The Global Media Site for Entertainment.
Menu
Hā: Breath of Life at the Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie, Hawaii is a stunning evening show featuring 80 Polynesian performers, special effects, animation, and surround sound. It is a story of passion, ignited by fire, song, and dance. This 90-minute, world-famous, award-winning show is a must see when you are on Oahu. It is truly an unforgettable experience.
A story of passion ignited by fire, song, and dance. Hā: Breath of Life is a symbolic story of birth and death, love and family, triumph, and tragedy, punctuated by Polynesian dance, music, and blazing fire-knives.
The story is told by a cast of 80 young Polynesian performers.
Their emotional and energetic performance is one of a kind and has taken the audience’s breath away since its opening in August 2009.
The show begins with an erupting volcano which devastates a couple’s home island.
The man and his wife escape on their canoe, enduring violent storms at sea before washing ashore on an unknown island where villagers welcome them as ohana (family). The woman soon gives birth to a baby boy, whom she and her husband name “Mana.”
In 90 enthralling minutes, the show then chronicles the life of Mana, who grows up from a playful, inquisitive child to be a strong, brave warrior with a family of his own.
Universal themes of love, honor, respect, courage, faith, unity, and cultural pride are explored through original songs, chants, choreography, costumes, and special effects.
To ensure accuracy, the show was produced with guidance from cultural experts from the various authentic Polynesian villages comprising the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC).
“We wanted a show that would be fresh and unique to the local market as well as to visitors who were already familiar with the typical Polynesian revue format,” said Delsa Moe, PCC’s director of cultural presentations and the show’s producer. “Except for three songs, all of the music is original.”
The USD 3 million show, which took three years to develop, also features state-of-the-art LED lighting and surround-sound systems, animated “tapa art” that introduces each segment of the story and a newly designed stage that draws the audience into the action.
Highlights include 70 men and women performing the Māori haka; a dramatic battle scene in the Fijian sequence, with warriors running, leaping, and swinging clubs and spears; and a spectacular closing fire-knife dance routine.
Props also play a prominent role in the production. Hā’s three-story backdrop features three volcanoes, a 30-foot-high waterfall, and a lush jungle of real coconut palms, bougainvillea, hibiscus, naupaka, lauae ferns and other tropical plants.
In Māori tradition, kites are regarded as links between heaven and earth – a way for mortals to communicate with the gods and their ancestors.
Young Mana tries to fly his father’s kite, which has a 14-foot wingspan. When it proves to be too big for him to handle alone, his father helps him, reminding him that he has much more to learn and experience before becoming a man.
Hā: Breath of Life is presented with such polish, panache, and precision, it is hard to believe the cast of 80 is actually made up of amateurs – students at the adjoining Brigham Young University-Hawaii campus.
The performers hail from all the islands of Polynesia and performing in Hā enables them to earn money to gain a college education that otherwise would probably not be possible.
The critically acclaimed Hā: Breath of Life has attracted attention from around the world.
Not only is it regarded as the #1 show in Hawaii, but it has also been described as, “Authentic pageantry teeming and throbbing with the syncopations and synergy of the south seas culture.” By the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
Polynesian Cultural Center – Hā: Breath of Life Show
Polynesian Cultural Centre Official Website, Hā – Breath of Life
Hā – Breath of Life on The Hawaiian Islands
A Review of Hā: Breath of Life on Travel Age West
The Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre in Hanoi, Vietnam
Performers in Rio de Janeiro Created a Drive-in Circus
Liam Klenk was born in Central Europe and has since lived on four continents. Liam has always been engaged in creative pursuits, ranging from photography and graphic design, to writing short stories and poetry, to working in theatre and shows. In 2016, Liam published his first book and memoir, 'Paralian'.
Read Full Profile
© 2021 TheatreArtLife. All rights reserved.
Thank you so much for reading, but you have now reached your free article limit for this month.
Our contributors are currently writing more articles for you to enjoy.
To keep reading, all you have to do is become a subscriber and then you can read unlimited articles anytime.
Your investment will help us continue to ignite connections across the globe in live entertainment and build this community for industry professionals.
