"Toy Story" Musical to Debut on DCL's "Wonder"

[Ed]

Disney's musical 'Toy Story' takes to the stage
Dewayne Bevil
Sentinel Staff Writer
January 8, 2008

TORONTO

Disney officials wanted a new stage show, so they thought big.

Then they thought small.

And then, inflatable.

The result, set to be announced today by Disney executives, is a multimillion-dollar musical version of Toy Story, the 1995 Disney-Pixar animated film that shrank moviegoers' perspective to the size of Mr. Potato Head and company.

Toy Story -- The Musical will debut in April aboard the Disney Wonder cruise ship. It's the latest entry in Disney's expansive live-theater network that launched in 1993 with the purchase of a Broadway theater and has grown to include full-blown, movie-based Broadway musicals such as The Lion King, Mary Poppins and Beauty and the Beast.

The genesis of the Toy Story musical, said creative director Matt Almos, starts with the success of Finding Nemo -- The Musical, which debuted last year at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Orlando. Both are shorter, smaller-scale productions tailored by the company to specific audiences.

"The cruise ship and the parks are an incredible vehicle for introducing millions of kids to theater," said Anne Hamburger, executive vice president of Disney Creative Entertainment, which produces shows, parades and other entertainment for Disney Cruise Line and Disney's 11 theme parks worldwide.

Hamburger, whose background includes her own New York theater company, isn't the only heavy-hitter on the Toy Story musical project.

John Lasseter, the Oscar-winning director/creator of the Toy Story films, was involved even before the script was written.

And designer Michael Curry, the Tony-winning co-creator of the elaborate puppets for Broadway's The Lion King, developed the ground-breaking inflatable costumes.

With so much money and effort invested, it's possible the show may be headed to the Caribbean and beyond.

"There may be opportunities to do this elsewhere," Hamburger said.

Regardless, Toy Story -- The Musical will be a giant undertaking that unfolds in the small confines of a cruise ship.

The show must maintain the plot and action of the movie without the benefit of its award-winning computer animation.

Creative touches, including large, inflatable puppets as key characters and projections upon backdrops, save valuable space.

The Wonder's theater seats an audience of nearly 1,000, but its wings and storage areas for sets, props and costumes are compact.

"You can't open the door and find an extra room," said Hamburger. "The extra room is the ocean."


Buzz Lightyear sings

Last month, in a downtown Toronto space -- one free of exterior Disney markings -- show director Stefan Novinski guides the cast of 16 actors through rehearsals.

Noel Orput, as delusional space ranger toy Buzz Lightyear, belts out a baritone "To Infinity and Beyond" song.

The stirring, call-to-arms number wins the trust of other toys, including Slinky Dog, dinosaur Rex, Hamm the piggy bank, a few Green Army Men and tumbling residents of a Barrel of Monkeys. Bo Peep looks on with admiration.

In costume, Hamm and the 9-foot-tall Rex sport hard heads and soft, vinyl, inflated bodies. Fans keep the garb blown up and the actors inside cool.

"We all thought Rex was going to be the hard one," said co-costume designer Ann Closs-Farley. "But ultimately it was Buzz." That character must dance, climb blocks, strike heroic poses and fly (via harness) four times.

Rex, Hamm and Slinky (one actor in the head, one actor in the tail) have movable parts, including blinking eyes, raise-ready eyebrows and mouths, controlled by the performers inside.

Mr. Potato Head is outfitted with a nose, mustache and ears that eject plus a spinning hat.

"He's got a lot of frills and tricks," Hamburger said.

Actor Geoffrey Tyler is on board with his look as the lanky cowboy doll, Woody.

"It's just a really cool costume that makes me look like a Woody doll," he said. "I've got the most beautiful boots in show business."


Details down to the buttons

Lasseter, the father of Toy Story, provided guidance from big picture to tiny detail.

He suggested adding Hamm to the mix after early versions left out the character. And he even made notes that costumers should "make Woody's buttons bigger."

Although he was cynical at first, Hamburger said, he embraced the story as a musical.

"He feels this music fits Toy Story like a glove," Almos said.

Husband-wife, composer-lyricist team Brendan Milburn and Valerie Vigoda, part of the Brooklyn-based group GrooveLily, created original songs to fit with the stylings of the film's signature song, Randy Newman's "You've Got a Friend in Me," which kicks off the new musical.

The duo are Disney newbies.

