On the weekend from November 17-20, the Gandaria City Exhibition Hall was filled with kids and families as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, and a host of Disney characters appeared “live” in Jakarta in spectacular performances of the Disney Live! Mickey Music Festival.
Featuring all-time classic characters such as Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy, as well as the latest Disney stars – Aladdin, Genie, and Jasmine from the Aladdin movie; Ariel and Sebastian from the Little Mermaid; and Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and the green soldiers of Toy Story, the show was truly a fiesta dedicated especially for Indonesia’s kids and families.
The 83-minute show was performed twice daily. Children of varying ages from toddlers to elementary school age dominated the scene, while joyful faces of moms, dads, and families were their constant companions.
Mickey Mouse, the everlasting icon of Disney, was the undisputed star of the show. Not only causing hysteria to the boys and girls, he also took the older audience back to their childhood days as he sang, danced, and fooled around with Donald Duck, Minnie Mouse, and Goofy. They emerged on stage, with dramatic introductions, followed by distinct music and groove, which was responded by huge roars and applause from the audience. These four became the central characters of the show as they led the musical tales of some of Disney’s renowned stories.
The audience was taken to the splendor of ancient Middle East with Arabic music and nuances as Aladdin emerged on stage. The classic tales was presented in very contemporary style with occasional jokes and slapstick that got the crowd to laugh joyfully. His encounter with the comical blue Genie and romance with Princess Jasmine was told through colorful songs and dance, including the renowned “A Whole New World.”
The stage turned into an underwater universe as Sebastian, the groovy Jamaican Crab from the Little Mermaid made his appearance. Aside from the comical actions by Sebastian and other sea creatures, the scene of the Little Mermaid also saw some of the most beautifully-choreographed dances of the performance by the main characters Ariel the Mermaid and Prince Eric, her human savior.
The frenzy of the young crowd turned into a massive choir, as Woody and Jessie, the cowboy and cowgirl from Toy Story got them to sing and yodel “Yiii-haa” while they performed a beautiful rope dance. Buzz Lightyear, the intergalactic super hero (in plastic), soon joined his Toy friends and greeted the young hysterical audience with his legendary tagline: ”To Infinity and Beyond!”
As all the cast and characters made their final appearance on stage, the confetti was shot, and a never-ending applause became the accompanying sound as the final curtains fell. Some disbelieving looks radiated from the young crowds, as if they could not believe their eyes that the characters they only had only seen and heard on TV or movies had actually come alive.
Adding to the on-going list of international performances in Jakarta and Indonesia, Disney Live! Mickey Musical Festival presented a different kind of musical show aimed not for teenagers or older public, but specifically dedicated to entertain children and families. This successful show had also proven that Jakarta, and Indonesia in general, is a perfect place to stage all kinds of shows, from popular musical concerts, classical art and culture festivals, contemporary performances, to kids and family entertainment.
Jakarta is only the first stop for Mickey Mouse and friends. Big Daddy production as the promoter will also bring the spectacular show to the capital of East Java, Surabaya, from 1December 1-4, 2011. For the youngsters and families of Surabaya: don’t miss their actions!
