What do Snow White, Cinderella, and Belle all have in common? Apart from being princesses in three of Disney’s classic fairy tales that have warmed the hearts of generations, this month their stories will be brought to life on stage in the Royal Theatre for six magical shows. Disney Live! Three Classic Fairy Tales is about to touch down in Castlebar for the first time, having taken the globe by storm, Castlebar will soon be enchanted by these tales.
Feld Entertainment’s production of these magical stories will bring the stories of Snow White, Cinderella, and Beauty and the Beast to the stage in one amazing two hour spectacular. According to Sara Maulucci, who plays Snow White, dreams do come true, like they have for her. “Ever since I was three years old and went to Disney World, I said I wanted to be a Disney princess and my mother thought I was mad, but I’m living that dream every day on stage,” she said.
Getting the chance to go out on stage every night and bring these tales to life and introduce a new generation to the classic tales is something that Sara loves doing, she says. “It’s great you get to tell the story from start to finish and bring the story to kids who may have never seen or heard these stories before, or if they have seen it, they get to come along and see how we like to do it and bring the story to life on the stage.”
But the show is not just for children, it’s there to be enjoyed by the inner child in everyone. “It’s for everyone in the family from your grandparents down, from 93 to three, it’s there to be enjoyed by everyone who ever has loved a Disney story or has never seen one.”
When opening night comes in the Royal Theatre the nerves will be there like it is the first opening night, according to performance director Carlton Meier, the man behind the scenes who makes sure everything runs to plan. “Every opening night in a new venue is like the very first opening night back in 2008, the nerves will be there, it’s live theatre, something can always go wrong, but that’s also the magic of the show.” Getting the show just right so everyone can enjoy the performance is what keeps Carlton on his toes during every performance. “I’ve got to make sure that we are telling the story just right, so that everyone from a granddaughter to a grandmother can enjoy the show, so if we need to change it up, we do to make sure that everyone gets the very best Disney experience.” Having started off as a dancer himself in Walt Disney World before moving his way up the ladder, Carlton still loves bringing the Disney stories to life and promises a show to remember when it hits Castlebar. “You are going to get a bit of everything, three great stories, a fantastic stage show, state of the art effects, one of a kind costumes, some of the most fantastic songs you’ll hear. It’s nothing short of a West End production.”
Having been involved in Disney shows for a number of years, Carlton thinks that the magic of Disney is something that will stay around for a long time. “I think the magic of Disney and why it has stayed around so long is that the stories appeal to the core values of families wherever they are in the world. With good triumphing over evil and teaching children the most important thing is to be true to yourself, and you can achieve what you want to if you believe in yourself and work hard.”
The show itself is a two hour spectacular of storytelling, music, and dance, where the three classic tales are brought to life, by four of Disney’s most famous characters Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy, who set up each story from an enchanted story book. Then the magic begins, where fairy godmothers, evil step mothers, step sisters, magic mirrors, come to life in spectacular of song and dance, with special effects galore.
Feld Entertainment present Disney Live! Three Classic Fairy Tales in the Royal Theatre, Castlebar from Friday April 16 to Sunday April 18. Show times Friday at 6pm, Saturday at 11am, 2pm, and 5.30pm, on Sunday at 11am and 2pm. Tickets cost €20.50 and €21.50. For more information see www.royal.ie
