A cultural gem on Hawaiʻi Island

The history of Hawaiʻi Island cannot be complete without acknowledgement of the Parker Ranch, centered in Waimea in the northern part of the island. At one point Parker Ranch was the largest privately owned cattle ranch in the United States. The last individual owner of Parker Ranch was Richard Smart, who although the sole heir to Parker Ranch, had a calling for the theater. He performed on Broadway as well as in venues around the world. When we were in New Jersey, our local performance venue was the Paper Mill Playhouse where Richard Smart headlined. Eventually he left the stage and returned to operate Parker Ranch. In the 1970’s he decided that Hawaiʻi Island needed a performance venue and he set about to build a 490-seat theater in Waimea. In 1980 the structure was complete and he named it the Kahilu Theater after his mother, Thelma Kahiluʻonapuaʻapiʻilani Parker. Richard Smart passed away in 1992 and the theater remained a part of Parker Ranch until 2001 when it became an independent entity.

Today the Kahilu Theater is the primary cultural center on the island. From September through May performances are scheduled by artists from around the world, ranging from guitarists from Zimbabwe to bluegrass performances, Celtic dance companies, Van Cliburn piano competition winner, an Australian circus group, and , of course, local musicians such as the Brothers Cazimero who we are proud to say we co-sponsor. You can check out the complete schedule at: kahilutheater.org. The phone number is: 808-885-6868.

In addition to the regular performances, the theater offers many free performances to support local artists. There is also an educational aspect to the theater in that most of the visiting artists also provide performances and workshops for the local schools. All this is organized by Alva Kamalani, who is the Operations Director of the theater.

If you are on the island during the winter and spring seasons, be sure to check out the performances at Kahilu Theater. Tickets are available online. You will be amazed at the quality of the performances at Kahilu Theater.