FRIDAY

>> Maori dance troupe Okareka fuses traditional and modern themes

The Maori values of whanau (family), mana (honor and integrity) and matataki (challenge) guide New Zealand-based dance troupe Okareka, which fuses contemporary dance with indigenous Maori themes and other genres.

For its Hawaii Theatre appearance, the company will perform its signature work “Mana Wahine” (“Powerful Woman”), a work that “emulates the journey from creature to motherhood, life force to the spirit world, the honoring of mother earth and sky father.”

The widely praised work, performed by five women, employs Maori prayer, song and mythology in a dance inspired by the story of Te Ao-Kapurangi, a woman celebrated as a peacekeeper and embodiment of traditional values in Aotearoa (New Zealand).

FRIDAY-TUESDAY

>> Comedic opera a showcase for Audrey Luna

“Daughter of the Regiment,” an amusing opera from Donizetti about an orphaned girl who has become an “army brat,” takes the stage this week, courtesy of Hawaii Opera Theatre.

Soprano Audrey Luna plays the lead character, Marie, whose coming-of-age story comes with a twist. Raised by soldiers, she experiences first love but also encounters personal upheaval after discovering her aristocratic roots. “It’s pretty much like every Disney movie I’ve ever seen,” Luna said.

The role offers plenty of humorous moments. Marie is “definitely a tomboy, a little too macho,” Luna said. “She swears. There’s a couple of bad words when she’s introduced to her actual family, so they have to slap that out of her and make her a noble lady.”

Luna has arias in each of the opera’s two acts that will put her coloratura voice on display: “Chacun le sait” (“Everyone must know”) is a tune “that the audience might recognize”; and “Quand le destin” (“When fate”), which “ends with a lot of fireworks, which coloratura roles tend to,” Luna said.

Luna comes well prepared for the vocal demands. In November, she was credited with singing the highest note ever at New York City’s Metropolitan Opera House — an A natural above high C — in the highly praised contemporary opera “The Exterminating Angel.”

Luna, whose high notes were described as “unusually lucid and effortless” in the New York Times, was surprised when the Met archivist told her about the accomplishment. “Then the press ran miles with it, which was good for ticket sales, I guess,” she said with a laugh.

An Oregon native, Luna began her professional career with HOT with acclaimed performances in “Romeo and Juliet” in 2008 and “The Marriage of Figaro” in 2009. After returning for a third year, she made the decision to move to Hawaii. “I was hooked, and I’d made so many friends,” she said.

“Daughter of the Regiment” is also well known for a first-act aria for the tenor, Tonio, “Ah! mes amis, quel jour de fete!” (“My friends, what a day to celebrate!”), which requires the singer to hit nine high C’s. Globe-trotting New York opera star Michele Angelini makes his HOT debut in the role.

SUNDAY

>> Keith Sweat entertains for Valentine’s Day

Get the Valentine’s Day juices flowing with R&B singer Keith Sweat, in a concert at Blaisdell Arena.

Sweat, known for a distinctively impassioned singing style, had a hit with his debut album, “Make It Last Forever,” in 1987, with four Top 10 singles on Billboard’s R&B charts: No. 1 “I Want Her,” No. 2 “Make It Last Forever,” No. 3 “Something Just Ain’t Right” and No. 9 “Don’t Stop Your Love.” His succeeding albums, “I’ll Give All My Love to You” and “Keep It Coming,” also included chart-topping songs.

More recently, he started his own label, KDS, releasing its first album, “Til the Morning,” in 2011. He also hosts the syndicated radio show “The Sweat Hotel,” devoted to R&B stylings from the 1970s to the present day.

Anthony Hamilton, a singer whose talent hit the spotlight with a 2003 Grammy nomination for Nappy Roots’ “Po’ Folks” in the best rap/sung collaboration category, and local favorite Fiji open.

TUESDAY

>> Alt-indie duo Sylvan Esso to perform at The Republik

Sylvan Esso, an up-and-coming alt-indie duo, brings its introspective, thoughtful brand of EDM to The Republik.

The creators of two critically acclaimed albums have been on a roll since their eponymous debut album put them on the charts three years ago, followed by appearances at major music festivals and visits to Europe and Australia.

Singer Amelia Meath’s elastic vocals, reminiscent of Corinne Bailey Rae, prove to be a good pairing with producer Nick Sanborn’s creatively diverse sound. She was working with a folk-rock trio when she met Sanborn, an acid-folk music producer. They wound up living together in Durham, N.C., and recorded their debut album in their apartment. “Sylvan Esso” reached No. 39 on the Billboard 200, with its meditative single “Coffee” garnering them an appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”

Their second album, last year’s “What Now,” almost didn’t happen. The couple was questioning whether and how to follow up on their debut album, contributing perhaps to the uncertainty expressed in some of the songs. But with a larger, more produced sound and the catchy, satirical tune “Radio,” which comments on the music industry’s desire for radio-friendly songs, “What Now” has become another winner. It peaked at No. 4 on Billboard’s Top Rock Albums chart and was nominated for a Grammy for best dance/electronic album.

Sanborn uses one of the more unusual composition aids: His arms are tattooed with standard chord progressions. “It tells you all the possibilities, and by doing that it tells you all the ways to break the rules,” he told billboard.com.