A sea of princess dresses and Mickey Mouse ears isn’t a common sight as you stroll down the concourse of the Dubai World Trade Centre but it is for the children and parents who visit the musical extravaganza that is Disney Live! Mickey’s Music Festival.
Running until Saturday, April 9, the show brings Mickey, Minnie, Ariel, Aladdin and more Disney favourites to life on stage, much to the enjoyment of the hundreds of kids in attendance at the first show on Wednesday afternoon.
Donald Duck, Goofy and Minnie are introduced before the star of the show, Mickey, appears, leading the others in an improvised instrumental.
A mistaken rub of a magic lamp then brings the genie from Aladdin to stage in a cloud of smoke. As in the 1992 film, which has the late Robin Williams voicing the genie, the wish-giver on stage was comical, cracking jokes and even rapping as he helps "spiff up" Aladdin in anticipation of meeting Princess Jasmine.
Sebastian, the calypso crab from The Little Mermaid, was next to grace the stage, making his entrance from a giant shell and bringing with him a posse of mermaids, amusingly covering Beyoncé.
A rendition of the Oscar-winning song Under the Sea was a winner before the mermaid everyone wanted to see, Ariel, exercised her vocal chords.
A group of oversized green toy soldiers did a military parade, heralding the arrival of everyone's favourite sheriff, Woody, from Toy Story.
A barn dance with cowgirl Jessie got kids out of their seats before Goofy manages to blast everyone into space, where one of the most interactive parts of the show went down a treat as Buzz Lightyear makes his appearance.
Well choreographed and acrobatic, the characters and dancers kept the kids engrossed throughout. Highlights included a neon underwater scene and a funny rendition of Who Let the Dogs Out by Goofy, though lowlights were the splutter-inducing Dh60 popcorn from the aisle vendor and the overpriced merchandise enticing children outside the arena.
All in, however, this two-hour song and dance show was great fun. It doesn’t stray too far from the charm that made each of the Disney films showcased successes in the first place, and that familiarity is what, ultimately, makes this a show a hit for youngsters.
• Disney Live! runs at Dubai World Trade Centre until Saturday. Tickets start at Dh175 per person and can be bought on www.platinumlist.net, at any UAE Xchange or from the ticket stand outside the hall
artslife@thenational.ae
