Mickey and Minnie bring Disney Magic to The Lyric
If you can’t make it to the Magic Kingdom in Orlando, head to downtown Baltimore, where the Modell Performing Arts Center at The Lyric will welcome “Disney Live! Mickey and Minnie’s Doorway to Magic” for three shows from Dec. 9-10.
“This show is about bringing to life the magical places and moments that exist with the world of Disney in a very authentic and modern way,” Disney Live! Producer Alana Feld, who is also the vice president for Feld Entertainment that puts on the show, said. “By using magic and illusions, we’ve reimagined iconic scenes and enhanced them, creating a great connection to the characters and stories for our audiences.”
More than 25 Disney characters, including Cinderella, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Goofy, Donald, Rapunzel and Donald, step into mysterious portals as they wander throughout the Disney universe. The show is filled with dancing and the singing of famous Disney songs, making it enjoyable for children and adults.
“What makes this show extraordinary are the adventures Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy have every time they enter a different whimsical doorway and the amazing things they do in each world they visit,” Fred Tallaksen, the show’s director and choreographer, said. “One moment Mickey and Minnie are jumping rope alongside the “Toy Story” gang in Andy’s room and the next they have traveled to Agrabah to unleash the power and comedic antics of ‘Aladdin’s’ Genie.”
The show offers a buffet of Disney Magic, from Cinderella turing into a princess to Mickey’s ability to command an army of brooms as he did in “Fantasia.” The characters interact with the crowd, just as they do at Disney World and Disney Land.
“Our goal is to bring the Disney experience to the audience,” said KJ Williams, a 31-year-old cast member who is part of the ensemble. “There are people in the audience who may be experiencing Disney for the first time, so we always have to make it special.”
The show is easy to follow; if you know Disney’s stories, you’ll have no trouble following along to the script written by the brother-sister team of Adam Wilson and Melanie Wilson-LaBracio. The audience will be treated to the illusions created by Jim Steinmeyer, who puts the magic in Tinker Bell’s pixie dust. He’s also behind making “Tangled’s” Rapunzel and Flynn Ryder levitate in floating lanterns.
“When the Disney characters present the illusions rather than a magician, something special happens,” Steinmeyer said. “Not only is the audience experiencing this genuine moment within the Disney stories, but the characters add to it with their presence and unique personalities.”
A massive, 75-foot rolling curtain is used the keep up with the show’s rapidly-changing scenes, as “Disney Live! Mickey and Minnie’s Doorway to Magic” takes the audience from “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” – Disney’s first animated feature to “Tangled,” which was Disney’s 50th.
“For this show, it was the image of doorways and the hints they give as to what adventures lie behind them,” Christine Peters, the show’s scenic designer, said. From the asymmetrical shapes of the doors themselves to the way the curved portals frame the stage, we are able to convey a fun-house vibe full of intrigue and excitement.”
Meantime, Sam Doty, the show’s lighting designer, energizes the show, including during the Buzz Lightyear’s laser performance that would please even the biggest ‘Toy Story” fans.
“Christine Peters has provided a beautiful set that doesn’t require much coloring to make it show ready,” Doty said. “Instead, we were able to focus on incorporating a variety of methods to draw awareness to the choreography and general flow of the production, further enhancing the naturally magical stories.”
Feld said the show is geared to put smiles on children’s faces.
“What’s exciting about this show for me personally is that it’s the first Disney Live! I have produced since becoming a mom,” she added. “Now when I’m deciding on content, I automatically think how my daughter will respond to it and how everything created by our amazing team of professionals is geared toward making ‘Mickey and Minnie’s Doorway to Magic’ a way for families to fall in love with Disney all over again.”
If You Go
What: Disney Live! Mickey and Minnie’s Doorway to Magic
Where: Modell Performing Arts Center at the Lyric
Shows: Dec. 9: 7 p.m.; Dec. 10: 12 p.m., 3 p.m.
Tickets: www. lyricbaltimore.com/
Want a free ticket? Donate a pair of kids pajamas to Casey Cares Baltimore and receive a complimentary kids to ticket to the show. Donations are accepted at the Lyric box office from Dec. 6-10.
Jon Gallo is an award-winning journalist and editor with 19 years of experience, including stints as a staff writer at The Washington Post and sports editor at The Baltimore Examiner. He also believes the government should declare federal holidays in honor of the following: the Round of 64 of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament; the Friday of the Sweet 16; the Monday after the Super Bowl; and of course, the day after the release of the latest Madden NFL video game.