In December of 1960, who knew that the Mai Kai and the life of Bob Thornton was to change forever. Mireille, a beautiful Tahitian-born dancer, walked into the Mai Kai after being recruited by a friend of Thornton’s while in California. She made it through rehearsals and became a part of the staff only to be fired shortly after because she couldn’t dance and needed to lose weight! Two weeks later, after a grueling fitness regime and professional Polynesian dance lessons, she was back on staff as a dancer in the Mai Kai Polynesian Floorshow. Five years later, romance sparked between Bob and Mireille, and 11 years later they were married. Mireille took on an active role within the Mai Kai, designing costumes and recruiting dancers from the South Seas, and took over as Choreographer of the Mai Kai Islanders Review, a position she held until mid 2007 upon her retirement from the business.
The Mai Kai is operated today by Mireille’s two children from her first marriage, David Levy and Kulani Thornton-Geraldi, whom both became her partners in the enterprise after Bob Thornton’s death in 1989 (he had bought out his brother in 1970.) David Levy became the sole owner in 2007 after the retirement of Mireille. The Mai Kai is still a thriving family business that now boasts eight dining rooms seating 489 for dinner—each named after a different island in the South Seas, the Molokai Bar that seats 150 guests, a full gift shop and the amazing Mai Kai gardens where guest may stroll to view an extensive collection of new and vintage Tiki carvings and enjoy the wide array of tropical plants. And of course, any night of the week you will be entertained, as others have for the last 50 years, by the dancers and musicians that make up the Mai Kai Islanders Review—still going strong. If you've never had a chance to experience the Mai Kai, Hukilau is a great chance to be with hundreds of other people that appreciate Tiki and vintage culture just as much as you do. If you cannot join us then make it a point to come and visit this enchanting and amazingly beautiful example of Polynesian Pop.
