DUKE to Make Blue Note Hawaiʻi Theatrical Debut and Launch Summer Tour

 As Blue Note Hawaiʻi celebrates its 10th anniversary, the acclaimed Waikīkī venue is expanding its range of offerings with the first theatrical production ever presented on its intimate stage.

On Thursday, August 20, Blue Note Hawaiʻi will present two performances of “Duke,” an acclaimed one-person portrayal of legendary Native Hawaiian swimmer, surfer and ambassador of aloha Duke Paoa Kahanamoku, written and performed by award-winning Native Hawaiian actor and playwright Moses Goods. Performances will take place at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m.

The Blue Note engagement launches the “Duke” 2026 Summer Tour, featuring nine performances across Oʻahu, Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi island and Maui.  Through this poignant and powerful theatrical work, Goods brings to life one of the most important and beloved figures in Hawaiian history. Duke Kahanamoku was Hawaiʻi's first Olympic gold medalist, the father of modern surfing and an enduring symbol of aloha, humility and the resilience of the Hawaiian people.

Born in Honolulu in 1890, Duke shattered world swimming records, earned five Olympic medals across three Games, helped introduce surfing to the world, appeared in more than two dozen Hollywood films and served 12 terms as sheriff of the City and County of Honolulu. His lifetime also spanned a period of profound change in Hawaiʻi, from the Hawaiian Kingdom through the territorial era and into statehood.

“Duke” premiered at Honolulu Theatre for Youth in October 2015, drawing more than 10,000 attendees during its five-week run. Goods subsequently presented the production at Pregones Theater in the Bronx and at Yale University through the Yale Indigenous Performing Arts Program. The 2026 tour brings the production home to Hawaiʻi and includes the first-ever presentations of “Duke” on Kauaʻi and Hawaiʻi island.

Moses Goods

In a career spanning 30 years, Moses Goods has become one of Hawaiʻi's most prominent actors, writers and storytellers. He currently appears as Moku in the Apple TV series “Chief of War” and has held recurring guest roles on “Rescue: HI-Surf,” “NCIS: Hawaiʻi” and Marvel's “Inhumans.”

Onstage, Goods has created and performed an extensive body of work rooted in Native Hawaiian culture, history and perspective. His plays have been presented throughout the Hawaiian Islands and at venues including Lincoln Center in New York City.

Goods is also the founder and artistic director of INAMONA, a Hawaiʻi nonprofit dedicated to preserving Native Hawaiian stories by providing community resources and opportunities in film, storytelling and theatrical arts. One hundred percent of net proceeds from the “Duke” 2026 Summer Tour will benefit INAMONA.

"I started INAMONA so that the stories of those who came before us will always be a part of our lives. This performance of DUKE at Blue Note will be a special one. It's an opportunity to tell his story in a place where every grain of sand still holds his memory, his home, Waikiki," shared Goods.

The Liliʻu Project Reunites for the Tour

The Blue Note Hawaiʻi and Maui performances will open, and the Kauaʻi performances will include a 30-minute musical set by The Liliʻu Project, featuring vocalist Starr Kalāhiki, multi-instrumentalist and composer John Signor, and guitarist and composer Honybal Sosa.

The Liliʻu Project explores the musical legacy of Queen Liliʻuokalani—one of Hawaiʻi's most prolific and significant haku mele and the Hawaiian Kingdom's last reigning sovereign—through her compositions, memoirs and other writings.

Duke Kahanamoku was born a citizen of the Hawaiian Kingdom during Queen Liliʻuokalani's reign and learned to swim one year after the overthrow of the Kingdom and Queen. In 2015, Goods commissioned The Liliʻu Project to compose and record the score for “Duke.” The three musicians reunite with Goods for the 2026 tour.

Hawaiian singer-songwriter Hawane Rios will perform a 40-minute opening musical set at the Hilo presentation. Henry Kapono Foundation On The Rise singer-songwriter Tiara Gomes will open both Kaua'i shows with a musical set followed by a musical performance by The Liliʻu Project and Goods' presentation of “Duke.”

“Duke” 2026 Summer Tour Dates

The statewide tour begins August 20 at Blue Note Hawaiʻi and continues through September 6:

August 20 – Waikīkī, Oʻahu: Blue Note Hawaiʻi; 6:30 and 8:30 p.m.

August 21 – Līhuʻe, Kauaʻi: Kauaʻi Community College Performing Arts Center; 6:30 p.m.

August 22 – Kīlauea, Kauaʻi: The Porter Pavilion at Anaina Hou Community Park; 6:30 p.m.

August 28 – Hilo, Hawaiʻi island: Palace Theater; 7 p.m.

September 5 – Kīhei, Maui: ProArts Playhouse; 3 and 7 p.m.

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