Lei Pua ʻAla Queer Histories of Hawaiʻi proudly announces the first-ever hula show to share the long-hidden story of The Healer Stones of Kapaemahu – a unique monument to healing and inclusion all but unknown to the millions of visitors and residents who pass by the sacred site in Waikīkī. The show will be performed weekly on the Kūhiō Beach hula mound, just steps from the stones that honor four legendary voyagers who brought the healing arts from Tahiti to Hawaiʻi long ago.

Composed and directed by Kumu Patrick Makuakāne, well known for his innovative contemporary choreography grounded in the fundamentals of traditional hula, The Return of Kapaemahu will bring the legendary story alive in the unique style he calls hula mua, using modern music to provide new dimensions to the story’s poetic message, as relevant today as centuries past. Makuakāne’s production was inspired by Kapaemahu, the Oscar shortlisted animated short film by Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson, and Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu that revealed an aspect of the moʻolelo that had been nearly erased from history in a changing Hawaiʻi– that the beloved healers were māhū, extraordinary individuals of dual male and female mind, heart, and spirit.

The free, one-hour show premieres at 6:30 pm on January 22 and will be performed every Wednesday – 6:30-7:30 pm – throughout 2025.

“At its core, this story is a reminder from our kupuna of how to treat people with aloha and respect even if you view them as different,” said Kumu Patrick. “Because in the end, they’re not different. They’re your ‘ohana, your friends. They’re you. Just a more fabulous version of you. And couldn’t we all use a more fabulous version of ourselves to remind us of our potential?” Kumu Patrick, who last year became the first Native Hawaiian recipient of the prestigious MacArthur Foundation Genius Award, is joined by a cast of Kānaka Maoli hula performers that spans generations, dance styles, and identities.

The Return of Kapaemahu is a production of Lei Pua ʻAla Queer Histories of Hawaiʻi, a new multidimensional project to illuminate and honor more expansive histories of gender and sexual diversity across the multicultural landscape of the islands.

“Through our work on Kapaemahu over the past ten years, we’ve seen how empowering it can be for people who have been marginalized and erased for so long to finally be able to see themselves reflected and valued in the life and culture of their community,” said Lei Pua ‘Ala co-director Wilson.

“This extraordinary production by Kumu Patrick is a great example of visitor entertainment that’s not only enjoyable but culturally meaningful, educational, and impactful. And because it is free to the public, it is a wonderful addition to the resurgence of Hawaiian cultural programs now helping to reshape the visitor experience in Waikīkī,” added co-director Hamer.

Additional sponsors of The Return of Kapaemahu on the Kūhiō Beach Hula Mound include the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority, Kilohana by the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, Waikīkī Business Improvement District, Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities, and Mellon Foundation.

For more information, contact:
Joe Wilson, Lei Pua ʻAla Queer Histories of Hawaiʻi
tel: 808-629-9864
email: QwavesJoe@yahoo.com