Lin-Manuel Miranda Raps During 'Moana' Performance After The Rock Jokes, 'They Don't Want Me to Sing'

Moana star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson teased that the crowd was "lucky" he wasn't singing his track as he introduced the performance

dwayne-johnson
Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

I see what’s happening here

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson poked fun at his own musical abilities as he introduced the performance from Moana, for which he lent his voice to the character Maui.

Joking that the answer to the current political climate would be him “Singing songs from Moana live in front of a billion people,” Johnson said, “So when the Oscars called me I picked up that phone and I said [singing] ‘What can I say except you’re welcome?’ ”

“And the producers took a moment and they said ‘Nah, we’re good.’ They don’t want me to sing. So luckily for you, and the world, here to sing another song, here is Auli’i Cravalho and, my twin, Lin-Manuel Miranda,” he concluded, ceding the stage to his castmates.

lin-manuel
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
  • Watch the PEOPLE & EW Red Carpet Live Oscars pre-show on Feb. 26 at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT on the People/Entertainment Weekly Network (PEN). Go to PEOPLE.com/PEN, or download the app on your favorite device. Then watch our Red Carpet Fashion Wrap-Up after the Oscars!

Miranda – who will be the youngest EGOT ever if “How Far I’ll Go” wins Best Original Song – performed an original rap, before 16-year-old Cravalho took the stage to sing the powerful tune.

“Before she sings a solo, should I set the scene,” rapped Miranda. “Picture a young warrior, not even seventeen, she dreams of open seas. She’s full of hope and sees the future as she sets the sail and rope against the open breeze.”

aulii-cravalho
Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Miranda continued, “She doesn’t know that she’s a voyaging descendant. Impatient and dependent, heart of nature independent. The ocean is at her feet. She opens her eyes to find her mind is on the island but her eye is on the horizon line.”

moana
Kevin Winter/Getty Images

As Cravalho sang, dancers carrying blue fabric swirled around the stage behind her for an ocean-like effect.

RELATED VIDEO: Lin-Manuel Miranda and Mom Take the Red Carpet

On the red carpet earlier, Cravalho told PEOPLE “Moana is inspired by all of Polynesia, the entire Polynesian culture. I’m very honored to be a part of it.”

Related Articles