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Gabriella Fugon

The cast of 'Elephant & Piggie's We're In A Play!', from left, Victoria Acquavita, Lorelai Mucciolo, Aubrey Gulle, Ryan Van Nostrand, Kat Conway and Gabriella Fugon. Photo by Heidi Sutton

By Heidi Sutton

While my daughter and I enjoyed reading Mo Willem’s Pigeon and Knuffle Bunny series, she was already seven years old when his Elephant and Piggie series came out in 2007. What a shame. Geared for younger audiences, the award-winning and best- selling children’s books are filled with the many fun adventures of Gerald the Elephant and his ‘bestus’ friend Piggie.

A sign on Main Street in Smithtown welcomes ticket holders to the show. Photo by Heidi Sutton

Now several of those stories make their way to the grounds of the Smithtown Historical Society for an outdoor musical titled Elephant and Piggie’s We Are in a Play! Presented by the Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts (SPAC), the adorable show runs through July 29. 

With script and lyrics by Willems and music by Deborah Wicks La Puma, the show centers mostly around Elephant and Piggie’s We are in a Book! but draws from other stories including I Am Invited to a Party!, Elephants Cannot Dance!, Should I Share My Ice Cream?, Listen to My Trumpet! and I Love My New Toy!

Featuring six extremely talented young adults, the production is performed in vignettes as Gerald and Piggie solve problems throughout the day and learn friendship etiquette with the help of The Squirrelles, Ice Cream Penguin and Delivery Dog.

They go to a party hosted by the Squirrelles, wear silly hats, learn a new dance, and share ice cream. Their perfect day turns sour when Gerald accidentally breaks Piggie’s new toy and her feelings get hurt. Will their friendship end? Will The Squirelles come to the rescue?

Children have their photo taken with the cast after last Sunday’s performance. Photo by Heidi Sutton

The whole experience is very relaxed and informal and you can bring your own lawn chairs or sit on folding chairs under tents. For many of the children it is their first experience at live theater and they have the option of sitting on a blanket in front of the stage or sitting with their family. Many at last Sunday’s performance danced along to the music and giggled at all the jokes. Snacks and drinks are also permitted.

Towards the end of the show the cast suddenly realizes they are in a play with a captive audience. In a grand finale, they invite the crowd to join in the fun by clapping, shouting out “banana” and doing the “Flippy Floppy Floory” dance, a perfect ending to a wonderful afternoon.

Don’t forget your camera! – Stay after the show for a keepsake photo with the cast.

Cast:

Gerald: Ryan Van Nostrand

Piggie: Aubrey Gulle

Squirelles: Kat Conway, Gabriella Fugon & Lorelai Mucciolo

Delivery Doggie/Ice Cream Penguin: Victoria Acquavita

Elephant & Piggie’s ‘We’re In a Play’! will be held on the grounds of the Smithtown Historical Society, 239 E. Main St., Smithtown through July 29. Running time is one hour with no intermission. Tickets are $18 per person. To order, visit www.smithtownpac.org.

 

By Heidi Sutton

For the second year in a row, the Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts will present outdoor performances of Disney’s Moana Jr. on the grounds of the Smithtown Historical Society through Aug. 14. With a new performance space behind the Frank Brush Barn, a larger and more elaborate set, fresh choreography and the return of most of the original cast, the show launched last Thursday night and brought the house down.

The Cast:
Moana: Gabriella Fugon
Maui: Michael Gualtieri
Gramma Tala: Gianna Oppedisano
Sina: Adrienne Porti
Chief Tui: Logan O’Leary
Tamatoa: Alia Romanelli
Pua: Zachary Podair
Hei-Hei: Lorelai Mucciolo
Chief Ancestor I: Max Lamberg
Chief Ancestor I: Dylan O’Leary
Chief Ancestor II: Gabby Blum
Chief Ancestor III: Gabrielle Arroyo
Right Claw: Derek Hough
Left Claw: Justin Walsh Weiner
TeFiti/TeKa: Savannah Shaw
Ensemble/Claw Understudy: Ari Spiegel
Ensemble: Jonathan Setzer

The strong-willed daughter of Chief Tui and his wife Sina, Moana lives on the Polynesian island of Motunui, never straying beyond the safety of the lagoon. When the island’s coconuts turn black and the fish in the lagoon disappear, she follows the advice of her grandmother and sets sail on a journey across the Pacific Ocean to find the demigod Maui, so that he might help her restore the heart of Te Fiti, the Polynesian goddess of earth and life, and save her people from starvation.

