by Sarah Kuta
Last updated: 12:25 PM ET, Wed January 17, 2024
Disney Cruise Line has unveiled more details about the “Moana” musical that will debut onboard its newest ship Disney Treasure later this year.
Called “Disney The Tale of Moana,” the Broadway-style production will be offered on the ship when it launches in December 2024. The 4,000-passenger vessel will be the sixth ship in Disney’s fleet and will sail 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries.
The show, which will feature music and set design elements inspired by the culture of the Pacific Islands, will be the first stage adaptation of Disney’s hit 2016 movie “Moana.” It joins other live shows onboard the Disney Treasure, including “Beauty and the Beast” and “Disney Seas the Adventure.”
A scene from "Disney The Tale of Moana" (Photo Credit: Disney Cruise Line)
The show will open on the fictional island of Motunui, with the spirit of Gramma Tala serving as narrator. Performers will sing and dance in several languages, including Tuvaluan, Tokelauan and Samoan, to tell the story of how the ocean chose Moana to help restore the heart of the goddess Te Fiti.
As Moana begins her journey, the onboard Walt Disney Theatre will transform into the open ocean, complete with twinkling stars and a giant glowing manta ray (symbolizing the spirit of Gramma Tala) that soars over the audience.
A scene from "Disney The Tale of Moana" (Photo Credit: Disney Cruise Line)
Some of the characters will be performed by live puppets, including Te Kā, the fiery, evil goddess who was once the benevolent Te Fiti. The Te Kā puppet will be “massive,” and built on “a scale Disney Cruise Line has never before produced,” according to the cruise line. Once Moana restores the heart of Te Fiti, the puppy will “shed its fiery shell and become the gentle island goddess” again.
The puppets represent a collaboration between Jeff Conover, Disney Live Entertainment creative director of puppetry and articulation, and Michael Curry, a master puppet designer who worked on Disney’s Tony Award-winning Broadway musical “The Lion King.”
The cruise line also shared that, for the first time in a stage show, Moana and Maui will perform the song “Warrior Face.” The tune joins other favorites from the soundtrack, such as “You’re Welcome,” “We Know The Way” and “How Far I’ll Go.”
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