By BRUCE DENNILL
Disney The Magic Box / Directed by Thaddeus McWhinnie Phillips / Teatro, Montecasino, Fourways, Johannesburg
There is arguably no entertainment company on Earth with the clout of Disney, with a century’s worth of films, from Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs to Frozen via Mary Poppins, Encanto and, er, Wish all – in some or other way – contributing songs, stories, and cultural references that are woven into most Western societies and as such are recognisable to a range of generations.
That said, not all of the references mean as much to audiences of different ages, and the emotional resonance of even a character as famous as Mickey Mouse varies widely – to some he is a symbol of a philosophy and a body of work that is one of the pillars of cinema history, and to others he is a character in a film; not dissimilar to Mowgli or Moana or the items of singing crockery in Beauty And The Beast.
This makes pitching a celebration of 100 years of musical output in a production that is not just a straight tribute show or live jukebox somewhat tricky. The Magic Box creates a concept in which a young everywoman named Mara (Ashley Scott, making hitting a maze of marks while singing complex arrangements very easy indeed) goes on a journey through a number of contexts in which Disney stories have played out – the Animation Studio, the Sea, the Underworld and others. As an idea, it’s lovely, and the scenes are beautifully supported by props, costumes and lighting that underline Disney’s longstanding, impressive grasp of screen magic (from shadows detaching from those who cast them and displaying their own personalities to giant whales appearing from nowhere and disappearing just as fast).
The technical slickness keeps everything going at a fair clip, from little Tinkerbell lights traversing the auditorium to the entire cast quick-changing as an entire set is replaced in a matter of seconds. Story flow-wise, however, the formula doesn’t quite stack up as well. Efforts to combine threads involving puppets of classic characters (Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Donald and Daisy Duck, Goofy and Pluto) with ever-morphing, medley-driven scenarios bringing in snippets of dozens of soundtracks in quickfire succession occasionally experience pacing dips or make uneasy bedfellows. The musical arrangements variously sparkle and intrigue and the cast, in both solo and ensemble capacities, handle the singing with aplomb, with Scott, Cindy-Ann Abrahams, Che-Jean Jupp, Mthokozisi Emkay Khanyile, Tshepo Ncokoane and Austin Tshikosi being vocal stand-outs and dance captain Nicolette Fernandes leading from the front in excellent ensemble movement.
Exactly what The Magic Box is is difficult to determine – it doesn’t tell a story in a traditional way and as a showcase of the Disney musical back catalogue, the setlist choices will not be to everyone’s taste, as everyone will have different ideas as to what constitutes a classic or enduring favourite. But for anyone who has experienced a thrill as the Disney logo and the strains of When You Wish Upon A Star have come up at the beginning of a film, there is magic to enjoy here – smoke and mirrors alongside old-fashioned talent and commitment.
