Our original Hawaiian opera, which debuted in 2013, is back in a brand new way - including new arrangements and a whole new venue! 

Kamehameha Schools Hawaiʻi in collaboration with UH Hilo UH Hilo Performing Arts Center will present Hōʻike 2026: Keaomelemele.

Keaomelemele is a breathtaking stage production by Kamehameha Schools Hawai‘i that brings Hawaiian mythology to life through music, hula, and chant.

Adapted from Moses Manu’s 19th-century epic, the story follows divine figures of Paliuli, Kahānaiakeakua, Mo‘oinanea, Waka, and Keaomelemele on a journey of love, transformation, and longing across mystical landscapes from the forests of ʻŌla‘a to the summit of Mauna Kea. Audiences will experience a rich tapestry of Hawaiian language, poetic imagery, and original compositions by Herb Mahelona as Paliuli rediscovers her feminine power and identity in the traditional Hawaiian art of hula. This cultural celebration promises an unforgettable evening of artistry and tradition.

Check out this ʻŌiwi TV story from 2013 as Keaomelemele debuted.

KS Hawaiʻi rich, annual storytelling tradition of Hōʻike is heading for a new venue to further elevate the audience experience and technical capabilities to tell a story like Keaomelemele. For the first time, Hōʻike will be off-campus as we partner in collaboration with the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Performing Arts Center to tell this story in a whole new way. 

Hōʻike 2026: Keaomelemele will take place March 12 & 13 at 7 p.m.

Funds raised through these performances will help our Hōʻike a Haʻi performing arts group bring this powerful moʻolelo to the world's largest performing arts festival in Scotland, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Students are scheduled to perform Keaomelemele at the Fringe this August.

Tickets are $15 and available on the Kamehameha Schools Hawaiʻi GoFan page. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

• Purchase Thursday, March 12 tickets
• Purchase Friday, March 13 tickets

The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Performing Arts Center is located at 342 W Kawili St, Hilo, HI 96720

The roles in this year's production of Keaomelemele include multiple actors portraying the same roles. Here is the cast list along with the characters and notes about the roles.

Hōʻike blends hula and mele to tell a rich moʻolelo for audiences to enjoy whether or not they speak ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.

TAGS
ks hawaii, hōʻike, hōʻike a ha'i, performing arts, imua kamehameha, hawaiian opera, opera

CATEGORIES
Kaipuolono Article, Hawaii Newsroom, KS Hawaii Home, Hawaii High School, Newsroom, Hawaii, Hawaii campus

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