Feld Entertainment is combining two popular Disney Junior TV programs for a new family show with an ambitious touring schedule.
Disney Junior Live On Tour! Pirate and Princess Adventure will play over 90 markets during its marathon nine-month run, including a stop at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, Feld’s first play at the old Kodak Theatre since 2005. Pirate and Princess Adventure combines TV shows “Sofia the First” and “Jake and the Never Land Pirates” into a two-act show performance with appearances by Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Cinderella, Peter Pan and Tinker Bell. Each Pirate and Princess Adventure show will begin with a preshow opening by Disney character Doc McStuffins. The fictional six-year-old will lead a sing-along of “The Check-Up Song” and provide “tender love and care” to her stuffed animal friends.
“It’s the first time we’re taking two different TV properties and combining them into one show,” said producer Alana Feld, who is heading up the tour. Act I is set in the Kingdom of Enchancia, with Sofia seeking out the perfect gifts for her subjects, eventually getting some musical help from Cinderalla. Act II has Jake in Never Land, battling Captain Hook in an epic contest that includes an impressive flying sequence.
“From a production standpoint, this is one of the most advanced shows we have done,” said Feld, noting that her team will utilize a frontal projection system that will allow them to display animation on any part of the stage, including the characters themselves. The projection stunt mirrored Carrie Underwood’s critically acclaimed performance at this year’s Grammys, where a kaleidoscope of colored images were projected on the country singer’s dress in a visually stunning display.
Also new this year — interactive light toys that change color with the show on stage. Sophia will wear an amulet that changes color based on the storyline. Fans can purchase an interactive amulet “that will glow when Sophia’s amulet glows,” Feld said. “It’s part of our ongoing effort to keep our shows very interactive.”
The show is aimed at Feld’s youngest audience, newborns to five year olds. “Doc McStuffins” and “Jake and the Never Land Pirates” ranked as cable TV’s Top 2 series for all kids ages 2-5, pulling in a combined 83 million viewers. Disney Junior Live On Tour! Pirate and Princess Adventure will be directed and choreographed by Fred Tallaksen, whose Feld credits include Disney’s Phineas and Ferb: The Best Live Tour Ever! and Disney Live! Mickey’s Music Festival, and Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Presents Fully Charged, Gold Edition. Emmy-nominated producer Bradley Zweig wrote an original script for the performance.
The show will be the first performance rehearsed at Feld’s new production facility in Ellenton, Fla., beginning in two weeks. The show will launch July 26 at Johnny Mercer Theatre in Savannah, Ga., and eventually wrap with a 10-day run at Madison Square Garden, New York.
Feld’s Disney Live shows are “often a young fan’s first theatrical experience,” said Feld. “Children everywhere are falling in love with Sofia and Jake, and we are thrilled to bring these popular Disney Junior characters to the stage for the first time ever."
Interviewed for this article: Alana Feld, (703) 749-5505