Yet more reasons “‘Auana” packs a Hawaiian punch.
If you go
“‘Auana” showtimes are 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday at the Outrigger Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel (outrigger.com). Tickets start at $85 inclusive of taxes and fees. For tickets and information, call 877-773-6470 or go to cirquedusoleil.com/auana.
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