Auliʻi Cravalho goes from Disney teenager to Broadway star

Once upon a time, Auliʻi Cravalho walked through the halls of her school in Hawaii and couldn’t avoid her classmates calling her “Moana.” Eight years and 4,959 miles later, she’s just trying to survive in New York City.

“I was almost run over by a biker today. Excuse me! I don’t wear contact lenses all the time,” says Cravalho, who starred in Disney’s animated musical adventure “Moana” when she was 16 and plays Sally Bowles seven shows a week in the Broadway revival of “Cabaret.” “It’s definitely a city that keeps me busy. I also can’t wait to go back to Hawaii and be on island time. I need everyone to be 10, 15 minutes late. That’s not the case here.”

Her animated alter ego sings about how far she will go, and Cravalho herself has come a long way in less than a decade. In “Moana 2” (now in theaters), the titular wanderer embarks on a new quest to connect her people and the sea, while in real life she pursues teenage roles in films like “All Together Now” and “Mean Girls.” Finally portraying someone befitting a 24-year-old actor.

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Sally Bowles is “so different from Moana,” says Cravalho. “I’ve always made it clear that I want to play characters that have nothing to do with the high school world, and Sally drives me crazy every night. So I got exactly what I asked for and more.”

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Cravalho talks about her return to the animated series, serving as executive producer of the upcoming live-action film “Moana,” and what’s next.

Question: Take us back to your life before “Moana.” How was that?

Auliʻi Cravalho: My mother and I lived in a one-room apartment. I remember practicing the music for “Moana” (there). Very thin walls. My neighbors downstairs had a newborn, so we had to text them and figure out their schedule so we didn’t wake the baby. But I remember them cheering with me to the song of the ancestors: “I am Moana!” They knew the entire soundtrack before anyone else.

What aspect of your teenage years is still very prevalent?

A lot of me is still what I was when I was 16, 17. The theater child in me was finally able to fully develop. One of my favorite things about working in a recording booth is not having to worry about a camera. I just act like a little gremlin and try out new voices, new keys.

I am also still close with my mother. I’m an adult, I get where I need to be on time, and she’s very proud of me. But that doesn’t mean I don’t still ask her to help me out by sending me food via Instacar or sending me Uber Eats. She recently ordered me pimple patches from Amazon. Invaluable, things only a mother can know.

What touched you most about Moana’s story in the sequel?

If our first film was about connecting with the past, this is about connecting with the future. That’s why I loved seeing (Moana’s little sister) Simea. Every time she was on screen I cried and it broke my heart. And I really like that growth theme where Moana thinks she’s on the right track and says, “Okay, this is going to be easy, right?” Wrong. Even if she would like to determine her own path and the future that lies ahead of her, it is not in her hands.

“Moana” has become a staple. Describe what it was like to inspire a generation of little girls and musical theater fans.

I never expected that at 24 I would be playing such an impactful character, not only for young girls, but also for parents, for young people who are also finding their way, for people who want to be the main character of their own story and no love interest necessary. I absolutely love it. I’m at “Cabaret” right now and I met two young ladies at the stage door, one of whom was singing “How Far I’ll Go” for her middle school talent show and the other…for her senior show.

What’s life like as a Broadway star?

It is actually very difficult and very humbling. I have lost my voice. I get, as my castmates would say, love bites or theater bites, also called bruises. The choreography just gives me bruises everywhere. My legs hurt, I still manage to forget a line every now and then, but it’s so much fun. It’s truly an honor to get my ass kicked on Broadway.

And now you’re also producing a “Moana” film.

Why are there so many emails? How does someone answer so many emails in a day? (Laughs) I was really grateful to the team for teaching me this new role. To be honest, I’m used to being taken care of – I’m talented. And being on the producing side means I am in it.

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Auliʻi Cravalho goes from Disney teenager to Broadway star

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