Along the way, the pair stop at Lalotai, the Realm of Monsters, to retrieve Maui’s magical fishhook from Tamatoa, a giant coconut crab, and battle the volcanic demon Te Kā.

Directed by Courtney Braun and Jordan Hue, with musical direction by Melissa Coyle, the stage adaptation follows the 2016 animated film Moana closely and hits all the right notes with the wonderful songs by Lin Manuel-Miranda from the film including “Where You Are,” “How Far I’ll Go,” “Shiny,” “I Am Moana (Song of the Ancestors)” and “You’re Welcome.”

The young energetic cast does an excellent job in retelling the story.

Reprising her role as Moana, Gabriella Fugon is perfectly cast and tackles her solos with confidence and ease. Her rendition of “How Far I’ll Go” could easily match that of Auli’i Cravalho (the voice of Moana in the film). Her vocals are flawless.

Michael Gualtieri is equally matched as the self-centered and egotistical Maui. His rendition of “You’re Welcome” is magnificent. 

While the entire cast has strong voices, special mention must also be made for Logan O’Leary in “Where You Are,” and Alia Romanelli in “Shiny.”

The show itself is a visual feast for the eyes. Costumes by Ronald R. Green III are colorful and fun with Polynesian dresses, grass skirts, leis and flowers in the hair. The set, designed by Michael Mucciolo, is quite impressive. Everywhere you look the legends and traditions of the Polynesian people are evident with Moana’s traditional camakau (canoe) and oar as the centerpiece. Long flowing sheets in shades of blue are used to represent waves and a screen print depicts the beach and ocean. 

As with many children’s theater productions, there is a moral to the story, best described by co-director Courtney Braun. “Moana really provides a lesson for each individual audience member. A journey of self-love and passion for some, the importance of family for others, and most importantly — a strong message of perseverance and overcoming fears.”

Don’t miss this one.

While folding chairs are available, theatergoers are welcome to bring blankets or chairs for seating. Mats are available for smaller children who would like to sit up front. Bathrooms are available on the premises and merchandise and water will be sold before and after the event (debit or credit only).

The Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts presents Moana Jr. on the grounds of the Smithtown Historical Society, 239 E. Main St., Smithtown on various dates and times through Aug. 14. Running time is one hour with no intermission. Tickets are $18 per person. To order, call 631-724-3700 or visit www.smithtownpac.org.

By Heidi Sutton

There is a well-known saying in the theater world — “the show must go on.” And even among a debilitating pandemic that has forced many theaters to temporarily close their doors, the Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts has found a way to do that with another well-known saying — “where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

In partnership with the Smithtown Historical Society, the theater is currently staging a colorful outdoor production of Disney’s “Moana Jr.,” and it could not have come at a better time as parents struggle to keep their children entertained with limited options. Through Aug. 15, the socially-distanced, one-hour show, presented with no intermission, will be held on the shaded grounds of the historical society’s Roseneath Cottage at various times throughout the week.

Rehearsals were already underway when the pandemic took hold, according to executive producer Michael Mucciolo, and then continued virtually until the end of June. “The first step was to see if the parents and kids had a desire to do the show in this new safer environment and if any did not then we wouldn’t have explored the idea any further. After a resounding yes we worked with our board, as well as legal and health professionals. Then we put out a request for volunteers to support us and without any of them we would not have felt comfortable with performing,” he explained in an email.

