Ulalena by Maui Theatre
Ulalena by Maui Theatre
4.5
Luaus • Theatre & Performances
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About
'Ulalena is a world-renowned Hawaiian theatre production dedicated to telling the story of Hawaii's people. The critically acclaimed stage show outlines the islands’ creation, transformation and rebirth by integrating ancient Hawaiian history with state-of-the-art theater technology, and stunning music, chant, dance and acrobatics. 'Ulalena speaks to the imagination and inspires the human spirit to keep the Hawaiian culture alive. An invaluable cultural experience and a must-do on Maui!
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
4.5
1,242 reviews
Excellent
838
Very good
223
Average
110
Poor
36
Terrible
35
Kathy C
Puyallup, WA13 contributions
Mar 2019
Livid because it’s one of the only authentic experiences on Maui. I’ve been coming here since a child in 1961 and it’s the only thing I had/will spend my haoli money on period. Somebody seriously dropped the ball. Taking family in August 2020 and will spend “free time at the pool and the beach.”
Written February 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
lwj
San Jose, CA6,885 contributions
Ulalena is a broadway-style show with an island feel. Put together by the folks who do the Cirque de Soleil shows, it tells the history of the islands and its people while weaving in the legends of the islands through song and movement. The show is visually stunning at times and the music is wonderful and sometimes thrilling. You should see this show at least once... you may end up purchasing the soundtrack, as I did. Having seen it several times, my suggestion for seating is to avoid the far right side of the theatre. The orchestra with the percussion section, while very good, can overpower the show. The left and center sections are the more desirable.
Written August 20, 2006
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Happiness38452
New York City1 contribution
Outstanding, enchanting, exotic, lovely vocalists and vocals, wonderful dance moves, haunting drums. All in all, an unforgettable experience. I've watched it thrice. Honestly. I've enjoyed it more than every broadway show I have seen (I live in NYC).
Written June 24, 2006
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
SeniorAdvisor
San Francisco, CA2 contributions
If you are looking to fill your evening with an overview of Hawaiian culture, song, and dance this is the show. Ulalana is held at 700 seat Maui Theatre and every seat seems to have a good view of the stage. Show starts at 6:30 PM, but they want you to get there early to get seated (5:45)
The entire show is sung in Hawaiian, which is not a big deal if you are used to the Cirque du Soliel shows being sung in French. The acrobatics were weak (hoops and on the cloth), and the dancing is somewhat basic but the music is good.
You can read about the story on the MauiTheatre web site. I found it interesting that part of the story was that the locals believe that the white man brought poverty, disease, and death to the island people.
Tips and Tricks:
Our Hotel (Ritz Carlton) booked this for us and we were able to get upgraded premium seats, two free drink passes (you can get alcoholic smoothies too!) and backstage passes to meet the cast. Your hotel may do the same. The theatre validates 4 hour parking for the Old Lahaina Parking Lot, so park there. They give you a coupon for $10 off David Paul's Lahaina Grill, and $2 off Celantro (Mexican food place across the street).
The cheesie part starts when the lobby as they require you to take a "no obligation to purchase" picture to sell it to you later. Anywho, you may to see my posting for the Warren & Annabele Magic Show as an alternative.
The entire show is sung in Hawaiian, which is not a big deal if you are used to the Cirque du Soliel shows being sung in French. The acrobatics were weak (hoops and on the cloth), and the dancing is somewhat basic but the music is good.
You can read about the story on the MauiTheatre web site. I found it interesting that part of the story was that the locals believe that the white man brought poverty, disease, and death to the island people.
Tips and Tricks:
Our Hotel (Ritz Carlton) booked this for us and we were able to get upgraded premium seats, two free drink passes (you can get alcoholic smoothies too!) and backstage passes to meet the cast. Your hotel may do the same. The theatre validates 4 hour parking for the Old Lahaina Parking Lot, so park there. They give you a coupon for $10 off David Paul's Lahaina Grill, and $2 off Celantro (Mexican food place across the street).
The cheesie part starts when the lobby as they require you to take a "no obligation to purchase" picture to sell it to you later. Anywho, you may to see my posting for the Warren & Annabele Magic Show as an alternative.
Written February 18, 2006
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
lwj
San Jose, CA6,885 contributions
Jul 2019 • Couples
Maui Theatre stands dark. The lights have been turned off.... both Burnin’ Love and Ulalena are no longer being performed..
It is sad to see this show close after being performed all almost 20 years in Lahaina. It was a fun and long trip.
Over the years, our family had seen this show with each other or with friends about a half dozen times.
A very good, award winning and entertaining show is now gone...
Will it be coming back? Time will tell.
It is sad to see this show close after being performed all almost 20 years in Lahaina. It was a fun and long trip.
Over the years, our family had seen this show with each other or with friends about a half dozen times.
A very good, award winning and entertaining show is now gone...
Will it be coming back? Time will tell.
Written July 31, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
frank2
Fullerton2 contributions
It starts off with a seating ticket scam..... they talk you into "premium" seats at an additional cost, but the seats are actually on the far sides of the theater (left or right), just not the two end rows. To sit in any place decent, you have to buy the “production” seats, although the only thing being “produced” is extra money for the Maui Theatre. The show itself consists mostly of 75 minutes of loud drumbeating with poorly choreographed movements of the same dozen or so actors/actresses. A few minor costume changes, and one 10 minute segment of a talented woman acrobat featured on the brochure made the show barely tolerable at times. The production was nothing short of genius from an accounting perspective. They filled the theater with hundreds of patrons each paying from $60 to $75 per seat. With very little singing, and no grand scale production songs or dances, they could basically hire low cost talent who needed to do nothing more than a memorized series of “Hawaiian” pounding of sticks or stamping feet along with choreographed movements. The production did have a loose theme; the white man invading, corrupting, and ruining Hawaii. I would recommend the magic/comedy show Warren and Annabells instead. It is cheaper and much more entertaining.
