The Performing Arts

Audiences have stomped to the big Off-Broadway percussion hit Stomp and have enjoyed the talent of Tap Dogs, Momix, the Hawaii International Jazz Festival, the American Repertory Dance Company, and John Kaimikaua's halau -- all at the Hawaii Theatre, 1130 Bethel St., downtown (tel. 808/528-0506; www.hawaiitheatre.com), Hawaii's Carnegie Hall of the Pacific, still basking in its renaissance following a 4-year, $22-million renovation (it was built in 1922). The neoclassical Beaux Arts landmark features an original 1922 dome, 1,400 plush seats, and a hydraulically elevated organ. Breathtaking murals create an atmosphere that's making the theater a leading multipurpose center.

Other smaller theaters on Oahu are: the Manoa Valley Theatre, 2833 E. Manoa Rd. (tel. 808/988-6131; www.manoavalleytheatre.com), Honolulu's equivalent of Off Broadway, with well-known shows performing; Diamond Head Theatre, 520 Makapuu Ave. (tel. 808/733-0274; www.diamondheadtheatre.com), hosting a variety of performances from musicals to comedies to classical dramas; Kumu Kahua Theatre, 46 Merchant St. (tel. 808/536-4222; www.kumukahua.org), producing plays dealing with the island experience, often written by residents; Army Community Theatre, Richardson Theatre, Fort Shafter (tel. 808/438-5230), offering revivals of Broadway musicals; and Leeward Community College Theatre, 96-045 Ala Ike St. (tel. 808/455-0385), featuring an eclectic slate of productions, from visiting performing companies to local students' work.

The Honolulu Symphony Orchestra performs at the Waikiki Shell and the Neal Blaisdell Center (tel. 808/591-2211; www.honolulusymphony.com), Hawaii's premier performance center for the best in entertaining. This arena/concert hall/exhibition building can be divided into an intimate 2,175-seat concert hall or an 8,805-seat arena, serving everyone from symphony goers to punk rockers. The Symphony is in house from September to May and then the highly successful Hawaii Opera Theatre (tel. 808/596-7858; www.hawaiiopera.org) takes to the stage from January to March. Started in 1960 (past hits have included La Bohème, Carmen, Turandot, Romeo and Juliet, Rigoletto, and Aïda), the Opera still draws fans to the Neal Blaisdell Concert Hall. In the summer during July, the Hawaii Opera Theatre (HOT) puts on a lighter performance such as South Pacific. Dance also makes the list at the center with Ballet Hawaii (tel. 808/521-6514; www.ballethawaii.org) performing twice a year in August -- in 2007, Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty was presented -- and the annual Nutcracker ballet (generally sold out) in December.

Showroom Acts & Revues

Showroom acts that have maintained a following start with the Society of Seven's nightclub act (a blend of skits, Broadway hits, popular music, and costumed musical acts), in the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach (tel. 808/923-0711; www.outriggeractivities.com). Shows are Tuesday through Sunday at 8pm; dinner costs $75; show-only is $37 adults and $24 children 2 to 20. Across the street at the Waikiki Beachcomber is the performance of The Magic of Polynesia (tel. 808/971-4321; www.magicofpolynesia.com), a show with illusionist John Hirokana, nightly at 8pm (dinner $85 adults, children $57 ages 4-11; show-only $53 adults, $35 children ages 4-11, note: book on their website for 20% discount).

Also on Kalakaua Avenue is the still-sizzling Polynesian revue, "Creation -- A Polynesian Odyssey" (tel. 808/931-4660; www.princess-kaiulani.com/de_creation.htm) in the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani's second-floor Ainahau Showroom. Produced by Tihati (pronounced tea-hot-tea), the state's largest entertainment company, the show is a theatrical journey of fire dancing, special effects, illusions, hula, and Polynesian dances from Hawaii and the South Pacific. Dinner shows are Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and cost $85 to $135 adults and $64 to $100 for children 5 to 12 years.

