Is Moana a Musical Theatre?

Musical Theatre|Theater

Disney’s Moana is a 2016 animated film that follows the story of Moana, a young Polynesian princess. She embarks on a journey to save her people and find her true purpose in life.

While many consider Moana to be an animated movie, it can also be argued that it is a musical theatre production.

Moana features some of the most memorable songs from any Disney movie, including “How Far I’ll Go”, “We Know The Way”, and “You’re Welcome”. These songs are all performed by the characters in the movie and are integral to the plot and character development of both Moana and her companions.

The lyrics also play a role in furthering the story by providing insight into each character’s motivations and emotions. Additionally, these songs are used to drive home certain themes such as courage, determination, friendship, and family.

The animation in Moana is also highly stylized and very theatrical. The characters are all designed with exaggerated features that give them an almost puppet-like quality.

They move around the screen with dramatic gestures that add to their expressiveness. This style of animation furthers the notion that Moana could be considered a musical theatre production as it gives a more realistic representation of what would happen on stage.

Furthermore, Disney has also released live-action versions of some of their classic films such as Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King. These live-action adaptations feature full musical numbers which further supports the idea that Moana could be considered a musical theatre production.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, while Moana may not strictly adhere to all of the traditional elements associated with musical theatre, it can still be argued that it is indeed a form of musical theatre due to its use of music to advance its plot, its theatrical animation style, as well as its potential for adaptation into a live-action version featuring full musical numbers.