Last month marked the 178th anniversary of the birth of Hawaii’s last sovereign, Queen Lydia Kamaka‘eha Lili‘uokalani.
Last month marked the 178th anniversary of the birth of Hawaii’s last sovereign, Queen Lydia Kamaka‘eha Lili‘uokalani.
This remarkable woman — regal in character as well as lineage — today is remembered mostly for her dignified, compassionate, yet strategic response to the overthrow of the monarchy in 1893.
But her life also was shaped by early, lonely days in boarding school and later years as a young wife, widow and loving mother to three hanai children.
In two performances next week at the Lyman Museum, University of Hawaii at Hilo professor Jackie Pualani Johnson brings this complex and beloved icon to life in a memorable one-woman presentation, “Lili‘uokalani at Washington Place.”
Johnson, chairwoman of UH-Hilo’s performing arts department, reveals the queen to be a weary, betrayed monarch and a joyful mother and grandmother — living life to the fullest despite the chaos and deprivation of those troubled times.
The matchless performances are from 7-8:30 p.m. Monday and 3-4:30 p.m. Tuesday at the museum, 276 Haili St. in Hilo.
The presentations are part of Lyman Museum’s Saigo Public Program lecture series. Admission to this program is free to museum members, $3 for nonmembers. Space is limited; first come, first seated.
The nationally accredited and Smithsonian-affiliated Lyman Museum showcases the natural and cultural history of Hawaii. The museum is open 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
For more information, call 935-5021 or visit www.lymanmuseum.org.