The only all-Hawaiian entertainment luau in Hawaii tells a dark story

LAIE, Hawaii – A gentle song filled the air as the hula dancers gracefully took the stage for the next performance of the Ali‘i Lu‘au ‘Onipa‘a at the Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie, Oahu. However, rather than wearing a traditional hula skirt – they were dressed in Victorian-era gowns.

Everyone's eyes were drawn to one performer in a regal black gown with lace and intricate beadwork along the bodice and sleeves.

This dress was made to look like the famous gown that Queen Lili‘uokalani wore to the Jubilee Celebration of Queen Victoria in London in 1887, which she attended as a princess and direct heir to the throne of Hawaii with her sister-in-law, Queen Kapi‘olani.

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The song playing was written by Queen Lili‘uokalani herself for the royal event.

Launched in 2022, the luau at the PCC – Hawaii's top paid visitor attraction – forgoes the fire-dancing and other Pan-Pacific performances you'd typically see at a contemporary luau, which reflects the multicultural society of modern-day Hawaii through song, food and dance.

PCC's luau is a tribute to Queen Lili‘uokalani – the last ruling monarch of Hawaii who reigned for just three years – and her life, including the tragic overthrow of Hawaiian Kingdom, to educate visitors on Hawaiian history. The result is an all-Hawaiian luau.

"What can we offer to present the Queen’s story that does her memory justice, that brings pride to the Hawaiians, that brings understanding to our non-Hawaiians and people can leave feeling the spirit of aloha?" Delsa Moe, director of PCC, said.

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An all-Hawaiian luau

Since every dance, story and song is about Lili‘uokalani at Ali‘i Luau ‘Onipa‘a, it is "the only luau with all Hawaiian entertainment in Hawaii," according to Moe.

"The reason we can do that is we have a night show guests can go to afterwards. Other luau, this is their one shot,” Moe said. After the luau, PCC puts on HA: Breath of Life Show, a show that brings together other Polynesian cultures and "where you get all the glitz, the glamour, the bells and whistles."

This isn't the first time PCC held an all-Hawaiian luau. In 1997, the luau was focused on Hawaiian culture only but visitors didn't find it "very exciting." At the time, PCC returned to a Pan-Pacific luau.

"They wanted the Hawaii experience that was being portrayed in the media and the movies," Moe said.

A few years ago, the team noticed how Hawaii visitors were seeking out more authentic experiences, and realized it was the perfect time to try again.

Why is Queen Lili‘uokalani's story important to share?

Pomai Kruger, a kumu hula (hula teacher) from Maui, joined the PCC team and led the creation of the new luau. He's credited for choosing Lili‘uokalani's story to share because "this is the kind of story that is very relevant and front of mind to our people here in Hawaii," according to Moe.

To this day, some Native Hawaiians fight for sovereignty from the U.S. and protest against projects that go against their values, such as the Thirty-Meter Telescope being built on Mauna Kea, regarded as a highly sacred place.

Born Lydia Lili‘u Loloku Walania Wewehi Kamaka‘eha, Lili‘uokalani succeeded her brother, King David Kalākaua, in 1891 as queen. She sought to strengthen the political power of the monarchy by introducing a new constitution to protect Hawaiian rights. Fearing the loss of trade profits – the Committee of Safety, a group of nonnative American businessmen or politicians – and with support of the American Minister to Hawaii, staged a coup and announced itself as the Provisional Government.

Tension between the non-Hawaiians and Hawaiians grew. In 1895, Hawaiian royalists tried to regain power for the queen in an armed revolt called the Wilcox Rebellion. Lili‘uokalani was arrested and imprisoned in her bedroom at ‘Iolani Palace for almost eight months, also relinquishing the throne. Originally, it was a five-year prison sentence. Despite petitions and letters of protest sent to the U.S. government, she never regained power.

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"The overthrow led to annexation to the United States and a huge decline in the Hawaiian Kingdom’s power, influence, and economic status," ‘Iolani Palace historian Zita Cup Choy said.

Like the name of the luau, Lili‘uokalani's motto was "‘Onipa‘a," which means to be steadfast and resolute in Hawaiian. She is highly admired to this day for having been "steadfast in her desire to do what her people wanted," Cup Choy said. The phrase is also associated with the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy.

Lili‘uokalani's legacy lives on through the Lili‘uokalani Trust, a private-operating foundation established in 1909 offering direct services to vulnerable Hawaiian children.

Moe said the luau's script went through several iterations because it was difficult to present the overthrow in a way so "non-Hawaiians feel the sadness" but don't think it is "divisive" or they are "being blamed for it," Moe said.

Preserving Hawaiian culture and reviving is at the forefront of many people's minds to this day, along with telling its history. When Western interests first touched down on the islands, they banned important parts of Hawaiian culture, such as hula and ‘Olelo Hawai‘i, the language.

How did PCC recreate her story for the luau?

"It was really a team approach," Moe said.

The PCC team made field trips to ‘Iolani Palace to learn more about what life was like during Lili‘uokalani's time, such as the balls, dinners and gatherings she'd attend. They were also able to look closely at replicas of her dresses that are on display at the Palace, such as the famous ribbon gown, to see how it could be recreated for the show. (The train is detachable so the dress can be easily washed after the show.)

Small touches pay extra tribute to the Queen. There's a gazebo onstage because she was known for adoring flowers. Even her favorite flower, the crown flower, is in the garden. The chef also reached out to ‘Iolani Palace to learn more about her favorite desserts, which inspire the menu.

Then there's the music. Lili‘uokalani was a prolific composer, with over 150 songs under her belt, including "Aloha ‘Oe," a famously sweet tune that has been covered by Elvis and Bing Crosby. She even wrote songs during her house arrest, many having political meanings.

"The ‘Onipa‘a luau exposes visitors to more of Queen Lili‘uokalani's musical compositions, telling her life through her own words and songs, which are complemented by original music," Cindy Ascencio, Director of Guest Services at ‘Iolani Palace, said.

Before the luau's public launch, PCC invited the Laie community and other Native Hawaiian community members to experience the luau and give their feedback. "Have we done this right?" Moe said. "This isn't about money, this isn't about marketing. This is about receiving their approval that we're presenting this correctly."

The response was positive, and that gave the center the confidence they needed to make the luau official. "They said, 'we're just so proud to be Hawaiian.' "

Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter based in Hawaii. You can reach her at kwong@usatoday.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: This is the only all-Hawaiian luau in Hawaii. Here's a look.