JADAR

★★★★★

Following on from its debut in the UK at the London Coliseum last year, Disney In Concert: The Sound of Magic, a celebration of over 100 years of Disney experience through its music, is on tour around the UK. The symphonic celebration sees the renowned Novello Orchestra bring to life the soundtracks and characters from the Walt Disney Animation Studios and more to life, on the concert hall and big screen in a live-to-film concert like never before.

While Disney is often demeaningly sited as a genre of children’s entertainment, its impact on the world of music and entertainment is undeniable. As the show credits, before their first feature film Snow White and the Seven Dwarves in 1937, many movies used the Vaudeville style of music, while Walt wanted to introduce a deeper musical style that went along with what the characters were thinking and feeling, thus birthing a wide cinematic and musical catalogue. Disney’s extensive archives of films have inspired generations of movie lovers and are equally passed down from parent to child.

For me, Disney is pure nostalgia. I grew up with these movies, went to the Parks, bought their soundtracks (yes, I love the music that much), and still play certain pieces to this day! My favourite genres (animation and horror) should not be alike, yet their mastery of complex ideas, engaging soundtracks, adult themes, and their endless re-watchability keep me returning to both genres. While Disney thrives within the dreams of children, it always remembers the hardships of life; grief, identity crises, tragedy… and this show perfectly encapsulates the intricacies of these themes and the innovation of Disney’s works throughout the years with the Novello Orchestra at the helm of this magical nostalgic journey. 

The show opened to ticking with a focus on clocks from the classic Disney movies as we pass through the Disney archives and see famous characters while their respective songs are played in short homages to Winnie the Pooh, Beauty and the Beast, A Small World, and so on. Segments of movies and characters’ voices can be heard as the orchestra swells before a soft open to the famous ‘When You Wish Upon A Star’ Disney opening is played alongside a gorgeous graphic of the castle. 

Throughout the performance, there are lots of variations in how the songs are performed. One time, songs will be linked in terms of theme, for instance, the Disney Princesses like Rapunzel and Jasmine in a beautiful showcase of ‘I See The Light’ and ‘A Whole New World’ that gently mingles together in the latter bars, or Cinderella and Snow White in an orchestral homage. Another time, the music will be linked by musical styles, like the punchy trumpets and percussion of ‘Friend Like Me’ linking to ‘Bear Necessities’, ‘I Just Can’t Wait To Be King’ and ‘Trashin’ the Camp’ that were weaved so entertainingly, both musically and visually with the on-screen movie clips.

This, and the alternation between orchestral songs like the awe-inspiring rendition of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ in the show’s opening, and orchestral accompaniments to the original singers like Jodi Benson’s on-screen performance of ‘Part of Your World’ or a collage of Idina Menzel’s ‘Let it Go’ (much to the amusement of many a groaning parent), ‘Into the Unknown’ and the gorgeously empowering ‘Show Yourself’.

The show’s musical director Giles Martin, creative director Amy Tinkham, and the arranger and orchestrator Ben Foster created a musical extravaganza with their nods to classics, engaging arrangements, and the orchestra itself performing some of the most powerful and moving iterations of these songs I’ve ever heard, with an experience only comparable to the quality seen at Disney parades and fire-work shows.

Whether it be the flittering sounds of the music box in Geppetto’s shop, the gutter of Casey Jr. down the tracks, the use of the old choir sound-tracks for Peter Pan’s flight, or the whimsical world of Alice as she falls through the rabbit-hole, every sound, location and character was recreated with such care and attention to detail. I particularly enjoyed how many of the scenes on-screen were spliced from different movies or included animation cells and rough sketches along with the main visuals.  

While ‘Beauty and The Beast’ had moved me greatly in the first half, along with ‘Show Yourself’, the most impactful part of the whole show came from the Villains to Heroes segment, where you could feel yourself being pulled into the hero’s world as it crumbled apart. Spiralling and spooky music spliced together with villainous figures like Maleficent, Frollo, the Horned King, Hades and Scar poisoning, plotting, cursing and murdering our heroes alongside small segments of ‘Be Prepared’ and ‘Poor Unfortunate Souls’… It was spine-chilling! 

Then there’s the heroes in distress segment with barren wastelands onscreen before the soft, melancholic music of Mufasa’s death theme, played alongside a grieving Simba, Hiro, Taran, Rapunzel, Anna, Belle, Bambi, Rafiki and numerous others – wow, Disney likes to kill so many loveable characters!  

After this emotional torture was the bit that did get me teary-eyed… the heroes’ return. It started with rawness of ‘Dos Oruguitas’, before the incredible choice to use Esmerelda’s ‘God Help the Outcasts’, which completely transformed that sense of despair into a dream and persevering sense of hope and Heidi Mollenhauer’s original vocals in this song is so vulnerable and rich. Then the true Disney magic kicks in as the orchestra swells on Esmerelda’s last major note before the Beast’s transformation music bubbles up with a montage of heroes transforming, finding hope, coming back to life and reaching their goals reaches its peak and one of my all time favourites; ‘I Can Go the Distance’ swells in its punchy finale. 

A finale summarises all of the classics and cult hits including a great nod to lesser-known films Treasure Planet and Atlantis, before the ticking returns, the references and homages increase, and the orchestra plays the last notes of this magical experience. 

Disney lovers will love the nostalgia and find it an unbeatable orchestral experience. Non-Disney fans may be less immediately smitten but the emotional rollercoaster and variety of music will definitely win them over. It’s a love-letter to everything Disney, whether it be the music or the stories they’ve told. The cool blue lights on the orchestra and their gripping performances always remind you of their presence while so many intelligently edited clips play out on screen. The music is constantly engaging and, ultimately, as a Disney fan, the respect that was given to the sheer quantity of movies is astounding. Its truly an experience sprinkled in that familiar sense of Disney pixie dust!

Disney in Concert: The Sound of Magic tours the UK until June 13.

Photo: Katie Bray