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Tonganoxie Middle School students to perform ‘Moana Jr.’ this week

By Shawn F. Linenberger - | Mar 3, 2026

Photo courtesy of Deborah Halloway

Tonganoxie Middle School students rehearses “Moana Jr.” this past week. Students will perform the musical Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Tonganoxie Performing Arts Center.

Tonganoxie Middle School will present “Moana Jr. this week at the Tonganoxie Performing Arts Center.

Shows will be 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday at TPAC on the Tonganoxie High School campus.

Several TMS students will take on roles for this musical.

Some of those roles are Eden Gehri as Moana, James Lewallen as Chief Tui, Nevaeh Shriner as Sina, Charleigh Avery as Pua, Reed Lally as Hei Hei, Stevie Joy Mays as Gramma Tala, Afton McCoy as Maui, Lennon Herrig as Tamatoa and Evan Lobb as Left Claw and Kaelyn Baldridge as Right Claw.

Valentina Rodriguez is Te Ka/Te Fiti and the Shiny Ensemble.

Tom Gifford is sound and lights director, while Cassie Donkey is props and scenery director and Deborah Holloway is stage director.

Stage managers are Ace Moreno and Myla Peresta.

Music and lyrics are by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Opetaia Foa’i and Mark Mancina. The book is adapted by Susan Soon He Stanton and music and orchestrations are arranged and adapted by Ian Weinberger. The musical is based on the 2016 Disney film “Moana.”

Playing the roles of Ancestors are Calista Scarbourough, Tinley Shriner and Kyle Dempsey.

Landon Frink is Villager No. 1 and Gate Monster. Russel Frink is Villager No. 2 and member of the Ocean Ensemble, while Addy Saves is Villager No. 3 and member of the Ancestor Ensemble. Addy Saves is Villager No. 4 and a member of the Ocean Ensemble. Nora Johnson and Sage Bennett are villagers and members of the Maui Ensemble.

Fishers and and Ocean Ensemble members are Brayden Garner and Aaron Deason.

Resley Crum is in the Ocean and Shiny ensembles, Emily Balmer is in the Maui and Shiny ensembles and Remi Lyn is in the Ancestor and Shiny ensembles.

River Brumley is another member of the Ancestor Ensemble, Madi Pavlovich and Libby King are in the Ocean Ensemble and Lealynn Judson and Georgia Pestock are additional members in the Maui Ensemble.

There will be 11 scenes in the “Moana Jr.” production.

Members of the technical crew are Jackson Wade and Carsen McHenry, sound; Eden Hodgesa and Alyssa Pestock, lights; and Lux Keith, Ran Ottens, Wynnifred King and Addison Haas, stage crew.

Stage managers are Ace Moreno and Myla Peresta.

Music and lyrics are by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Opetaia Foa’i and Mark Mancina. The book is adapted by Susan Soon He Stanton and music and orchestrations are arranged and adapted by Ian Weinberger. The musical is based on the 2016 Disney film “Moana.”