Alright folks, grab your imaginary coconuts because today’s practice was all about breathing life into the Moana script. No fancy studios here, just me, my laptop, and maybe a slightly judgmental cat watching from the sofa.
How It Started
So yesterday, I was humming “How Far I’ll Go” while washing dishes – happens a lot, honestly. Got me thinking: could I actually perform parts of this script? Not just sing, but really be Maui or Moana for a hot minute? Sounded fun, and hey, practice is practice!
Getting My Feet Wet
First step was obvious: I needed the words. Jumped online, searched for “Moana full script PDF”. Scrolled past a bunch of junk, finally found a clean copy someone had typed out – no fancy fonts, just plain text. Downloaded that sucker.
Printed out the key scenes I wanted – Moana’s “I am Moana” speech to the ocean, Maui’s whole “You’re Welcome” number (duh), and that intense confrontation with Te Kā. My printer chugged and wheezed, but eventually spat out about 20 pages. Warm-up done!
Diving In… And Splashing Around
Started simple. Read Moana’s opening narration out loud, just trying to get the rhythm. Felt… stiff. Like reading the phone book. Thought: “Gotta connect to the ocean vibes!” Silly, I know. Tried again, focusing on the wonder she feels. Better! Added some hand gestures, picturing waves. Felt less self-conscious with the cat ignoring me.
Then came Maui. Oh boy. Channeling that rock-star demigod energy? Tough! My “You’re Welcome” started super flat. I sounded bored. Stopped, paced around my tiny living room. Remembered how cocky Maui is. Puffed out my chest (felt ridiculous), lowered my voice a bit, put on a huge, arrogant grin. Tried again. WAY more fun! Maybe overdid the eyebrow wiggles, though.
The Te Kā scene was hardest. Needs this huge, raw power mixed with pain. Practiced just the roaring sounds first. Honestly, my throat got sore! Worked on breathing deep, pushing the sound from lower. Wobbled between sounding angry and just shouting – definitely need more work there.
Reflections (Besides The Imaginary Ocean)
This wasn’t about perfection. It was about playing. Here’s what stuck:
- Printing it was key. Seeing it on paper felt different than a screen.
- Letting myself be dumb helped. Making faces, moving around – unlocked the words.
- Connecting to the “why” behind each line (Moana’s determination, Maui’s ego) made the biggest difference.
- My cat remains unimpressed. Crucial feedback.
It was messy, sometimes hilarious, and definitely not Broadway-ready. But for an hour of playing pretend? Totally worth it. Might try Hercules next week… gotta work on my Hades cackle!
