LIHU‘E — Tickets to the Hawai‘i Children’s Theatre’s production of Moana Jr. are already on sale, and moving pretty fast, said Rebecca Hanson, the production’s director.
Curtains rise on Moana Jr. on Nov. 19. This will be the first time live theatre will be performed at the Kaua‘i War Memorial Convention hall since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
HCT has scheduled performances on Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 3 and 7 p.m., and Sundays at 3 p.m. through Nov. 28. Tickets are also available for a special livestreaming event for the Nov. 27 show where the family is able to watch the performance from home.
COVID-19 protocol will have limited seating at the convention hall with all other safety protocol, including face masks being worn, social distancing between ‘ohana groups, and more. Attendees must either show proof of vaccine, or have a negative result of a COVID test performed within 24 hours of showtime.
This puts an increased demand for the tickets and the audience is encouraged to place their ticket reservations early to ensure a seat at the convention hall. Tickets can be ordered online by visiting the HCT website hawaiichildrenstheatre.org.
“We are so excited for the opportunity to bring Moana Jr. to the stage for the Kaua‘i community,” Hanson said. “Not only will this be live theatre at the convention hall for the first time, this is the first time Moana is being done in the state of Hawai‘i. This is a Kaua‘i premiere.”
The “Jr.” designation was selected because the one-hour version of the show tells the full story — open to children ages 12 and older, and adults — with no intermission to allow for the social distancing compliance.
“The pandemic put a huge stop on the arts, and live theatre,” Hanson said. “We are now in a place where we can produce a theatre production with safety protocols in place. Hawai‘i Children’s Theatre did a superb job this summer with social distancing, small cast sizes, and outdoor performances that allowed our keiki to participate in our theatre programs. Now, we are excited to move forward with our fall show.”
“Moana is a wonderful message of self discovery and believing in who you really are,” the director said. “Giving our kids and the community the opportunity to explore that through this show and live theatre is a blessing. This is a great story to bring back live theatre.”
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
