Showcase of a New Musical: The Epic Tale of Hi’iaka | Patrick Makuakāne
February 22 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Join us for a special showcase of a new musical by creative team Roslyn Catracchia and Grace Cathedral 2024 Artist in Residence Patrick Makuakāne. Together, they have written the book, music, and lyrics. The choreography is by Makuakāne. The dramaturg is none other than Stephen Schwartz, the great American composer and lyricist who wrote WICKED. The producer, Michael Jackowitz, has produced many shows on Broadway and recently won a Tony for Best Revival with “Once Upon this Island.”
Roz and Patrick, with Jana Anguay Alcain, who is playing the lead character Hiʻiaka, will share some of the music, and the challenges and triumphs of writing a new musical. Hear some of the amazing songs and get the inside scoop of the ten-year process it has taken to bring this production to the stage. They will have lots of stories to share that speak to the struggle of making a very native Hawaiian story feel universal.
This event is part of Spacious Grace, the cathedral’s annual free-form arts festival when we remove the pews and fill the space with exciting events. Now in its tenth year, Spacious Grace runs from February 18 to March 2.
The Story of The Epic Tale of Hiʻiaka
The story of Pele and her sister Hiʻiaka stands at the fountainhead of Hawaiian myth. It remains to this day the most well-known story of Hawaiʻi’s ancient history and reveals itself once again with every volcanic eruption. Hiʻiaka-in-the-bosom-of-Pele is the youngest and most daring sister of Pele, goddess of the volcano. This coming-of-age story sends Hiʻiaka on pursuit to the island of Kauaʻi to retrieve Chief Lohiʻau, the love interest of Pele. On the surface this grand adventure is a very human account of love, justice, betrayal, and redemption. However, under the surface, it is a mythic expedition toward the sacred interior of the Hawaiian psyche, of a people dwelling on hallowed ground, and of a journey toward the recovery of the sacred inherent in every individual.