The Maui Ocean Center recently expanded its evening offerings with the debut of “Mele: The Hawaiian Music Experience,” a visually stunning musical production held twice weekly in the aquarium’s intimate 360-degree Sphere Theater. Developed, directed, and performed by Maui-raised entertainer Eric Gilliom, “Mele” blends a 16-song performance with synchronized imagery and live hula to create an immersive journey through Hawai‘i’s storied landscapes and musical legacy. 

Kicking off with sweeping aerial footage of Haleakalā, Gilliom starts the show with a musical tribute to Maui’s largest mountain. What follows is a sensory voyage that moves from mountaintop to the sea, through rainforests, coral reefs, and across decades of Hawai‘i’s influence on pop culture. Over the course of the evening, “Mele” highlights songs in ʻōlelo Hawai‘i (Hawaiian language), traditional and contemporary hula, ‘ukulele-driven surf rock, and mid-century Hawai‘i-inspired tunes. 

The setlist includes classics like “Rhythm of the Ocean,” and “Tiny Bubbles,” as well as a lighthearted tribute to Lāhainā — sharing memories of the town rather than dwelling on tragedy. One highlight includes a rendition of “Surf,” originally by the Ka‘au Crater Boys. During the number, dancers drape a long sheer sheet over the audience to mimic a breaking wave, and lyrics are tweaked to reflect Maui’s famous surfing spots. Audience participation is encouraged throughout the show, whether it’s clapping along to a beat, singing a familiar chorus, or joining a call-and-response. All songs are paired with 360-degree visuals, from colorful illustrations to footage captured around Maui. 

Gilliom’s vision for “Mele” grew after visiting the Sphere Theater, which opened in 2019 as part of Maui Ocean Center’s “Humpbacks of Hawai‘i” exhibit — featuring a short 3D film about Maui’s humpback whales. “This show came about because I was watching what was going on with the sphere in Vegas,” says Gilliom. “I thought, ‘Well, we have a sphere. Maybe it’s not like the one in Vegas, but we have a pretty cool venue here.” 

After pitching the idea of a Hawaiian music show to the Maui Ocean Center, Gilliom soon set about recording and producing the show’s backing tracks. “I worked with my friend Michael Roth, who’s produced a lot of really big artists,” says Gilliom. “He and I produced all the music.” Many of the show’s tracks feature prominent musicians, including Mick Fleetwood and members of the James Taylor Band. Gilliom also sourced musicians from around Hawai‘i to incorporate Hawaiian elements such as slack key guitar and chants. Gilliom says the music production took between six and seven months. 

However, producing the music proved to be one of the least challenging aspects of creating “Mele”. Gilliom collaborated with local filmmaker Doug DeBoer to create the show’s visuals. “Creating visuals for a 360-degree theater has inherent challenges,” he says. “You either shoot in 360 or create something that’s 360.” In the end, Gilliom and DeBoer used AI tools and 360-degree footage from around Maui to piece together the show’s striking imagery. 

With the music and visuals complete, Gilliom faced yet another hurdle: the sound. Sound is easily distorted in a dome-shaped theater, becoming warbled and echoey, especially when blending live vocals and instruments with backing tracks. Gilliom’s solution was to provide each audience member with headphones for a studio-style sound experience. “One day it hit me,” he says. “I’ve been to a silent rave before, and the headphones they make are pretty sophisticated. It was kind of a gamble, but [the headphones] took all of those sound issues out of the equation.” Not only do the headphones preserve the sound quality, but they also add an element of fun to the production. However, Gilliom says they are working to improve the theater's sound, and some guests enjoy the show without headphones. 

“Mele” took a year to develop and premiered on July 1, 2025. Now, Gilliom and the cast take to the Sphere Theater stage every Tuesday and Saturday night. Gilliom is joined onstage by ukulele virtuoso Vince Esquire, whose lightning-fast solos provide a dynamic counterpart to Gilliom’s vocals. Three accomplished hula dancers — Sanoe Elf, Kehulali Douglas, and Gerilyn Hewahewa — add movement and emotion to each number. 

“Mele” is a deeply personal project for Gilliom, who was raised on Maui. His career has taken him far from the islands, with appearances in films and performances on Broadway, yet his work has consistently celebrated his family and Hawaiian heritage. His grandmother, Jennie “Napua” Wood, was a celebrated Hawaiian entertainer in the 1940s and ’50s. Before launching into the familiar strains of Don Ho’s “Tiny Bubbles,” Gilliom tells the audience she would have loved this show — a nod to the era she helped define. His sister, Amy Hānaiali‘i, became a Grammy-nominated singer, and her vocals can be heard on select tracks throughout the performance. His brother, Tim, a captain with the Polynesian Voyaging Society, appears in a short video clip about Hawaiian wayfinding, followed by Gilliom performing an original song, “Hōkūle‘a,” written for his brother and other Hawaiian navigators.

While Gilliom weaves personal elements into “Mele,” the show's broader goal was to offer something new in the world of entertainment on Maui. “I think it’s unlike any other show that’s out there,” says Gilliom. “It’s a unique offering for people who are looking for something new to do on Maui. Just some great local Hawaiian songs in the Hawaiian language, and some songs that are local pop music and famous songs from Hawai‘i.”

The Maui Ocean Center’s decision to host “Mele” reflects its growing role as more than just an aquarium. Long known for its marine life exhibits and cultural offerings, the center has increasingly used its Sphere Theater as a platform for storytelling. “We’ve always been a bit more than an aquarium,” says Maui Ocean Center’s marketing manager Mark Matthews. By partnering with Gilliom, the aquarium has deepened its cultural offerings and provides guests with a new reason to visit after dark. “We’re constantly looking at who we can be to the community,” says Matthews. “We want to continue our pillars of community, culture, and conservation. [“Mele”] fits squarely in the cultural outreach portion.”

The Maui Ocean Center has positioned “Mele” as a signature experience, and it’s easy to see why. The production evokes the islands’ history, beauty, and cultural richness in just one hour. It leaves audiences with a deeper understanding of Hawai‘i’s place in the global music story — and perhaps a deeper connection to the islands themselves. 

“Mele: The Hawaiian Music Experience” runs twice weekly at the Maui Ocean Center’s Sphere Theater in Mā‘alaea. Tickets include pre-show appetizers and soft drinks at the Seascape Restaurant. For visitors, it’s a rare chance to experience Hawaiian music and culture in an innovative format found nowhere else. For locals, it’s an engaging new way to connect with the stories and sounds of home. Wherever you’re from, you’ll leave with renewed appreciation for Maui’s mele and stories. 

Maui Ocean Center, 192 Mā‘alaea Rd., Wailuku; mauioceancenter.com/mele-the-hawaiian-music-experience.