"From the very beginning, it was very hands-on," Milburn said. "It was new for us to have so many people involved."

"Everyone here is very smart and gives good notes," Vigoda said, recalling one specific request for less bassoon.

Her favorite number is "Make a Little Noise," a heavy metal/bossa nova hybrid sung by the vicious Sid, a kid who tortures toys. One lyric: "I'm the da Vinci of destruction!"

"Sid's not a bad kid. He has a warped sense of fun," Vigoda said. "What he is doing is not destroying but creating a new piece of art."


Next stop: Port Canaveral

Next stop for Toy Story -- The Musical is Port Canaveral in preparation for its April debut.

The cast and crew has a two-week, at-sea rehearsal period to work out technical aspects such as "flying" and the appearance of "the claw" in a pivotal scene with the alien dolls inside an arcade game at Pizza Planet.

Their song, featuring a platoon of puppets, is a monotone song of praise.

"It's like Queen meets Jesus Christ Superstar with a little bit of the Chipmunks sprinkled in there," Almos said.


Dewayne Bevil can be reached at 407-420-5477 or [email protected].
Copyright © 2008, Orlando Sentinel

[poohluva]

I can't wait!! We board the Wonder May fisrt, I hope we can catch the show!!

[DisneyDudet]

So this will replace Hercules?

More info from DCL-

Brand New Musical Aboard Disney Cruise Line Brings
Disney•Pixar’s “Toy Story” to the Stage for the First Time

CELEBRATION, Fla. -- Disney Cruise Line will transform one of the most beloved animated features of all time into a stage spectacular aboard the Disney Wonder cruise ship when "Toy Story-The Musical" makes its debut at the Walt Disney Theatre this spring. This is the first time the popular Disney•Pixar classic has been adapted for the stage.

Preserving the humor and heart of the original "Toy Story" film from Pixar Animation Studios, "Toy Story-The Musical" explores the true meaning of friendship as Buzz Lightyear and Woody transform from jealous adversaries to best friends with an unbreakable bond. The show's elaborate costumes capture the vibrant colors and playfulness of the animated characters. Guests of all ages will delight in an original collection of show tunes that retell the story in a fun and energizing way.

"World-class Disney entertainment is an important hallmark of Disney Cruise Line that sets us apart from the rest of the cruise industry and one of the reasons guests sail with us again and again," said Disney Cruise Line President Tom McAlpin. " 'Toy Story-The Musical' represents the next generation of staged entertainment for Disney Cruise Line and a great enhancement to our incredible array of entertainment aboard the Disney Wonder."

Following the storyline of the original Disney•Pixar film, "Toy Story-The Musical" will give guests a toy's eye-view of life in Andy's room. The musical opens with an introduction to Woody, a pull-string talking cowboy who has long been six-year-old Andy's favorite toy.

But Andy's birthday brings a new arrival -- Buzz Lightyear, the coolest action figure in the universe. Woody's jealousy gets the better of him and he schemes to get rid of his new rival, but things go dreadfully awry. Woody and Buzz find themselves outside of Andy's room and in a hostile world. Working together and overcoming their differences, they find their way back to Andy -- along the way developing an appreciation of one another and creating a friendship.

"The 'Toy Story' film offered us a rich story and some incredible visual elements to build upon," noted Jim Urry, vice president of Entertainment for Disney Cruise Line. "The team we assembled created costumes, set designs and a whole new musical score to literally transport our guests into the middle of the whimsical world of Buzz and Woody."

Taking audiences into that world was no small task. Larger-than-life props help transform the 977-seat Walt Disney Theatre into a toy-sized world of fun and adventure. A rear projection screen aids the transformation between human-sized and toy-sized scenes and takes the show from the comfort of Andy's room ... to the frenzied world of Pizza Planet ... to the frightening room of Andy's neighbor, Sid.

Using Randy Newman's Oscar nominated hit song "You've Got a Friend in Me" as a departure point, this production has a new eight-song score that brings the story to life. New York-based Valerie Vigoda and Brendan Milburn from the band GrooveLily blended together pop, rock and folk music to create a contemporary score that truly captures the heartfelt whimsy of the animated tale.

The costumes for "Toy Story-The Musical" are some of the most complex ever developed for a Disney Cruise Line production. Costume designer Ann Closs-Farley created an extraordinary vision for what the characters would look like on stage. With a combination of articulated puppets and inflatable costumes, the "Toy Story" characters come to life -- including a nearly 9-foot-tall version of Rex the dinosaur and a 4-foot-round Hamm the piggybank.

