Broadway producer Michael Jackowitz, the founder and president of the Tony Award-winning production company WitzEnd Productions, moved to Maui to work on a musical that will hit the stage for the first time this week.
That story is “The Epic Tale of Hiʻiaka,” which will have its world premiere at the Native Hawaiian Convention on Wednesday, Oct. 8, at the Tulalip Resort Casino in Washington, more than 2,600 miles from the Islands. It is a project that was created by WitzEnd Productions and the Hawaiian Council.
Previously, among other projects, Jackowitz was the producer of the 50th anniversary revival of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” which starred Daniel Radcliffe, Darren Criss and Nick Jonas in the leading role at different points. WitzEnd Productions was also a producer of "Once On This Island," which was named the best musical revival at the Tony Awards in 2018.
“I had the idea to do a Hawaiian story 10 years ago,” Jackowitz told Aloha State Daily. “I moved here 11 years ago to start figuring out how to tell a story that appeals to both a Hawaiian audience that grew up with these characters and a musical theater audience who never heard of these characters.”
The musical follows Hiʻiaka, the youngest sister of the volcano goddess Pele on a quest to retrieve Pele’s lover. The full length production will open at Leeward Community College on Oʻahu in 2026, according to representatives of Hawaiian Council. Eventually, it will have a permanent home at KoʻOlina.
Advisors during development included Kumu Hula Kealiʻi Reichel, the renowned singer and songwriter who has won 36 Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards. Another advisor was the composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz, who has won Grammy and Academy awards and is known for his work on musicals such as “Wicked” and “Godspell,” as well as his contributions to the Disney animated movie “Pocahontas” and Dreamworks Pictures’ “The Prince of Egypt,” among other works.
“We were working on how are we going to tell this story, and how we are going to do it?” Jackowitz said. “And we ended up meeting all of us — Stephen and Kealiʻi and the writers — we all met in Los Angeles in 2013.”
Schwartz quickly saw the story’s universal themes, Jackowitz added.
“On the way out of that meeting, he turned to me and said: ʻOn the surface this is a story about these two Hawaiian goddesses, but underneath it's about two sisters, a falling out, the havoc that's wreaked because of it and an ultimate redemption,’” he said. “You tap into that, and you have a worldwide hit on your hands. That’s ‘Frozen.’ That's ‘Wicked.’ That taps into a big thing.’ And I thought: ʻI cannot do this from New York.’ ”
On Thursday, Oct. 2, Jackowitz watched the actors and actresses run through a 45- minute excerpt of the script at Hawaiʻi Stage, a warehouse converted into a theater in Kalihi. Hawaiʻi Stage is owned and operated by a subsidiary of the Hawaiian Council.
The all-star cast features Amy Hānaialiʻi Gilliom, who has won 18 Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards, as Pele.The narration comes from Moses Goods, who recently played an advisor to the future King Kamehameha I in the Apple TV+ series “Chief of War.” Jana Anguay Alcain is Hiʻiaka. Chardonnay Pao, another Nā Hōkū Hanohano award-winning singer and songwriter, plays her sidekick. The choreographer is Kumu Hula Patrick Makuakāne, who was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2023. Finally, the executive producers are Tom Polum and Stacia Fernandez and the producers are Jackowitz for WitzEnd Productions and Kūhiō Lewis for the Hawaiian Council.
“I know I'm obviously a haole white boy from New York, but I did move here to make this happen,” Jackowitz said. “And I think Kūhiō when he heard that, he was like ʻGo on.’ He really loved what we were doing. I love the idea of Hawaiians telling their story. And this is a story worthy of a real worldwide audience to hear this.”
One of his favorite moments of the musical is when Hiʻiaka sings “Kuleana.”
“I love the leading lady standing on the stage by herself singing,” he said.
Jackowitz also loves the song, “What was I thinking?” when Pele, her lover, and Hiʻiaka sing their thoughts directly to the audience.
“We're creating a Broadway-style musical in Hawaiʻi about Hawaiʻi, with Hawaiians at the helm,” he said. “I don't think it's ever happened before. … I'm thrilled to be here, to be doing it, to be seeing the finish line, seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. It's finally gonna happen, so it’s exciting.”
Katie Helland can be reached at katie@alohastatedaily.com.
