How Disney characters inspired the Disney Princess The Concert cast

MANILA, Philippines — The “princesses” of the Disney Princess – The Concert impressed the press members who attended the media conference by belting out Frozen’s OST Let It Go. Their performance set the expectations of the audience, giving them a preview of what to anticipate in their upcoming series of concerts.

Presented by Disney Concerts and Wilbros Live, the Disney Princess – The Concert will kick off at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Makati City come Nov. 18 and 19, to be followed by shows at the SMX Convention Center Davao on Nov. 21 and at the Waterfront Hotel Cebu City on Nov. 22.

Tickets are available via TicketWorld.com.ph for the Manila shows and SMTickets.com for the Cebu and Davao concerts.

The STAR had a chat with four of the cast members, namely, Anneliese Van der Pol, Aisha Jackson, Krysta Rodriguez and Benjamin Rauhala, where they talked about the Disney princesses who inspired them the most and how they resonated with them. They also shared what to expect from the musical events. Steffanie Leigh and Adam J. Levy will also join them on stage.

Anneliese previously portrayed Chelsea Daniels, Raven-Symone’s best friend in Disney Channel’s That’s So Raven and Raven’s Home. She also played Belle in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast on Broadway.

So it came as no surprise when she picked Belle as the Disney princess whom she could relate to among the Disney characters. She told this paper, “I went to the same high school that Susan Egan went to. (She’s) the original Belle in Beauty and the Beast from Broadway. So she really spoke to me because I felt such a connection with her growing up in the same area. And (Beauty and the Beast) was one of the first Broadway musicals I’ve ever seen so (it’s) Belle for me.”

For Aisha, Anna from Frozen is her girl. “I think all of them inspired us to be ourselves, to go after our dreams and remind us that anything is possible. So I think you can get inspiration from all of them, princesses and queens,” she shared.

Aisha was Snow White in the Britney Spears musical Once Upon a One More Time and she was the first Black woman to essay the role of Anna in Broadway’s Frozen.

On the other hand, Benjamin grew up loving The Little Mermaid’s Ariel, his personal favorite among the Disney characters. He explained, “I grew up in a small town and she sort of dreams to do the impossible and she makes it happen. So she kind of gets out of her circumstances even though everybody tells her it’s impossible. She makes some weird choices along the way but in the end, her dreams come true. And I think that’s beautiful.”

“I think she feels the sense of otherness (and) I think a lot of people feel (the same). She feels like she doesn’t belong where she comes from and she has to find her place in the world and she does. And I think many of us go on that journey. (And) I definitely did (resonate with her),” he added.

Benjamin is the music supervisor, co-creator and on-stage host of Disney Princess – The Concert.

It was also Ariel for Krysta. “She came along in my life when I was quite young and I think it inspired me to be a singer because a lot of the Disney movies hadn’t necessarily been so musical with the women forward singing in the way that I could imagine myself singing. And so I think that I became obsessed with the albums and I dressed up as Ariel for three Halloweens in a row,” she recalled.

“When we sing along with the album and if they try to sing along with Ariel, I would say, ‘No, I’m Ariel.’ I was very territorial around Ariel.”

Krysta was Cinderella in Into the Woods and originated the role of Wednesday in Broadway’s The Addams Family. She earlier appeared as Ilse in Spring Awakening Revival, Casey in First Date, and Megara in Hercules’ stage adaptation.

Moreover, the concert-goers can look forward to “a great time at a time when we really need to feel good” and “a really, really fun nostalgic experience,” enticed Anneliese as they promised to sing favorite Disney princess songs.

Benjamin further teased, “And it’s all the (Disney) songs, everything from Part of Your World to A Whole New World, Let It Go, Into the Unknown, anything that your princess heart desires, we cover it.”

There will also be a giant LED screen where the audience can watch the animation of the different films, Aisha added.

“We celebrate every one of the 13 princesses and the two queens and then Elsa and so we do a song from each of their characters,” said Krysta. “ All of us have some connections to Disney so we each played a role as princess either on Broadway or in a production that Disney had.

“And so we get to embody those characters. We get to share what it was like to play those parts and sing their songs. And then for the rest of them (that) we don’t necessarily have connections to, we get to sing in four-part harmony together and celebrate a new way of hearing the song.”

The show is a “very female forward” presentation, stated Anneliese. “There are so many princesses going in and out of the tour because the tour is happening everywhere. And it is very female forward. It is amazing we get along and it’s super great. I think that there’s a misconception that women don’t… But gosh the show is really proof of that female empowerment.”

“And I think you also find that everyone who has played one of these Disney princesses actually embodies so many of those qualities,” Benjamin chimed in.

“So these are really incredible women. They are very inspiring to me, to everyone, (to the) audience. (We also) get along because they really are the people (who possess) those qualities that these princesses have. (We) are very much varied (but) inside of these women who, you know, have their own personalities, too, and are very fun. And it’s thrilling to be on the road with (them). But in general, it’s really lovely we all get to bond.”

It’s all their first time performing here in the Philippines and they look forward to exploring the country as they get to stay here for a few days.

“We’re looking for recommendations but we did see a beautiful sunset last night. The weather has been amazing and we all got to go outside a little,” shared Benjamin.

In another interview, Benjamin said that the first person that comes to mind prior to coming to the Philippines is Lea Salonga.

“Because she is an icon and we are all inspired to have that beautiful princess voice like her,” he asserted.

Apart from being a Broadway and West End star, Lea is known as the singing voice of Disney princesses Jasmine from Aladdin and Fa Mulan from the Mulan films. Because of this, she was given the title “Disney Legend” by the Walt Disney Company.