In all, "Toy Story-The Musical" represents one of the largest productions ever developed for a cruise ship. This is just the second time a Pixar animated feature has been adapted for the stage by Disney Creative Entertainment. In early 2007, "Finding Nemo-The Musical" debuted at Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort and has been a tremendous success.

"When we first thought of bringing 'Toy Story' to the stage, there was a great deal of excitement about the project," said Anne Hamburger, Disney Creative Entertainment executive vice president. "Everyone on our team could immediately see how the heart and comedy of these characters could come alive in a memorable way that is unique to musical theatre."

"Toy Story-The Musical" compliments an already stellar lineup of entertainment performed every voyage on the Disney Wonder, joining stage shows "The Golden Mickeys" and the award-winning "Disney Dreams."

A leader in the family cruise segment, Disney Cruise Line offers three-, four- and seven-night itineraries to the Bahamas and the Caribbean. Land/sea vacation packages that include a stay at Walt Disney World Resort are also available.

To learn more about Disney Cruise Line or to book a vacation, guests can contact their travel agent, visit disneycruise.com or call Disney Cruise Line at 888/DCL-2500. Travel agents can call Disney Cruise Line at 888/325-2500 or visit disneytravelagents.com.

[adoptionislove]

Oh Man,

We are going in March and we will JUST miss it!!! Let us know how it is!!

Michelle

[LW_DFREAK]

Okay, I was extremely excited about our upcoming Wonder Cruise in May, but now I am REALLY excited! When we first booked, like forever ago, we realized we got the first "double-dip" cruise and now a new show...I hope the NICE SURPRISES keep coming! We were on the Wonder a couple years ago, so a new show is great news! Only about 4 months to go...

[buzznwoodysmom]

Does anyone know if this show will be offered on all cruises, or just the 7 night cruises?

[ElenitaB]

This show will debut on the Wonder; therefore it will be offered on the 3 and 4 night cruises. It will more likely than not replace Hercules, the Muse-ical.

[DisneyDudet]

Does anyone know if this show will be offered on all cruises, or just the 7 night cruises?

From what I understand, they are trying to keep one musical that is special to each ship. Right now Hercules- The Muse-ical is the one special for the Wonder, which will probably change to the Toy Story Musical.

The special one for the Magic, for the 7 night and longer cruises is Twice Charmed, which is so amazing, I bought the soundtrack!

[DisneyDudet]

From what I've read,by someone on the most recent Wonder cruise, 1/28 was the last day for Hercules: The Muse-ical. The Art of the Story from the Med cruises will be playing until the Toy Story musical debuts.

So sad to see this go. Ellen, sorry you won't get to see it one last time!

I just hope Toy Story is good!

[TheDuckRocks]

I'm sorry to see that Hercules is a thing of the past. On our Jan. 2008 cruise we found this show to be the best adult like entertainment of all the shows offered, it was a nice change of pace. You just had to love Pain and Panic, they were more "2 olives short of a Greek salad" than Hercules.

[Ed]

Toy Story debuts on TODAY'S (3/20/08) cruise on the Disney Wonder.

I'll be anxious to read some first-hand reviews!

[LoriR]

We saw the final dress rehearsal on 3/19! They decided at the last minute to let us see the show, with the warning that there could be stops and starts during the performance. It does replace Hercules.

My kids (8 and 5) LOVED the show, especially all the terrific costumes. The characters look like they just stepped out of the movie. But to be 100% honest, it was not our favorite of the three shows. It is hard to live up to the movie, and they squeeze the whole plot into a one hour show. It may change before the final show debuts in April, but we found Sid's song to be a bit long, and the whole musical idea was a teeny bit of a stretch (not sure Buzz singing about infinity is better than just saying it, but some of the music is catchy). Most people LOVED it. Performers got a standing ovation. My husband and I enjoyed the other shows that are more original in terms of how they are presented, with snippets from lots of Disney movies, rather than telling one story in this more linear format. But definitely worth seeing! The costumes and staging are great, but I thought that the Nemo show was a better fit for a musical. This was the only show that did not bring a tear to my eye, and I am an easy cry!

Those are just my two cents...!

[Turk82]

Thanks for the report!! I had been eager to hear about it!