last Saturday night we went to the Premier showing of a documentary film
by Hawaii film maker, Anne Maire Kirk, called "The Hawaiian Room"...
it was shown as part of the Oiwi Film Festival at the Honolulu Academy of Arts,
Doris Duke Theater
the film had been in the works for many years and with the
help and archives of Maile Loo and
the Hula Preservation Society and many others the story has finally come out
And it's a wonderful story!
During the 1940's, 1950's and 1960's
in the famous Lexington Hotel in New York they had a
nightclub called "The Hawaiian Room".
The film is about the young girls who went all the way to New York
(some of them didn't even know where that was) to dance in the show.
This is their story told by them.
A few months ago a group of them traveled back to
the Lexington Hotel for a reunion and showing of the movie
On Saturday, the theater was full of friends and family.
Our dear friend, TeMoana (Marcie)
there were hula dancers from Auntie Lei's studio that recreated some of the hapa haole
songs that the Aunties had danced
we were treated with short performances by the 'ex-lexes" themselves
their finale was "To You Sweetheart Aloha"
it was truly a magical night and so glad that we were able experience it.
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