November 21, 2006

Ala Moana Center Transforms into a Winter Wonderland
Another sparkling holiday season with the return of the entire cast of The Christmas Gift of Aloha

HONOLULU – Mele Kalikimaka from paradise! It will be a very merry, very white Christmas at Ala Moana Center this holiday season as Merry, Mele and the rest of The Christmas Gift of Aloha cast return for nightly performances beginning November 24. This year, the show will feature a special surprise– SNOW! Families should come to Ala Moana Center to capture the essence of a Hawaiian-style Christmas by enjoying live performances and other exciting holiday events to celebrate the season.

The Christmas Gift of Aloha stage show follows the adventure of Merry, a newly trained Christmas Elf, who falls from Santa's sleigh to find himself in Hawaii. With the help of his new friend Mele Menehune, Merry soon discovers the wonders of a Hawaiian Christmas. Award-winning author Lisa Matsumoto’s children’s story comes to life with the live, musical stage performance featuring songs from the Na Hoku Hanohano Award-nominated soundtrack.

This year every performance of The Christmas Gift of Aloha will feature a grand finale of a very realistic snow fall that will flutter down from the open roof above Centerstage. Ala Moana Center introduces to shoppers a fun, new technology that produces flurries of “snow” that magically disappear only minutes after falling to the ground. The illusion of a real, live winter wonderland is brought to life and will make Centerstage sparkle with snowflakes every night at 6:00 p.m. beginning November 24 and running daily through Christmas Eve, December 24.

After each performance, at 7:00 p.m., keiki can follow along as Santa will ride his illuminated sleigh for a joyful holiday parade through Ala Moana Center, joined by characters from The Christmas Gift of Aloha show.  

And for a special holiday treat, on Saturday December 2, 9, and 16, Meadow Gold Dairies will be providing free milk and cookies from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
The Christmas Gift of Aloha storybook by Lisa Matsumoto and illustrated by Michael Furuya can be purchased for $16.95. The Christmas Gift of Aloha Soundtrack CD featuring all the songs by Roslyn from the stage show, which was a 2006 Na Hoku Hanohano award nominee for best Christmas album, can also be purchased for $14.95. Both are available at Ala Moana Center’s Barnes and Noble (Street Level).
For ongoing updates on holiday events and services as the season draws near, call Ala Moana Center’s Customer Service Center at 808-955-9517 or visit www.AlaMoanaCenter.com/holiday.htm

**Note to Media: For high-resolution photos and artwork, or to schedule a photo or video shoot, call Iva Pawling at 531-6087, ext. 3.

ABOUT ALA MOANA CENTER
Ala Moana Center is the world’s largest outdoor shopping center and Hawaii’s premier shopping, entertainment, and dining destination with 260 stores, including nearly 70 dining options.  Ala Moana Center features a diverse collection of stores including locally owned boutiques and national retailers.  Visit www.AlaMoanaCenter.com for more information.

Ala Moana Center is owned and managed by General Growth Properties, Inc., the second largest U.S.-based publicly traded Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT).  General Growth currently has ownership interest and management responsibility for a portfolio of 209 regional shopping malls in 44 states, as well as ownership in planned community developments and commercial office buildings.  The company portfolio totals approximately 200 million square feet of retail space and includes more than 18,000 retailers nationwide. General Growth Properties, Inc. is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol GGP. For more information, please visit the company Web site at www.generalgrowth.com.

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