Ulalena has many meanings on the island of Maui. Ulalena is an avant-garde venue that was built for a phenomenal show idea, but it also has another meaning. Ulalena is said to be a special wind that only occurs on Maui. According to the chants of ancient Hawaiian creation, it is also a reddish-yellow form of rain when revealed during the twilight hours. This wind carries people to other times and places through mythical memories and media.

The show, Ulalena, offers some of the best entertainment on Maui. If you watch a show that celebrates Hawaiian culture, this should be the show to go to. The venue where the show takes place was built specifically for the show. This allows each seat to have a special sense of intimacy and interaction as the show progresses.

Ulalena takes the traditional Butoh theater and adds acrobatic movements, hula and modern dance. Vivid and rich costume design and intense lighting and stage design combine to create the perfect scene for a show based on Hawaiian history and legends. You will have the opportunity to see such an incredible program that you cannot help but feel like you are in the middle of it all.

Critics have called Ulalena the best Hawaiian show in years. It has been called magical and powerful. What began as a myth has taken the stage in a brilliant portrait of Hawaiian beliefs. Ulalena begins with a man on a spiritual quest heading to an unknown destination. As you walk, taro, a Hawaiian staple, appears from the ground and shows the audience the beginning of life.

The ocean, a mythical forest, a town and much more are also talked about or used. Each area seems to advance the story and teach something unique and intimate about Hawaii. The ocean is used to bring the first immigrants from Tahiti. These immigrants arrive in the area after following visions of the volcano goddess, Pele, and the shark god, Kamohali’l. Once this happens, Maui the demigod can lift the islands out of the ocean.

The forest comes next when Ali’I dreams of Mo’o. Mo’o is a guardian spirit who takes the form of a lizard and lives in a waterfall. The trees of the rainforest come to life. During this time, the gods reflect on pleasure and passion. The village is shown to music, as the men strike the poi of the taro root and the women strike the kapa to show simple Hawaiian life.

The next portion of Ulalena leads to the Makahiki festival. This harvest festival is to celebrate gratitude, sports, and taboo war. However, an explorer from Europe arrives and interrupts the festival at its peak. The residents promise to respect man, thinking that he is a God who comes from above and becomes human.

The shadows arrive showing the old world, the new and the differences that arise once the King has died and the old ways system is overthrown. The Hawaiian monarchy brings people from all over the world to work in the sugarcane fields, as sugar becomes an important product.

As Ulalena nears the end, Pele explodes and devastation accompanies her. However, this devastation brings contemplation and then a rebuilding of life. Finally, we have Ulalena, a new age of golden people. These people are embraced by the Ulalena, the rain, and merge into a life close to nature and built of spirit.