"Ha," Hawaiian for breath or life, is the new $3 million production of epic proportions at the Polynesian Cultural Center.

It's an amazing theatrical accomplishment — a tsunami of authentic pageantry teeming and throbbing with the syncopation and synergy of South Seas culture —  with equal parts drama and history.

The authentic and vibrant songs and dances, in costumed splendor reflecting the rainbow of hues and sentiments that make up Polynesia, unfolds in an amphitheater arena that also hosts a retinue of fire knife dancers, a group of daredevils who walk in fire, live musicians, waterfalls and even an erupting man-made volcano.

It's been 14 years since the nighttime attraction, launched last month, has been updated in the 2,675-seat theater.

Previous shows had water in a moat that separated the performers and stage from the audience; now the space is covered with sand, making the cast occasionally on the same playing field as the spectators, since the aisles double as entrances and exits for the mobile company of 100, largely comprised of students from the nearby Brigham Young University on the North Shore.

WOW FACTORS ABOUND

What  separates "Ha" (its English subtitle is "The Breath of Life") from past voyages is the new storytelling convention, with a fictional but universal tale of  values and heritage and tradition, involving the birth of a boy linked by transpacific voyages to the various cultures of Tonga, Hawai'i, Aotearoa (Maori New Zealand), Samoa, Tahiti and Fiji.

It is a spectacle in every respect, briefly told in an animated prelude initially flashed on a hanging screen in the center of the performance space, then from side canvas screens. The animation — shadow figures of babies, men, women, canoes — sets up the live scenes to follow. They're terse but functional, overcoming language barriers.

The odyssey of a baby boy named Mana, born one dark night somewhere in the Pacific, might have echoes of the baby Jesus, but this is not Bethlehem and this is not a Christmas story.

This is all about the riches of Polynesia, where 'ohana values are strong, where song and dance are the fabric of daily life, where aspirations and dreams shape and underscore the essence of heritage.

More than just a Polynesian voyage, "Ha" evolves into a universal tapestry of  family, hope, roots and, ultimately, tradition. While the focus is on one child, the story has symbolic implications for anyone and everyone, and frames the values of culture in a family tree structure.

Mana, portrayed small-kid-time by Teahu Mariteragi and William Mahoni, is enacted by Ricky Sua'ava as the young man who takes Lani (Lucie Wilson) as his bride.

The tale is as old as time, tracking the challenges of a family journeying to Hawai'i, and is underscored by Mana's quest to become a noble warrior, a husband and a father. Along the way, a grass hale is built, and rituals of each community of Polynesians are linked to the evolution and growth of Mana.

The foundation of the show is the bounty of mele of Hawai'i, the otea of Tahiti, the drums of Tonga, the flaming fire dances of Samoa (with David Galeai as the featured solo knife twirler), the camaraderie and harmonies of New Zealand and Fiji.

In shows past, the artistry and splendor of each Polynesian nation were staged as free-standing entertainment, island-hopping like a tour itinerary; the thread of a storyline now unites the cultures and embraces ceremonial, survival and emotional elements, too: marriage, battle and death.

One ending means a new beginning — thus "Ha" is the perfect picaresque vehicle to elevate showmanship into theatrical glory, in the simple sharing of the saga of life.

"Ha" employs multimedia technology, with some of the music pre-recorded but augmented by a live band; narration is also on tracks, but the sound you hear from each sector is live, lovely and lilting; the rattles and poles that dancers hit as they sway, the drums that are hauled out and thumped on, are also very much here-and-now live.

Secondary leads are portrayed by Logoatu Vaka as the father, Lupi Fiefia as the mother. Throughout the show, there are robust vocals and rousing dances, with incredible proportions and performances. 

The wondrous music, the superb lighting and sound, the natural backdrop of a mountain with vegetation all combine to make "Ha" a remarkable treasure, the largest show of its kind anywhere.

Like a symbolic kite that flies at the end of the first act, "Ha" raises the bar even higher in a glorious tradition at the Polynesian Cultural Center. There are moments that will make you breathless, and thrilled,  and the occasional "ha" sound of breathing on the soundtrack is a clever "aha" moment.

Reach Wayne Harada at 266-0926. Read his Show Biz column Sundays in Island Life. Read his blog at http://showandtellhawaii.honadvblogs.com.