Although he has been gone for nearly thirty years, Rap Reiplinger's influence on Hawaii comedy is as powerful as ever. During his all-too-brief lifetime, he created a body of work that has earned him a place in the pantheon of Hawaii's most gifted and beloved artists. For the first time, Hawai'i audiences will get a chance to know the man behind the comedian or as Rap would say humorist, in Rap: Hawaii's Comic Genius. Woven throughout the special are highlights from the characters and routines that have brought joy and laughter to generations of fans: Aunty Marialani, Fate Yanagi, Room Service, Mahalo Airlines, Willy Maunawili, and the stuttering priest, to name just a few. (Also included are scenes from newlyfound home movies of Rap as a young boy performing the hula and other acts for the camera, revealing that he was destined for show business from an early age.)  Rap: Hawaii's Comic Genius will captivate, intrigue, and entertain those who remember Rap Reiplinger as well as those in the enviable position of discovering him for the very first time.