Cravalho to Star in NBC’s Drama Pilot “Drama High”

Auli’i Cravalho is signing up for the drama club…

The 16-year-old part-Puerto Rican actress/singer and Moana standout has landed a lead role in NBC’s drama pilot Drama High, from Friday Night Lights executive producer/showrunner Jason Katims and Jeffrey Seller, producer of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s smash Broadway musical Hamilton.

Auli’i Cravalho

Written by Katims, Drama High was inspired by the story of ground-breaking high school drama teacher Lou Volpe as chronicled in the book Drama High, written by one of Volpe’s students, Michael Sokolove.

The hourlong project revolves around an extraordinary working-class high school drama department and the incredible students who come alive under a passionate teacher and family man whose dedication to the program galvanizes the entire town.

In her television debut, Cravalho will play one of the students, Lilette, in the project.

Cravalho earned an Annie Award for her voice work as the title character in Disney’s Oscar-animated film Moana, her first-ever Hollywood project.

Miranda to Perform “How Far I’ll Go” at This Year’s Academy Awards

Lin-Manuel Miranda will go far at this year’s Oscars

The 37-year-old Puerto Rican actor, playwright, composer, rapper, and writer will perform at this year’s Academy Awards, according to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Lin-Manuel Miranda

Miranda, a first time Oscar nominee and creator of the smash Broadway musical Hamilton, will join voices with part-Puerto Rican Moana voice star Auli’i Cravalho, a recent Annie Award winner, to perform one of the Best Original Song-nominated tracks.

Miranda and Cravalho will perform “How Far I’ll Go,” which he wrote for the hit animated film from Disney.

Other performers include Justin Timberlake, Sting and John Legend.

“We’re thrilled to welcome these world-class artists to the Oscars. These performances will not only celebrate the five extraordinary nominated original songs, but also the integral part music plays in movies,” Oscarcast producers Michael De Luca and Jennifer Todd said in a statement.

Jimmy Kimmel will hosts the 89th Annual Academy Awards on February 26. ABC will air the awards show live from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.