Mickey Mouse and his friends in concert

The news is that Mickey Mouse is coming to town. Many of us will be tempted to say, Again! I know, it is really again. We have had Mickey out here lots of times before. But mind you, there are now new toddlers grown from babies since he was last here and a bunch or two or more of adults who have acquired the urge to recapture their childhood. They will all enjoy the experience.

Besides, it is Mickey and his friends from Disney, and you know what sticklers are the people at Disney for tradition and quality. Everything is top-notch so that nobody gets short-changed, unlike the concerts of some of those visiting foreign artists. So although you may have already seen Mickey and his friends before, you will still surely get your money’s worth in entertainment value.

Now, aside from the usual Disney stuff, this one is entirely an all-new show. Presented by Vivre Fort Entertainment, this is the Disney Live! Mickey’s Music Festival. It will be held at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel in Cebu on Sept. 23 to 25 and at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City on Oct. 5 to 9.

Featured performers, aside from host Mickey Mouse, are his friends Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy. Also arriving will be Aladdin, Jasmine and the Genie from Aladdin; the Little Mermaid’s Ariel and Sebastian the Crab with their underwater gang; as well as the dolls Woody, Buzz and Jessie from Toy Story.

What makes this one different from other Disney shows is that it is a music festival. That means that Mickey and his friends will be in concert, and it is the biggest concert to hit live family entertainment. This is a greatest hits show and you know how big an impact Disney makes with its clever use of music in the movies, theme parks, TV shows, etc., etc.

Rachelle Ann Go as Ariel and Erik Santos as Prince Eric in Atlantis Productions’ Little Mermaid

You can expect to hear all your favorite Disney tunes performed live. I am sure there will be A Whole New World from Aladdin, Part Of Your World, Under the Sea and Kiss the Girl from Little Mermaid and You’ve Got A Friend In Me from Toy Story, plus of course those timeless favorites like the Mickey Mouse March, When You Wish Upon A Star and others. But remixed and mashed up to rock, reggae, hip-hop and many other pop styles.

Then while these songs are being performed and while the set transports the audience either below, underwater, or above the rooftops of Arabia on a magic carpet ride, Mickey and his friends will be interacting with the audience. I have already seen several Disney shows but a concert as well as getting the chance to sing or dance with the cast will be something different.

Producer and CEO of Feld Entertainment Kenneth Feld says, “In Disney Live! Mickey’s Music Festival, we are celebrating with the Disney characters to a soundtrack of the latest sounds and chart-topping hits. We want our guests to walk away with lasting memories and singing these unforgettable melodies long after they leave the show.” I have a feeling Feld will be able to keep his word.

Tickets to the Cebu shows are available at SM Tickets located at SM Cinemas, Waterfront Cebu City Hotel, Ayala Center Cebu and at Ticketnet. Tickets to the Araneta shows are available at Ticketnet at SM stores and at the Araneta Coliseum.

Interestingly, the performance of Mickey and his friends in concert will be followed by another Disney event from Atlantis Productions. This is the Philippine premiere of Disney’s Little Mermaid. What promises to be the theater event of the year stars singing champions Rachelle Ann Go as Ariel and Erik Santos as Prince Eric in their first musical. This will be held at the Meralco Theater from Nov. 18 to Dec. 11 this year.

All the famous songs and well-loved characters of the Disney animated movie will be there. Rachelle Ann has even recorded her own version of Ariel’s song Part Of Your World. This will be included as a bonus track in her forthcoming album Unbreakable. So all of you out there can now go on a Disney binge and watch this one too.