Kahilu Theater Daytime Concerts

Almost every day I walk or drive past the Kahilu Theater marquee, next to the bank. The programs are diverse, and tend towards the stuffy: jazz dance troupes, a capella singers, classical trios-- the only unifying element is the extraordinary cost of the shows. Although there have been shows that I would have like to see (Slack Key Masters and The Brothers Kazimero) I could never consider paying the ticket prices.

Until.

Last week I discovered that the theater has "school" shows during the day, and the nice ticket lady said I could get tickets as a "homeschooler." I am a little uncomfortable claiming to be "homeschooling" my 11 month old baby, but not uncomfortable enough to say no to these great shows for 3 to 6 dollars!

So far I've been to two of these raucous daytime cultural events with my homeschooled child. The first was Huun Huur Tu-- a group of Tuvan throat singers. I was nervous: an hour of didgeridoo-like chanting didn't sound too promising. The musicians came out in their brighly colored silk jackets, with delicately carved horse-headed instruments, and began making music that was haunting and substantial at the same time. It was stunning. My baby was captivated and then fell asleep. The galloping rhythms, the flute-like high tones, the rumbling bass notes-- every squirmy, twitchy kid in the audience sat still and listened a solid hour.

And then, the very next day, we went back for Altan! My favorite Irish band-- I couldn't believe my luck. The house was packed and it was a wild concert: the well-behaved Hawaiian kids from Kanu O Ka Aina, the group-think white kids from from Parker School (who all began waving their hands, rock-concert style, in the air), the fidgety homeschoolers with their moms, and a group of very old grandmas and grandpas, all clapping along.

My baby loved it so much that she continued singing even during the breaks between songs, which made the performers laugh and imitate her! They introduced their instruments and answered questions, and did a rollicking sing-along in a complex time signature, and fun was had by all of the women, children, and elderly of Waimea.