Mar. 8, 2019
Contributed by Shaundor Chillingworth
THE BATTLE OF KUAMOʻO, an opera sung entirely in the Hawaiian language, tells the story of the fateful conflict after the death of King Kamehameha (in 1819) between Kona chief Kekuaokalani, loyal to the traditional customs and religion, and Liholiho, the new king swayed by his regent mother to end the old ways to make way for the new.
Through music, traditional dance and chant, the story is retold of the fate of an island nation shaped by a single battle.
When: Thursday, March 14 and Friday March 15 at 6 p.m. (doors open at 5:30 p.m.)
Where: Koaiʻa Gym
Tickets:
Funds raised from the Hōʻike performances will help to defray travel costs for students traveling to perform this Hawaiian opera at the world's largest performing arts festival in Scotland, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Your support will help them represent Hawaiian language, culture and moʻolelo on an incredible worldwide stage.
Questions? Call (808) 982-0680 or email kshawaii@ksbe.edu.
The unifying work of the high school surrounding the preparation of this year’s Hō‘ike epitomizes the pride and aloha of the high school in embracing the legacy and mission set forth by our Ke Ali‘i Bernice Pauahi Bishop.
Following Hōʻike, students will be performing the final section of the opera along with the Kamuela Philharmonic Orchestra on Sunday, March 24 at the Kahilu Theatre. The KPO will be premiering a new symphonic suite of the opera, which will be the backing music when students travel to Scotland. Visit www.kamuelaphil.org for more details and to purchase tickets.
Additional shows are scheduled for April 24 at the ʻImiloa Astronomy Center and on June 15 at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. More details will be announced as those shows near.
Read more about the show and where students plan to take this significant moʻolelo.