Written August 21, 2007
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Tess C
San Jose1 contribution
If you're expecting cirque du soleil, this is not the place for you. I must say 50 dollars was too much for this production and I had to go across the street and get a drink after to calm my nerves over thinking of the money spent. I would have rather gone to the feast at lele for a 2nd time. Having said that the music was cool. I suggest buying the soundtrack, not the ticket.
Written April 10, 2007
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Italiangirl10
16 contributions
My husband and I have been to Maui several times and wanted to do something different so we bought tickets to the Ulalena show. My cousin and her husband joined us. The theatre was much smaller than we expected. The performers did a decent job, but they were not much to look at. My cousin took a picture and was told that photography was not allowed. At the end of the show she was approached by a very large "body guard" looking man who insisted that she give him her camera. She responded by telling him that the picure was very blurry and that she would delete it. He continued to push the issue. Fortunately, he got distracted by the people exiting and she was able to "escape." Scary. You could not pay us to go back there. At least they created a memory!
Written September 22, 2007
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Colin B
Highland, CA2 contributions
Jan 2019
This was my favorite experience in Maui growing up. Please bring this back. It is very rare to have a stellar show bring entertainment and education together cohesively.
Written December 12, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
firststarontheleft
Minneapolis, MN46 contributions
Dec 2015 • Family
This is a decent show that covers all of Hawaii's history and mythology in about 90 minutes. That's a tall order and what you end up with is a hodge podge of mostly unrelated sequences. (Another challenge is that some sequences just run on too long - particularly the two acrobatic sequences - crowding out the great parts.)
I found the amorous sequences between Kamapua'a (the pig god) and Pele juvenile, but the kids in the theater seemed to love the grunting and thrusting.
Nevertheless, it did constitute a decent evening out - and our kids enjoyed it. The singing is great, the orchestra is phenomenal, the cast is enthusiastic, and there are occasional flashes of talent. They also have a lot of audience engagement - which is a lot of fun.
A few tips:
Make sure that you don't book online - the ticket booth by Front Street has a wheel that you can spin to get a bit of a discount (we got 25% off, but you could potentially get a 50% discount.)
This is a small theater - so there's not much point in paying extra for the front row. And, the rows at the back give you a chance to watch the orchestra in action - which is a performance in itself.
They do hand out parking validation vouchers - so remember to ask for one.
I found the amorous sequences between Kamapua'a (the pig god) and Pele juvenile, but the kids in the theater seemed to love the grunting and thrusting.
Nevertheless, it did constitute a decent evening out - and our kids enjoyed it. The singing is great, the orchestra is phenomenal, the cast is enthusiastic, and there are occasional flashes of talent. They also have a lot of audience engagement - which is a lot of fun.
A few tips:
Make sure that you don't book online - the ticket booth by Front Street has a wheel that you can spin to get a bit of a discount (we got 25% off, but you could potentially get a 50% discount.)
This is a small theater - so there's not much point in paying extra for the front row. And, the rows at the back give you a chance to watch the orchestra in action - which is a performance in itself.
They do hand out parking validation vouchers - so remember to ask for one.
Written January 5, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
NELLSPOLEN
Redding, CA1 contribution
Do you still offer this with the steak or chicken fancy dinner? What was the name of the place we walked to after the show for dinner?
Blanche Perry
Mattapoisett, MA206 contributions
To answer the question about dinner after the Ulalena show. If you park in the Outlet lot across the St from the theatre, the theatre validates your ticket for 4 hrs. There are many nice restaurants on Front St. On trip advisor you can look at them, their menus and pricing that's what I do.
rdmiller
gold coast40 contributions
we are arriving in Maui in May 9th and a few questions please do you have senior rates and do you have pick and drop off transfers pleaqse
Larry M
Mesa, AZ25 contributions
We made our arrangements through the concierge at the hotel /resort. We included a dinner after the show at Ruth chris steakhouse. This was in walking distance of the theater. The dinner was excellent but a little pricey but for a special occasion of being there in Hawaii well worth the memories. We were picked up at the hotel taken to the theater and picked up at the restaurant. Please note if you drive there there is a possible parking fee of 5 dollars
Mahalo
tinamija
San Diego, CA15 contributions
Would like to go to the show, but do you think my 2 year old would sit through it? Or is it feared more towards older kids?
Ulalena M
Lahaina, HI1 contribution
Aloha! Depending on the child, some children really enjoy the colors, characters and music. The musicians on the balcony are also very entertaining. If you are worried about the volume of the show, please mention this to the reservationist when you book your tickets and they can suggest an ideal place to sit for families with children. We welcome guests of any age!
Saskgal64
Coronach, Canada283 contributions
Is there food at this show?
Ulalena M
Lahaina, HI1 contribution
Aloha! Your friend may have been talking about the 'Ulalena Lūʻau which is not currently operating. As many have mentioned, the show ends at about 6:30pm which is the perfect time to have a great dinner at one of the many restaurants in Lahaina. There are several dinner offers available with a ticket purchase. Please call Maui Theatre for more information. Mahalo!
