The partners who launched cirque Polynesia on Maui last year are bringing that show to Oahu. They also plan to produce at least two new traveling circuses in Hawaii and southeast Asia where they already have booked 1,500 shows through next year. Cornell “tuffy” Nicholas, a producer and veteran circus performer, and Doug Harris, president and CEO of the Harris agency, recently formed Nicholas Harris entertainment, a company that will specialize in acrobats and illusion.

When you vacation in Hawaii, you surely will be urged to try one of those colorful, fruit-slice-filled, tiny-umbrella-embellished concoctions served up at every restaurant, lounge and visitor gathering on every island. There's probably nowhere in the world where a tropical drink is more appropriate than in hawaii. The exotic colors and flavors that typify tropical drinks were inspired by the palette of colors in the hawaii sky and landscape.

These are some of the more popular ones:

Mai tai

the king of all tropical drinks has to be the mai tai. Consisting of rum and triple sec or orange Curacao with lime, almond syrup and grenadine, the mai tai is the quintessential tropical drink. The recipe has been adjusted over the years, but most variations are still close to the original. Also mixed with a rum base are the Blue Hawaii (rum and pineapple juice), the pina colada (rum, cream of coconut and pineapple juice), and the scorpion (rum, orange, grapefruit and pineapple juice).

Blue Hawaii

invented by Harry Yee at the Hilton Hawaiian village

Harry Yee was a bartender at the Hilton Hawaiian village resort and spa when in 1957 he was asked by a representative of bols to create a new drink using the company's new blue Curacao liqueur. The blue Hawaii was born. There are numerous variations of this recipe, many using crème de coconut, but this is the authentic recipe.

Piña colada

A delicious blend of pineapple juice, rum and coconut cream.

Lava flow

There are numerous variations for making a lava flow. This biggest difference is that some recipes use 1 oz. Of light rum and 1 oz. Of malibu® coconut rum. When malibu® coconut rum is unavilable you can use 1 1/2 oz. Of light rum and 1/2 oz. Of coconut cream.

Chi chi

This delicious blend of fresh hawaiian pineapple juice, tequilla, orange liqueur and grenadine is popular at many waikiki bars.