In the past year Auli‘i Cravalho performed with the Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra, sang at the 2017 Academy Awards and reprised the role of Moana in the Hawaiian-language version of Disney’s hit animated feature. Her next project is “Rise,” an NBC drama about a high school theater program from the producers of “Friday Night Lights” and Broadway’s “Hamilton.”
Cravalho, 17, stars as Lilette Suarez, the daughter of a single mother in a working-class community. Other characters include an idealistic English teacher (Josh Radnor) who replaces a scheduled production of “Grease” with the more provacative “Spring Awakening,” a star football player with a great voice (Damon J. Gillespie), and a transgender boy (Ellie Desautels).
“Rise” premieres at 9 p.m. Tuesday on KHNL. See clips from the show at nbc.com/rise. “On the Scene” interviewed Cravalho via email.
JOHN BERGER: What was the biggest challenge going from voicing an animated character to being a flesh-and-blood character?
AULI‘I CRAVALHO: Voice-over is a completely different world from live-action! I had grown used to breaking down each line of dialogue with “Moana,” and then when it came to on-screen work I had to remember to let the dialogue flow.
Sometimes you just need to let go a bit to relax into a character. I’m always learning!
JB: How does high school life as seen in “Rise” compare to life at Kamehameha Schools?
AC: My two high school lives are quite different from one another. I’m 17 and currently finishing my senior year at Kamehameha Schools-Kapalama, but in “Rise” I am the only (actor) truly playing a teenager.
“Rise” also doesn’t seem to have a dress code — quite different from my faithful uniforms of Kamehameha.
JB: Have you been to auditions like the one we see in the show?
AC: No (but) I remember shooting those audition scenes, rehearsing my music and lines, and, oh, the nerves I felt for my character Lilette were off the walls!
JB: “Spring Awakening” tackles teen sex and homosexual relationships as serious real-life issues. What you do think of it as a contemporary musical and as a show for high school students?
AC: “Spring Awakening” is an exceptional musical, in its score and themes alike. It presents teenagers learning who they are, growing into themselves, and breaking the mold. I personally can’t think of anything more relevant to high school.
JB: What else are you working on?
AC: I’ve got a few other projects in the works that I’m excited to see released soon but can’t talk about. I’m grateful for the support back home in Hawaii, and I can’t wait for you all to see what I’ve been working on.
Reach John Berger at jberger@staradvertiser.com.
Correction: The new NBC series “Rise” features a character who is a transgender boy. His role was mischaracterized in the original version of this column.
