'ULALENA

 

By Jody Corpuz

 

 

            The Academy of Travel and Tourism had a chance to watch a famous show on Maui called 'Ulalena.  When the show began, the audience was silent with amazement, even for those who saw the show previous times.  I saw the show once before and this time it was different.  The show in itself was a different experience for me.  Once the show was over, the whole audience gave the cast members and the musicians a standing ovation.  We went down to the lobby and took pictures and talked with some of the cast members.  We told them that we really enjoyed their performance and they were more than willing to take pictures with us.  It was time for dinner and each person walked to the restaurant, Hop Tomato.  Once we got there, everyone was starving and they had great food to fill our tummies.  Kapono Ai Molitau also joined us for dinner.  He made it possible for us to watch the show and I’m glad that he came and spoke to our AOTT class about the show before we watched it.  We had a wonderful and memorable time at the show and at dinner.

 

            This was the first activity that I have gone to with the academy and there will probably be more to come.  This activity was fun because we took pictures, laughed, and at the same time we had an educational experience about the Hawaiian culture.  I really enjoyed my time with the Academy of Travel and Tourism.

 

Emelyn Reyes – The cast members in 'Ulalena really made it seem like the real thing.  They enjoy what they do and that’s the kind of job I would love.

 

Jay-R Sumibcay-Tagayuna – Why I think 'Ulalena is really important to Maui is because it’s a tourist attraction.  And it helps Maui by bringing people all over the world to watch this show.  When the show was over, I overheard a tourist who was visiting the island quoting her husband, “This was better that going to a luau!”  I was really impressed about that comment.