The decision to move the production outdoors came after the theater was approached by the Smithtown Historical Society (SHS). “It was the evolution of an idea after the SHS graciously offered the use of their space and to show the community what SHS has to offer in terms of tranquil outdoor spaces,” said Mucciolo.

Originally scheduled for April, the show opened on July 24 and has already sold out numerous performances.

“The response from the community has been amazingly positive. Some had concerns not having a full understanding of what this would be like but people have been very appreciative of all the hard work the cast, crew, and staff have done to make this happen in a safe way. The story of a girl facing uncertainty and loss, finding friendship and bravery is so important right now. It is especially at home in this open space framed within picturesque trees and the sounds of nature,” said Mucciolo.

Featuring songs written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Opetaia Foa’i and Mark Mancina, the musical introduces us to Moana (Gabriella Fugon), the strong-willed daughter of Chief Tui (Logan O’Leary) and his wife Sina (Priscilla Russo) who live on the Polynesian island of Motunui.

When a blight on the island causes the coconuts to turn black and the fish to disappear, Moana follows the advice of her grandmother (Gianna Oppedisano) and  embarks on a journey across the Pacific Ocean to find the demigod Maui (Michael Gualtieri) in hopes he will help her return the heart of Te Fiti (Savannah Shaw), the Polynesian goddess of earth and life, and save her people.

Along the way, the pair make a detour to Lalotai, the Realm of Monsters, to retrieve Maui’s magical fishhook from Tamatoa (Dori Ahlgrim/ Alia Romanelli), a giant coconut crab, and battle the lava demon Te Kā (Savannah Shaw).

Directed by Courtney Braun and Jordan Hue, with musical direction by Melissa Coyle, the stage adaptation follows the storyline closely and includes all of the wonderful songs in the film including “How Far I’ll Go,” “Shiny,” “I Am Moana (Song of the Ancestors)” and “You’re Welcome.”

The cast members, ranging in age from 11 to 17, do a tremendous job bringing the story of “Moana” to life on stage with special mention to Michael Gualtier who plays the demi-god Maui in a way that would make The Rock proud. His rendition of “You’re Welcome” is hilarious. But it is 17-year-old Gabriella Fugon, perfectly cast as Moana, who steals the show. Her beautiful rendition of “How Far I’ll Go” is breathtaking and when she sings “I am Moana” the audience will believe it too. She even looks like Moana!

The costumes by Ronald Green III, choreography by Courtney Braun and the incredible set by Mike Mucciolo tie the show together nicely.

Both the Smithtown Historical Society and the theater have taken many steps to make the performances as safe as possible for both the cast, crew, and audience members. “Studies have show your risk of being exposed to Covid-19 is 95% lower outdoors than indoors, because of wind dispersing and sunlight breaking down the virus does not allow for particles to concentrate like in a store or restaurant. Safety is not just from a business concern as members of the production team are also parents of cast members and so do not take lightly anyone’s health,” said Mucciolo.

The Cast: Dori Ahlgrim, Gabrielle Arroyo, Riley Ferraro, Gabriella Fugon, Michael Gualtieri, Aubrey Gulle, Derek Hough, Anabelle Kreitzman, Jackson Mucciolo, Lorelai Mucciolo, Gianna Oppedisano, Priscilla Russo, Dylan O’Leary, Logan O’Leary, Zach Podair, Alia Romanelli, Jonathan Setzer, Savannah Shaw, Juliana Spataro, Ari Spiegel, and Justin Walsh Weiner.

Bathrooms are available on the premises and souvenirs, including flower sunglasses, flower hair clips, leis and paper fans,  are available for purchase.

The Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts presents “Moana Jr.” at the Smithtown Historical Society, 239 East Main St., Smithtown through Aug. 15. Up to 75 tickets are sold for each performance with ticket holders safely distanced in their groups away from others and masks are required. All seats are $18. To order, visit www.smithtownpac.org.

All photos by Courtney Braun