Family: ‘Moana Jr.’ will take audiences on a fun, energetic adventure

64 talented youngsters ages 6 to 13 are in the cast

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By Calvin Nuttall

South Valley families, get ready to embark on an enchanting voyage of self-discovery as “Moana Jr.” sets sail at the Morgan Hill Community Playhouse.

South Valley Civic Theatre showcases a vibrant cast of 64 talented youngsters ages 6-13. This 75-minute musical adaptation of Disney’s 2016 animated film offers fresh music, characters, and changes in the storyline compared to the movie. The show opens Friday, Sept. 22. It runs three weekends.

Delphine Sen, 13, leads the cast as “Moana,” a young Polynesian woman with an adventurous soul who feels restless in her insular Pacific island village community.

“Moana loves her family, but she just wants to go out into the ocean and see what is out there, and her parents won’t let her,” Sen said.

The adventure begins when Moana, in defiance of her family’s wishes, casts off into the sea on a quest to restore the stolen heart of an ancient spirit in order to save her village from blight and famine. Along her journey she encounters “Maui,” a boisterous demigod with a personality leagues different from what Moana is accustomed to.

She has never met someone quite like the demi-god, and finds him  free-spirited and adventurous, Sen said.

“When she goes on this adventure, at first she is scared, but then she grows more confident when she meets Maui,” she said. “He encourages her to let her true self shine through. She discovers her confidence.”

Adam Hart, 12, plays the shape-shifting trickster Maui. Together, the two unlikely companions brave mythic dangers in order to right the wrongs of the past and save the world.

“It’s very fun,” he said. “Maui always loves to joke around. He loves to go out into the wild. In the beginning, he thinks Moana is just a fan of his, like everybody else who knows him. But the more you get into the show, the more they become real friends.”

Supporting Moana and Maui is a cast of characters, many of whom are specially written for the stage adaptation.

“One of the great things is that, in addition to these two main characters, there are a lot of outstanding featured parts,” said co-producer Ken Christopher. “They all really stand out, so a lot of kids get the chance to shine.”

While working with so many performers presents challenges, the kids take it in stride.

“It’s really fun working with such a big cast,” Sen said. “No matter what rehearsal you go to,  you’ll always have a friend.”

Shepherding the actors required a coordinated effort between the crew and the parents of the cast, who have been heavily involved in the production. Director Jenn Oliphant is well qualified to lead such an effort. A mother of six, she is no stranger to the task.

“It’s a lot of energy,” Oliphant said. “I have learned that with a lot of energy you have to just channel that into something productive. Singing and dancing are great at helping kids to feel good moving in their own bodies and using their own voices.”

The cast size is a testament to the success of SVCT’s children’s show program, which aims to engage families to get involved in the performing arts. The “Moana” cast is larger than recent children’s shows, Christopher said, which had been slow to recover their numbers after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We wanted to make sure we really got a fire going under the kids’ program,” he said. “We knew a Disney show was going to be a sure-fire thing to get kids and the community excited. With more than 64 kids, more than quadruple the previous kids’ show, we really feel like we completed our mission.”

Michael Horta co-produces the show. He has a passion for working with children, and loves finding ways to help them express themselves creatively and cultivate their talents.

“We knew ‘Moana’ would bring in kids,” he said. “I think it helps they know the show, and they are excited to see the new songs and other things that aren’t in the movie. I’m hopeful most if not all of those families will come back next year, or move on to the teen show.”

The set will be as vibrant as the cast, with a Polynesian-influenced artistic theme. The art is inspired by the work of husband-and-wife duo Matthew and Roxanne Ortiz, aka “Wooden Wave.” Their murals can be found in Hawaii and across the U.S., Oliphant said.

“My other love, besides working with kids, is set design,” she said. “We have these incredible murals you’ll see on our set that are inspired by Wooden Wave. It’s very colorful and appealing to kids. It’s going to be very visually dynamic. This is a kid’s show by kids and for kids, so it has a lot of colors and shapes.”

While “Moana, Jr.,” is a fun and energetic adventure, the production’s importance goes beyond its face value, Oliphant said. By enabling young people to get involved in the creative process, shows like this encourage the development of essential skills and generate positive mental health outcomes.

“When you are paying to see a kids’ show, it’s not just about the entertainment factor,” she said. “When you come to a kids’ show, you are investing in a future where children have grown into adults who know how to interact with the world.”

The kids also learn empathy, because they are having to step into other characters’ shoes, she said.

“They’re learning how to express themselves, and they’re learning self-discipline,” she said

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Calvin Nuttall is a Morgan Hill-based freelance reporter and columnist.

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