When the Wichita Theatre announced its season eariler this year, three of the downtown theater's most anticipated productions were “Titanic,” “Moana” and “Matilda.”
When COVID-19 hit, all of their productions were delayed - the first two of which had already been cast. “Moana” is on its third director, Seigen Walker, and is set to open at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday Sept. 27 and Oct. 3, 10 and 17. The show is two acts and runs approximately one hour.
The show's first director, Amanda Jackson, oversaw the casting of “Moana” in late December- early January. Current director Walker said, surprisingly, 20 of the 30 originla cast members - the majority of which were main roles - are still on board.
Walker will be assisted by Alex Duke, normally a stage manager, who has wanted to direct for some time. Emily Spicer will choreograph, and Walker said, “I am excited for the audience to see the dancing.” Her sister, Jessica, will help with direction and choreography.
Walker said there are several musical tracks that have been added to the junior production, and they are awesome. The songs everyone knows from the movie: “Shiny,” “Where You Are” and “How Far I’ll Go” are also part of the show.
The director said bringing an animated film to the stage can be challenging, and “Moana” is no exception.
“The main thing for anyone who has seen the movie is the water. We are trying to recreate the water in a couple of interesting ways. Parts of the production will be a very technical junior show, and the kids have taken to it well," Walker said.
“It will be very artistic and we have been very creative.” At the beginning, they are on the Polynesian island of Motunui, and later the characters are in a boat or underwater quite a bit.
The junior musical is similar to the Disney film and the storyline is mostly the same. Basically, the director said, Moana (Erin Lara), a young girl, is coming of age and wants to explore and discover the world outside of her island home.
“Her family wants to keep her where she is. Something comes up that forces her to explore – the ocean is beginning to run out of fish around her island. So, she has to explore to find a way to provide for the island," Walker said.
Moana goes on a journey to find the heart of the goddess Te Fiti, which was stolen from her by the shapeshifting demigod Maui (Calib Ferguson), and that’s what’s been causing the problems with the fish.
Moana goes to find Maui, and together they attempt to restore the heart, which was stolen from Maui by the volcano demon Te Ka (Jenna Leslie).
“Moana” is really a heartwarming story about finding the power inside of yourself and not being afraid to take a chance and explore the world, Walker said.
Other characters in “Moana” include Moana’s overprotective father, Chief Tui (Jeff Ross); her mother, Sina (Karina Sanchez); Gramma Tala (Elaina Davis); and Tamatoa (Allie Calvert) with help from Max Trussler and Cadence Oldham.
“It’s a very modern take on the classic Disney princess – she’s not a damsel in distress. She’s very strong and quite independent. She’s very aware of the world around her and wants to make her mark in it," the director said.
The cast of “Moana” is largely new to the theatre, with Lara travelling from Oklahoma City to play Moana.
“Ferguson, who plays Maui, has a larger than life personality that will come alive on stage,” the director said. “My personal favorite character is Tamatoa – who has a very scene stealing number.”
“Moana” is for audiences of all ages, and this will be the first time for the area theater to produce it.
Tickets are available online at WichitaTheatre.com, and there are no reserved seats. Jackson encourages people to purchase tickets in advance, but the theater will also sell tickets at the door if they are still available. Guests may sit up to 10 in a group with two empty seats between groups, and rows are skipped.
The first patrons inside the auditorium choose their seats, and subsequent guests will distance themselves from earlier groups. Jackson said there will around 200 seats. Each patron must wear a facemask, and the theater encourages guests to keep masks on at all times.
Concessions may be ordered and delivered to a guest’s seat. Ushers will give everyone a small program with a QR code and instructions. Guests can scan the code which will take them to an online store, where they order their concessions. If guests are unable to scan the code, they can also order through an usher with a manual order form.
- What: Disney’s Moana Jr.
- Where: Wichita Theatre, 919 Indiana
- Admission: $12 general seating at www.wichitatheatre.com
- When: 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. September 26, October 3, October 10 and October 17
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September 22, 2020 at 09:00PM
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‘Disney’s Moana Jr.’ splashes onto stage Saturday - Times Record News
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