The best in comedy is Andy Bumatai, who performs local stand-up sketches that will have you not only understanding local residents, but also screaming with laughter. Another excellent comic is Frank Delima. If he's playing anywhere on Oahu, it's worth the drive to see this comic genius, who sings, dances, and performs comic routines that will have you laughing until your sides hurt.

The Island's Best Poetry Slam

If you are on island the first Thursday of the month, head for the Poetry Slam at the Hawaiian Hut, Ala Moana Hotel, 410 Atkinson Dr. (tel. 808/387-9664; www.hawaiislam.com), where standing-room-only crowds (500 is not uncommon) come to listen to Hawaii's best performance poets and live music, while painters and DJs keep the energy high. Show starts at 8:30pm, $3 before and $5 after showtime.

Luau!

The sun is setting, the tiki torches are lit, the pig is taken from the imu (an oven in the earth), the drums begin pounding -- it's luau time. Recently, three new luau have started: in Waikiki, on the North Shore, and in windward Oahu at Sea Life Park. Regrettably, there's no commercial luau on Oahu that comes close to Maui's Old Lahaina Luau, or Hawaii Island's legendary Kona Village Luau. In Waikiki, the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, 2259 Kalakaua Ave. (at Seaside Ave.; tel. 888/808-4668; www.royal-hawaiian.com), is Waikiki's only oceanfront luau. Upon arrival, you'll be greeted with a Hawaiian flower lei and a refreshing drink, followed by a feast: a variety of traditional Hawaiian as well as continental American dishes. The buffet menu features delicacies such as roasted kalua pig, mahimahi, teriyaki steak, poi, sweet potatoes, rice, vegetables, haupia (coconut pudding), and a selection of delicious cakes. It all ends with the Royal Polynesian Extravaganza, which features songs and dances from Hawaii and other Polynesian island nations. Luau is Monday and Thursday at 5:30pm; cost is $175 adults and $75 for children (ages 5-12).

The largest luau venues are Germaine's (tel. 808/941-3338; www.germainesluau.com) and Paradise Cove Luau (tel. 808/842-5911; www.paradisecovehawaii.com), both about a 40-minute drive away from Waikiki on the Leeward Coast. Bus pickups and drop-offs in Waikiki are part of the deal.

Germaine's tries awfully hard and is a much more intimate affair than those legendary shows, but the experience is not as complete. Cost for Germaine's is $72 per adult, $62 for 14- to 20-year-olds, and $52 for 6- to 13-year-olds (5-year-olds and younger are free) -- the prices include tax and transportation. The shows are held nightly from 5:30 to 9:30pm.

Paradise Cove, too, is a mixed bag, with 600 to 800 guests a night. The small thatched village feels more like a Hawaiian theme park, with Hawaiian games, hukilau net throwing and gathering, craft demonstrations, and a beautiful shoreline looking out over what is usually a storybook sunset. Tahitian dance and ancient and modern hula make this a fun-filled evening for those spirited enough to join in. The food is safe, though not breathtaking: Hawaiian kalua pig, lomi salmon, poi, and coconut pudding and cake, as well as more traditional fare. Paradise Cove is extremely popular because of its idyllic setting and good entertainment quality. Tickets, including transportation and taxes, are $80 for adults, $70 for ages 13 to 18, $60 for ages 4 to 12, and free for those 3 and under. Shows are nightly from 5 to 8:30pm.

On the North Shore, the Turtle Bay Resort presents "Voyages of Luau," on the lawn overlooking the ocean with a "Taste of the Islands" luau buffet and a Polynesian revue featuring the songs and dances of the Tuamotu Islands, Samoa, Tahiti, Fiji, and Hawaii. Tickets for the dinner and show are $95 adults and $55 children ages 4 to 11. To book, call tel. 808/293-6000 or go to www.turtlebayresort.com/activities/luau.asp.