A cast of Central Florida students ranging from Pre-K to 12th grade is preparing to bring Disney's Moana Jr to the stage at Trinity Preparatory School Auditorium in Winter Park, with performances set for next Friday evening and twice on Saturday. The production comes from Central Florida Community Arts Youth Theatre, which has built the show around young performers stepping into the story's themes of courage, discovery and finding the hero within.
The musical will run Friday, October 9 at 7 p.m., followed by two shows Saturday, October 10, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., according to CFCArts, which lists the venue as Trinity Preparatory School Auditorium at 5700 Trinity Prep Lane in Winter Park. As WESH reports, students in Pre-K through 12th grade are involved in bringing the show to life, under the direction of Leah Porrata, artistic director of CFCArts Youth Theatre.
Leah Porrata and Kydan Herrick, the young actor playing Maui, joined WESH 2 ahead of opening weekend to preview the musical. The station describes the production as the beloved story of courage, discovery, and finding the hero within — themes that have carried the character of Moana since the original 2016 Disney film.
How the Young Cast Is Organized
Rather than a single ensemble, the production is structured so students can participate in one of several tracks. There are three ways for students to participate onstage in Disney's Moana Jr, the organization notes, with Jr. Companies, Companies and a Jr. Troupe giving performers of different ages and experience levels a path onto the stage, whether in ensemble roles or leads.
To get there, the cast rehearsed on Mondays from August 24 through September 28 at First Congregational Church of Winter Park, skipping only the Labor Day holiday, per the same CFCArts production page. That weeks-long rehearsal run has built toward next week's three performances.
The Story Behind the Songs
Disney's Moana Jr is a 60-minute musical adaptation of the 2016 Disney animated film, according to Music Theatre International, condensing the tale of Moana and the demigod Maui into a stage format built for young performers. The show features songs written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Opetaia Foa'i and Mark Mancina, including “How Far I'll Go,” “Shiny” and “You're Welcome,” the licensing organization notes. MTI also states that the original Moana was developed in collaboration with an Oceanic Trust made up of Pacific Island anthropologists, cultural practitioners, historians, linguists and choreographers, and that the stage adaptation carried forward that respect and attention to detail.
On stage, per CFCArts, Moana and the legendary demigod Maui embark on an epic journey of self-discovery and camaraderie — the same emotional throughline WESH highlighted in previewing the production with Porrata and Herrick.
Pairing the Production With Community Service
CFCArts has also tied the Moana Jr production to a local service project. For every production, the organization matches its cast with a local nonprofit that fits the show's story, according to Orlando Signal. For this show, the cast grabbed gloves and joined Keep Orlando Beautiful for a lake clean-up, the outlet reports.
The Addition Financial Foundation said CFCArts is teaching young people the joy of giving back, Orlando Signal notes, framing the cleanup as part of the broader lesson CFCArts hopes students take from the production alongside their time on stage.
