Keo Woolford has had a complex career to date, as a hula dancer, hip-hop boy-band member, actor, Broadway musical star and filmmaker. Besides Honolulu, he's lived in London, New York and currently calls Los Angeles home.

This diverse palette, reflecting the rainbow hues in his Island roots, will be displayed in his one-man autobiographical show, "I-Land," premiering tonight at the Leeward Community College Theatre.

"Growing up in Hawai'i, you're in a culturally diverse place," he said in a phone interview from Houston, where he was prepping for "I-Land" en route to Honolulu.

"Because I was adopted before I was born, there are issues of identity. It wasn't till I left the Islands that I realized that there was a need to connect to culture and identity. I was part of the majority when I was living in the Islands; I lost my identity when I left. So this show reconnected me, in stronger and deeper ways, with Hawaiian culture. You don't know what you got until it's gone."

Woolford, who declines to reveal his age (on advice from his agent), is a Saint Louis School graduate with deep ties to hula, thanks to his kumu, Robert Cazimero, and Halau Na Kamalei.

"Hula is absolutely what grounds me, where my performing strength comes from," he said. "I was fortunate to become part of Halau Na Kamalei, and it was Robert, my kumu, who told me one day that I don't know the history of my biological family, but out of respect to them and my (adoptive) parents, I should learn and honor my history, to honor my biological parents. I'm still a halau member, though living away, and I'm still part of kumu's history; I've become part of his family, his genealogy."

Woolford had an "aha!" moment that ignited his new show while living in New York City.

"It was on Manhattan island when the idea came about to write this show, which I originally called 'Island/I-Land.' But 'I-Land' had a nicer click. I was noticing how the two cultures — O'ahu and Manhattan — had similarities and differences and how they embodied me. While I had the Hawaiian tradition, I was part of the U.S. and influenced by the contemporary urban culture happening outside of Hawai'i. I love hip-hop, MTV, pop culture in general. And the idea of 'I-Land' was the journey of discovery, searching for myself and finding and realizing, like an alchemist, that it's all here in the first place."

When he succeeded Hawai'i's Jason Scott Lee as the title character in London's "The King and I," the hula influence became a vital resource for his commitment and lifestyle.

"I took over from Jason and it has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life," he said of singing and acting in a legit musical. "I had never done anything remotely like this ever, and I did 400 shows in 15 months, with two contract renewals.

"I didn't see the sun for three months, but it felt like this (show) was meant for me. And hula training taught me respect and discipline — I took only one day off in my whole run there — to stay grounded."

He developed a ritual there that was initially private. "I did an oli (chant) I learned at halau before each performance; I do it before an audition, too, to remember where I came from. This gives me a sense of security, too, with thoughts about my family, my hula family, the ancestors who came before me."

Cazimero visited Woolford twice during the London stint, nudging the personal oli toward a wider sharing. "There were three cast members I was close to and he taught them a very simple answer. And that later became the ritual: I would oli to the three, they would do a chant back. It was powerful."

Woolford joined Na Kamalei in 1999 and stayed here till 2000, when the "King and I" opportunity emerged. He returned here in 2005 and joined the halau in its Merrie Monarch victory and still makes periodic pilgrimages to Japan to join Cazimero in performances.

"I had seen hula documentary films and wondered why there wasn't one on my kumu, who is so humble, he didn't feel he deserved one. 'Would you let me do one?' I asked Robert, and I met this filmmaker and pitched her the idea." Thus, that award-winning documentary, "Na Kamalei: The Men of Hula," was co-produced by Woolford.

Earlier in his career, Woolford was part of Brownskin, an urban-vibe local-boy group that enabled him to dance and groove to the hip-hop and soul sounds of MTV. "I still listen to that kind of music, but I can't dance 'em like before. I'm not that limber. I look younger than I am, but if I did (certain moves), it's a give-away."

He hopes to focus on TV and film while exploring options on the West Coast. With an oli ready, when needed.

Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com.