A Peek Behind the Curtain at the Disney Treasure’s ‘Disney The Tale of Moana’
Since the Disney Treasure set sail last December, passengers have been raving about its exclusive musical production, Disney The Tale of Moana.
This Broadway-style retelling of Moana brings the young Wayfinder’s journey to life in a fresh and thrilling way, featuring beloved characters and songs that fans adore.
“Audiences are primed to come in and have a good experience,” the show’s director, Connor Gallagher, said.
Photo: Matt Stroshane/Disney
“They’re not rushing in from traffic or coming here after a bad day at work. They’re coming in to have a theatrical experience and see characters they love come to life. They’re coming from a place of love — and that creates such a nice energy.”
Transporting Audiances to Motunui
Disney the Tale of Moana begins with the Walt Disney Theatre transformed into the island of Motunui. From there, Moana sets out on her heroic voyage to save her people.
Photo: Matt Stroshane/Disney
The show was choreographed by Gallagher and Peter Rockford and features songs in a mix of languages, including Tuvaluan, Tokelauan, and Samoan. It also includes the first live staging of “Warrior Face,” inspired by traditional Haka.
The star of Disney The Tale of Moana, however, is undeniably the show’s use of puppetry. This includes the massive Te Ka puppet, the largest Disney Cruise Line has ever created.
Photo: Matt Stroshane/Disney
“As the first-ever stage production of Moana, this production means a lot to all of us,” said Kaena Kekoa, who plays Moana. “After several years of rehearsals, it’s nice to finally be able to share this with people and for them to receive it.”
A Long Road to the Stage
As we have previously discussed, Disney The Tale of Moana was in development for years before its debut. As the Disney Treasure was being constructed, the team behind the stage show was hard at work.
“One of the things I love most about working with everyone in Disney Live Entertainment is that they really support the collaborative process,” Gallagher said. “I invited all of the designers in as early as possible so that I wasn’t ordering up ideas and effects too late in the process. We collaborated throughout, and we asked each other, ‘What if we tried this?’”
Photo: Matt Stroshane/Disney
When Gallagher and his team first workshopped the show, it was a bare-bones production.
“In those initial workshops, we tried to make the show work without all the bells and whistles,” he recalls.
Photo: Matt Stroshane/Disney
“There’s a lot of technology in the show that you see in the Walt Disney Theatre, like puppetry and video, but when we first did the show, it was like children’s theater with foam core and popsicle sticks. We found the emotional core of the story and the main elements, and then everyone started to layer on top of that. It gave us the ability to zoom out and look at how the story was landing, to see how we wanted to make it more impactful and epic. We wanted it to be a spectacle without losing the heart and the emotion. It required a lot of conversation, a lot of trial and error, and a lot of time.”
A Special Show
While the Walt Disney Theatre is home to numerous stage shows, Disney Tale of Moana holds a special place in the cast and crew’s hearts.
Photo: Matt Stroshane/Disney
“This kind of show requires a lifestyle shift. A lot of people are rooted in their lives on land — but this show is different,” Gallagher said. “A lot of our actors came from the very first workshop in 2020, which is rare. That speaks to how much this story means to them, so it’s extra meaningful for me to be a part of something that people hold so dearly.”
Photo: Matt Stroshane/Disney
If you plan to take a voyage aboard the Disney Treasure, ensure you don’t miss Disney The Tale of Moana. It is an experience unlike any other!
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