starring Moses Goods
With opening musical performances by The Liliʻu Project — featuring John Signor, Starr Kalāhiki, and Honybal Sosa
Award-winning actor, writer, and storyteller Moses Goods brings to life one of the most important and beloved figures in Hawaiian history in his acclaimed one-person show, “Duke.” Through this poignant and powerful play, Goods portrays the remarkable life of Duke Paoa Kahanamoku — 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, won five Olympic medals across three Games, rode a monster wave off Waikīkī more than a mile standing atop a wooden surfboard, saved eight lives from a capsized yacht in southern California, appeared in more than two dozen Hollywood films, and served twelve terms as Sheriff of the City and County of Honolulu. He carried the spirit of aloha to every corner of the world — and brought the world to Hawaiʻi.
But beyond the accolades and fame, Duke experienced something equally profound: Hawaiʻi's passage from an independent Kingdom through the difficult decades of territorial rule and into statehood. In many ways, his life served as a guiding light for Hawaiʻi's people in their struggle to find identity in a changing world.
100% of net proceeds from the “Duke” 2026 Summer Tour to benefit Hawaiʻi nonprofit inamona.
“In Hawaiʻi we greet friends, loved ones, and strangers with Aloha, which means with love. Try meeting or leaving people with Aloha. You'll be surprised by their reaction. I believe it and it is my creed.”
“Duke” premiered in October 2015 at Honolulu Theatre for Youth, where it ran for five weeks with more than 10,000 people attending the show. The play's development coincided with the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum's landmark exhibition commemorating the 125th anniversary of Duke's birth.
In 2016, Moses Goods brought “Duke” to Pregones Theater in The Bronx, New York, and to Yale University, hosted by the Yale Indigenous Performing Arts Program. This summer's tour returns the play home to Hawaiʻi.
In a career spanning 30 years, Moses Goods has become one of Hawaiʻi's most prominent actors on both screen and stage. Currently, he can be seen on Apple TV portraying the role of ʻMokuʼ on the award-winning series “Chief of War.” Moses has also had recurring guest star roles on “RESCUE HI-Surf,” “NCIS Hawaiʻi”, and the MARVEL series “Inhumans.”
On stage, Moses has written and performed a vast body of work, all strongly rooted in Native Hawaiian culture and perspective. Several of his plays have toured extensively — from venues throughout the Hawaiian Islands to Lincoln Center in New York City. His latest play, “Joseph Kekuku and the Voice of the Hawaiian Steel Guitar,” is scheduled to tour nationally later this year. Moses is also the founder and artistic director of inamona, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving Native Hawaiian stories through film, storytelling, and theatrical arts.
Starr Kealaheleokalani Kalāhiki is a singer born and raised in Moanalua Valley on the island of Oʻahu. A recipient of the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation Fellowship and a multiple Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winner, her professional experiences include theatrical productions including ʻUlalena, Naupaka, Waikīkī Nei, Don Tiki, and ʻAuana. Starr and her Liliʻu Project ensemble have performed the compositions of Queen Liliʻuokalani globally — from Europe to Washington D.C. to the summit of Mauna Kea.
John Signor is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, sound designer, and educator born and raised in ʻEwa Beach, Oʻahu. A recipient of the HSFCA Individual Artist Fellowship and Poʻokela Awards, he has served as musical director and co-composer of productions including The Liliʻu Project, Naupaka, ʻUlalena, Waikīkī Nei, and ʻAuana. His education work spans collaborations with the East West Center, Liliʻuokalani Trust, and Honolulu Theatre for Youth.
Guitarist and composer Honybal Sosa has collaborated on scores for productions including Kīkaha ka Manu, A Dark and Stormy Knight, Tartuffe, and Duke, and is the recipient of Poʻokela Awards for Clockwork and Secret in the Wings. Honybal has performed the music of Queen Liliʻuokalani in Washington D.C., at Festival À Corp in Poitiers, France, and the Soul Force Sacred Music Festival in California. He is a contributing songwriter and performer for Lullaby Project Hawaiʻi.
Prior to the presentation of “Duke” on Oʻahu, Kauaʻi and Maui, The Liliʻu Project will perform — exploring the musical legacy of Queen Liliʻuokalani, one of Hawaiʻi's most prolific and significant haku mele, and widely known as the Hawaiian Kingdom's last reigning sovereign. The ensemble endeavors to remember Liliʻuokalani through the study and sharing of her mele, memoirs, and other writings.
Nine shows across Oʻahu, Kauaʻi, Maui and Hawaiʻi island · August & September 2026
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