The financial backers of Level 4 — a $22 million showroom complex that will house the lavish "Waikiki Nei," a multimedia performance spectacle opening next month on the fourth floor of the Royal Hawaiian Center — didn't cut corners or think small. They even raised the roof 30 feet to accommodate a "UFO."

That "UFO," as it's called by local producers, symbolizes the extravagance of the endeavor. A focal point of "Waikiki Nei," it's a movable multimedia platform for projected images, weighing in at a hefty 8,900 pounds, with circular, oversized discs that rotate while displaying imagery synchronized to music and dance.

Considering the totality of physical space and performance flash, "Waikiki Nei" — an 80-minute extravaganza with a 22-member cast — may well be Waikiki's splashiest concoction yet.

When it opens July 8 for a week of previews, followed by a formal July 15 launch, it will inaugurate a fresh experience in show-watching, night-clubbing and showroom-building.

The production boasts Cirque du Soleil-backed performance values and Hawaiian songs and dancers, while technology is an unstated star.

Level 4 will operate as a showroom, while its seats retract to create a huge nightclub space. An intimate ultralounge will also operate.

How it all was mounted is somewhat amazing.

"Everything was built in segments in Montreal, and put together like a puzzle here," said producer Roy Tokujo, who is the producer-creator (with the participation of Montreal-based Cirque du Soleil brainpower) of Maui show "'Ulalena" and other visitor-friendly productions such as John Hirokawa's "Magic of Polynesia" and the Paradise Cove lu'au.

"We had to augment steel on the roof and augment steel on the wall to support the weight," said Tokujo, a show-biz veteran of nearly 50 years. "Everything is hung from the wall and the roof."

Nearly everything inside the facility was shipped here from Montreal in 17 containers and is being assembled, piece by piece.

Projections on the "UFO" and a giant 116-foot screen will serve up visuals tracking Hawaiian history in song, dance and story, from the fall of the monarchy to the present time.

Meanwhile, live music, singers and dancers are bringing showroom performance back to the Royal Hawaiian Center.

A CATALYST FOR WAIKIKI

The show and the showroom arrive amid a declining visitor market, plagued by recent bankruptcies of Aloha Airlines and ATA, and fewer projected flights to the Islands.

But Leona Naka'ahiki, Pleasant Holidays vice president of sales and marketing, Hawai'i Division, is optimistic about "Waikiki Nei." She sees it as a potential catalyst to attract visitors and get locals back on Kalakaua Avenue.

"What's exciting is that even if it's like a Las Vegas show, it's about Hawai'i, with a Broadway-quality format, and a cast of Hawai'i people, Naka'ahiki said. "While there will be some Hawaiian language, the East-bound visitors will understand, because of the spectacle, the tricks and flying in the air."

She said that the big challenge for "Waikiki Nei" is the timing, in a summer visitor climate she describes as "slow."

"But I believe even kama'aina will be curious to see this show, and because of (the scope), perhaps 'Waikiki Nei' will help bring back the return of nightclub tours in Waikiki," she said.

FIVE-YEAR EFFORT

"Waikiki Nei" represents a five-year challenge for entrepreneur Tokujo to think big, do big and hope big. He's banking on the multi-use aspect of the nightclub operation, plus the sheer scope of the show, to draw patrons, even in a tight economy.

"I'm going for the wow effect," said Tokujo, during a recent hard-hat tour of the site. "We want people to come and see and go 'Wow!' "

He's aiming for buzz not just here but abroad. "It's gratifying in the sense that I feel that this product and project will provide Hawaiian entertainment in a heightened new level for the world market — like Broadway and Las Vegas, we're marketing imagery and excitement," said Tokujo.

For the project, Tokujo partnered with former Las Vegas designer-developer Todd Dougall to form Royal Hawaiian Showroom LLC, the parent company to Level 4 and "Waikiki Nei."

At the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Dougall oversaw the design and building of such hot spots as Studio 54 and the Tabu Ultra Lounge.

With Tokujo, Dougall has been responsible for creating an environment to attract the curious as well as visitors who thirst for more than the usual lu'au tradition.

"We wanted a name that is unique, contemporary and gives this extraordinary venue its own exclusive presence, apart from the 'Waikiki Nei' theatrical production," Dougall said.

"Level 4 stands out as a name, and it's perfect for its subtle reference to the venue's four-in-one entertainment package — the show, the theater, the nightclub and the ultralounge."

And, of course, its fourth-floor space on the Diamond Head end of the Royal Hawaiian Center complex.

A CLUB FOR THE HIP

Scene Ethique, a Montreal scenic shop that has previously created environments for Cirque du Solei and Celine Dion, produced the "UFO," four Periactoids (triangular towers that rotate and house musicians and performers on both sides of the stage), and tiered grandstand seating.

The 750 seats will retract following a performance, opening up floor space to accommodate 600 nightclubbers, served by two roll-out bars.

In the club set-up, there will be no seating, only tables to hold drinks. The target audience here is the young and hip who'll dance, mingle and table-hop.

The after-show will be largely aerial, with acrobatic performances ranging from ballet in the air to bungee artists.

Meanwhile, VIPs will be able to lounge and unwind in the lobby ultralounge, modeled after Vegas venues, boasting interactive tables, signature drinks and intimate lighting.

"We will take this to a new level," said Dougall. "This is all very high-tech."

During the day, the site can host meetings inside the lounge or outside on the large patio fronting the main showroom entrance.

To provide plenty of parking, "Waikiki Nei" has arranged for validation with a number of lots besides the Royal Hawaiian Center space. It will offer 3,500 parking stalls within five blocks of its hub.