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Joseph Kekuku and the Voice of the Steel Guitar

  • Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts 3270 Mitchell Park Drive Brookfield, WI 53045 (map)

Honolulu Theater for Youth 

By Moses Goods in collaboration with Kealakai Center for Pacific Strings 

Join us for the chance to see the Honolulu Theater for Youth as they bring their show across the ocean to share the story of a Hawaiian native that changed the sound of music. In 1889, a student at Kamehameha Schools fabricated a steel bar in the school’s machine shop, slid it across the strings of his guitar and changed the sound and shape of the instrument forever. The grandson of a royal chanter, Joseph Kekuku played his steel guitar for royalty in Hawai‘i and across Europe, inspiring musicians around the world with the new “Hawaiian Sound”. With a thrilling live slide guitar soundtrack and projections, this production celebrates innovation, engineering, and the global exchange of ideas and sound.  

Approximate Run Time:  60 minutes 
Recommended For: Grades 4-8 
Curriculum Connections: Social Studies, Music, History, Language Arts, Biography 
Themes: Creativity, Discovery, Perseverance, Friendship 

Watch the Video Trailer

Download the Study Guide.

Later Event: October 30
Simply Three