Alexis Thornton (Moana, left) with Zoë Clarke (Gramma Tala).
A roar of excitement erupts from the audience as the house lights go down and the hall is bathed in darkness.
Stage lights blaze to life, illuminating a painted backdrop of ocean, islands. The auditorium fills with music and two drummers thump out a beat. The stage floods with dancers as a rippling band of blue silk evokes the motion of waves.
Cambridge Middle School’s 2022 production, Moana Junior – a 60-minute musical adaptation of the 2016 animated Disney film – began in a whirl of energy and colour last Tuesday.
A huge hit with audiences, it ran five times from September 27-29, bringing the adventures of Moana and her Polynesian village of Motunui to life in spectacular fashion.
It was expertly directed by specialist teaching team head Tracey Andrews, with stunning choreography by Vania McKeown and musical direction by Sacha Marnoch.
“Sacha was able to bring together all the students’ beautiful voices to make a truly powerful ensemble to compliment the leads,” Tracey said.
Ari Miru-Saunders rocks the stage as Maui.
“We also would like to thank Whaea Jo Satini who came in especially to choreograph two Pasifika dances for us which brought a true element of culture to our show.”
Tracey, who has been involved in amateur theatre for more than 30 years, said audience reaction had been “pretty fantastic”.
“We’ve had quite a few compliments in emails and people saying it’s the best show they’ve ever seen,” she said.
The show starred Alexis Thornton as the spirited heroine Moana, who sets off on a quest to return the heart of the goddess Te Fiti, and Ari Miru-Saunders as the roguish demigod of the wind and sea, Maui.
“Moana is just phenomenal – she’s a natural, which made my job really easy,” Tracey said.
“She was a standout vocalist and she’s actually an amazing wee actress too. Maui’s been amazing as well, which is awesome. The chemistry between the two during the performances has been great. It made me almost cry the other day, when they were getting really emotional. Apparently they went offstage and went ‘I almost cried’! So I said that’s what we want because you’re feeling it, and that’s the whole point, getting them to feel it.”
(From left) Sam Jenkins (Pua), Emma Cotter (Hei Hei), Alexis Thornton (Moana), Julija Dekic (Sina) and William Twaddle (Chief Tui).
The other lead characters – William Twaddle (Chief Tui), Julija Dekic (Sina), Sam Jenkins (Pua), Emma Cotter (Hei Hei) Zoë Clarke (Gramma Tala), Zoe Briggs, Katie Hepi-Hagan and Danni Hoskin (chief ancestors) and Jana Vienings (Tamatoa) – ably supported the leads, each adding their own dash of pizzazz to the performance.
Dancers Millie Davis, Cayla Buitendach, Sofia Moran, Ruby Johnston, Anna-Grace Stokes and Paige Shaw were outstanding and the ensemble cast’s collective sparkle drove a performance that fizzed with energy from start to finish.
Special mention must go to the acting trio who, in an ingenious combination of casting and costuming, teamed up to play the giant crab Tamatoa. Jana Vienings (body), Isabella Walker (left claw) and Isla Bentley (right claw) stole the limelight as they scuttled around the stage.
Ari (Maui) and Alexis (Moana) both said making new friends had been a highlight of being involved with the production.
“It’s been a pretty crazy ride,” Ari said, after finishing last Thursday’s final performance to a raucous chorus of whoops and applause, and posing for a photograph with a group of preschoolers.
Alexis Thornton stars as Moana in Cambridge Middle School’s production of Moana Jr.
Like Ari, Alexis (Moana) was sad it was all over.
“I just want to keep doing it,” she said. “I really, really enjoy being up there. But I’m in Frozen so that’ll be the next thing for me.”
Alexis made her first foray into acting in 2020, playing a mermaid in Peter Pan with Cambridge Repertory Society, and won the role of young Wednesday in Cambridge High School’s production of The Addams Family last year.
“After that I just wanted to be in everything,” she said. “Then I signed up for Moana and I got in and everything’s clicked. I want to be an actress when I grow up.”
The year 7 student has just secured the role of young Elsa in Hamilton Musical Theatre’s production of Frozen Jr next year and is now looking forward to performing at Riverlea Theatre in January.
