What could be better than spending a night under the sea with a mermaid, letting a prince show us the world, helping the outcasts of Notre Dame, and palling around with your childhood toy best friends?
Well… nothing, of course.
The Hollywood Bowl has a long tradition of embracing all things Disney, from concerts based on some of their greatest films to shows encompassing the music we’ve fallen in love with over the past 100 years. And now, a night of music dedicated to the classic Disney films many of us grew up with.
The “Disney ‘80s and ‘90s Celebration Concert” spanned two nights and featured a plethora of recognizable performers including High School Musical’s Corbin Bleu, Aisha Jackson (Broadway’s “Frozen”), Arielle Jacobs (Broadway’s “Aladdin”), Krysta Rodriguez (NBC’s Smash), and of course original Ariel Jodi Benson, and original Meg/Belle Susan Egan who is also the co-creative producer and co-director of the show. They were joined by her show partner Adam J. Levy and Bill Farmer – the voice of Goofy!
See Also: Concert Review: Harry Connick Jr. Swings High at the Hollywood Bowl
Through songs and movie montages, the cast energetically zipped through songs like “Be Our Guest,” “Under the Sea,” “I’ll Make a Man out of You,” “Out There,” and “Poor Unfortunate Souls.” The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra (led by conductor Sarah Hicks) also played suites from such films as A Bug’s Life and Toy Story 2.
It was fun revisiting some lesser-known tunes, like a medley from Newsies and “Once Upon a Time in New York City” from Oliver and Company. The cast bantered cheesily between songs (it’s Disney, after all), changed costumes often, and entertained the appreciative Bowl audience with some snazzy dance numbers.
And for those who have wondered how 20th Century Fox’s Anastasia now fits into the Disney lexicon, well, it looks like it has been embraced, with “Journey from the Past” being a highlight of the evening.
Corbin Bleu, who just slayed the part of Seymour in the Off-Broadway production of “Little Shop of Horrors” opposite Jinx Monsoon, was the master of the night. Sure, that banter does make you groan, but his talent and energy really lit up the evening.
It’s always a treat to hear Benson and Egan since the songs that made them famous, and the rest of the cast – all Broadway vets – rounded out a classy cast.
From actual kids to kids at heart, a Disney night at the Bowl is always special. Smiles were everywhere, with Boomers to Gen Z belting out their favorite numbers and eyes lighting up at the images that made their childhoods awesome.
Coming Up at the Bowl:
- Chaka Khan with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra 7/26
- Barbie The Movie: In Concert 7/27
- The Music of Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, and More: Boublil and Schonberg’s “Do You Hear the People Sing?” 7/28
For more information and tickets, visit www.hollywoodbowl.com.
