We’ve seen the cartoons, watched the movies and read the fairy tales, we’ve even got addicted to the TV channel! Now, as the Disney franchise brings its biggest ever entertainment show to Bangalore — Disney Live! Mickey’s Magic Show — you can rest be assured that it’s going to dazzle you.
The magic tricks may be contained in the show, but the glossy feel of the stage, as soon as you enter the theatre will leave you awestruck. It will probably take you back to the days when you glowed with pride for owning a Mickey pencil, or drank up all your Horlicks with gusto from the shiny Goofy mug! The bright red curtains emblazoned with the trademark Mickey ears in gold give you a taste of the richness of the show immediately.
Then, look around you — you’re sure to find hundreds of kids screaming, shouting and bouncing off the walls with excitement. But you’re also sure to find a hundred accompanying adults waiting with the same excitement for the characters they have loved throughout their childhood. And no one is left disappointed; the show opens with the entry of the most famous Disney characters — Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy and Goofy. After a minute or two of some slapstick comedy, in come the magicians Brad Ross and Alex Gonzales and the magic starts.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that the magic is tame or meant only for the kids. On the grand scale that Disney always delivers, the magic tricks leave you speechless and wondering, “How did they do it?”
Disney Live! Mickey’s Magic Show hosts an ensemble cast and crew, each member specialised in making tiny aspects of the show grand and magical. The team is headed by producer Kenneth Feld, famous for the live illusion show Siegfried and Roy. Feld is credited for selecting the rest of the team — director Jerry Billik, who has worked on other Disney productions like Disney on Ice, and renowned illusion designer Jim Steinmeyer, who amplified the illusions in the show. Steinmeyer used more than 40 illusions in the show, and employed six magicians to create the various props. It took 30 craftspeople over 680 hours to hand-carve the props. “There are even magic props that will flatten a person, shoot them across the stage and return them to normal,” he reveals.
If that hasn’t piqued your interest, read this. The gigantic set needed over 7,000 feet of aluminium sheets and 1950 yards of fabric. Fifty feet above the audience, 103 lighting fixtures and 49 movable lights help create over 127 lighting effects in the show. And you can be assured of hearing everything crystal clear, what with the 38 speakers positioned across the theatre. In all, 3 hard drives help create 25 live sound effects. Apart from this, there’s singing, dancing, rich costumes and loads of live magic tricks.
Disney Live! Mickey’s Magic Show begins on February 7 at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium. Tickets are available at Amoeba on Church Street and at Garuda Mall, or visit www.ticketpro.in.
