Filipinos find their light at Hong Kong Disneyland

MANILA, Philippines - Disneyland is always a magical place for me. No matter my age, its magic never ceases to amaze me and capture my heart. Disneyland is that special place that makes me, even for a moment, believe that all my dreams can come true — as the song When You Wish Upon a Star goes: “When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are, anything your heart desires will come to you.”

Yet, there is something perhaps more magical about Hong Kong Disneyland, even if it is only one decade old, the youngest Disney theme park in the world: perhaps the presence of Filipinos in the cast makes it closer to my Pinoy heart.

It is the Pinoy flavor of Hong Kong Disneyland  (HKDL) that made me all at once feel warm and fuzzy inside. Truth to tell, HKDL has set its sights on bringing more Pinoy visitors this year, its 10th anniversary.  

To be able to achieve this, HKDL has developed a campaign aimed at Filipino visitors, who make up the second highest number of arrivals after the Taiwanese. It commissioned a music video for the song Find Your Light, which was composed by HKDL musical director (and Pinoy) Rony Fortich. The music video was choreographed by  Jaime Del Prado, park choreographer for HKDL. The main singer is Pinay vocalist  Rochelle “Raki” Vega — she is joined in the video by over 40 Pinoy cast members at the theme park. You can watch the Find Your Light video on YouTube.

It is because Filipinos are known for their love of singing and dancing that the management of HKDL came up with the idea of a promotional music video — proof that the Philippine market is a key market for HKDL.

After all, HKDL is a place where dreams come true for guests of all ages and nationalities. Just two hours from Manila, HKDL is the closest Disney theme park to the Philippines, making it uniquely accessible and affordable.

Like a child, I am always enthralled by Disneyland with its incredible sights, sounds and experiences. In HKDL there are Hong Kong-exclusive places like the Fantasy Gardens, with its many pavilions where you can be photographed with various characters; experience the gravity-defying Flights of Fantasy Parade; or get to see the park in a whole new light with the brand-new “Disney’s Paint The Night Parade,” which combines the latest LED lighting technology, music and dynamic dances to transport you to an unimagined world of luminous and interactive fun.

The common thread for all these parades? So many Filipino cast members.

Filipino cast members play a significant role within HKDL’s diverse team, whether performing in the Broadway-style musical “The Golden Mickeys,” or the dynamic “Festival of the Lion King” show.

Magically Pinoy

“I am actually in my 10th year working with Disney,” shares Jaime Del Prado. “I started as a dancer for the ‘Lion King Show’ and I have moved around to different things, but I have always been with Entertainment.”

Del Prado is the park choreographer. He supports the development and execution of seasonal shows and special events, maintaining show quality across the Park, as well as conducting local and regional performer auditions.

He recently co-choreographed the brand-new “Disney’s Paint The Night Parade,” and was lead choreographer on the Find Your Light music video, part of the “Show Your Disney Side” campaign in the Philippines.

Del Prado is actually a success story in HKDL as he has worked his way up — starting out as a dancer, then stage manager of Theater Operations, Parade Operations, and Entertainment Atmosphere Operations, where he was responsible for training new cast members and ensuring show quality.

Of course, it was the training that Del Prado got in the Philippines that prepared him for his work in HKDL. Before moving to Hong Kong in 2005 when the park opened, he was the resident choreographer of Repertory Philippines for 10 years, where he was responsible for choreographing large-scale musicals and special events. He also held teaching positions at Fitness First and Douglas Nierras, Powerdance, where he was a founding member.

“The music video Find Your Light is loaded with Pinoy flavor,” added Del Prado. “I was given the freedom to choreograph the dance. I made sure that there would be steps that are familiar to Pinoys — so that if a Pinoy watched the video he would feel that it has a very familiar vibe.”

Waiting to shine

Rony Fortich is the music director of HKDL. He has been making magical music for the Park since its grand opening in 2005.

Since being with HKDL when it opened, Fortich was excited when the idea of making a music video for Pinoy travelers was broached to him. He says the best part was working with the classic Disney music. He considers the Disney library of music incredible.

“Ten years ago a lot of the music for HKDL was created in the States,” says Fortich. “I came into the park there months before the Park opened. I was still learning. I didn’t write anything until my second or third year here.”  

Fortich shares that it took a couple of years to “get” and understand the Disney style.

Rony currently oversees all of the park’s musical requirements, from special events and seasonal events to working with all the vocalists and musicians performing in the shows. He has composed several songs used in various parades and events, including Halloween Tonight for Jack Skellington’s Glow in the Park Halloween Parade, Hangin’ Loose for Stitch’s Summer Dance Bash, Jumpin’ in the New Year for Chinese New Year, Celebration in the Air for Hong Kong Disneyland’s  fifth anniversary and most recently Find Your Light for the “Show Your Disney Side” campaign in the Philippines. In 2013, he received the Walt Disney Legacy Award for his contribution to Hong Kong Disneyland.

Scoring and writing lyrics for the song Find Your Light was one of Fortich’s best moments in a long Disney career. “I was approached by marketing two months ago. The concept was to come up with marketing material that would be tailor-made for the Philippine market,” he shares.  “What better way than by introducing a new song?”

He adds that once he had the melody down, he composed the lyrics — in English first. He got in touch with Luis Laparen who helped translate the song into Tagalog.

“I wanted a song with lyrics that Pinoys can really relate to,” says Fortich, “and we all know that sometimes the way we say things in Tagalog is more expressive than its English counterpart.”

“Find your light” is a term often used in theater, when the director tells a player where to stand onstage. The actor will go to where the spotlight is — and this is how Fortich says he interprets the song: a great way to show where Filipinos can shine.  

Yet Fortich is quick to point out that the message of Disney remains the same as it was when the first park opened so many years ago — the same message that the song When You Wish Upon a Star conveys — anything is possible if you believe enough that your dreams can come true. 

Leader of the light

Fortich chose vocalist Rochelle “Raki” Vega to be the lead singer of the music video.

Vega, more commonly known by her stage name Raki, plays the lead role of host “Bebe” and “Tarzan Singer” in “The Golden Mickeys” show at HKDL. She joined the HKDL in 2010.

Vega was involved in musical theater in the Philippines, having played the lead in The Master Hsing Ying Musical in 2010, Once On This Island from 2005-2006, the Project Jose: The Musicale concert in 2005 and Calamba Joe: The Musicale concert in 1998.  She also has two full-length albums titled “Streisand Classics,” released in the Philippines in 2008, and “Raki Vega Sings Streisand,” released in Indonesia in 2010.

Raki’s talent has been well recognized by the industry. She was named the grand finalist in the 2007 World Championship of Performing Arts in Hollywood.

“I have been working for HKDL since 2012,” says Vega. “I auditioned from Cebu and I was given the role as host of the ‘Golden Mickeys’ after four months here.”

Although Vega has been with HKDL for almost five years now she still finds it challenging to be able to deliver lines in Cantonese and to combine the lines with singing and dancing.

Vega shares that she is still thrilled and always makes sure to do better than her best when she performs for Pinoys. After all, she says, Filipinos are very appreciative, but also very discriminating: they know a good performance when they see one.

“I was very blessed when Rony Fortich asked me to sing Find Your Light,” says Vega. “I am humbled that I was chosen to do the lead. I am very proud to represent our country. I want to give my all for the country.”

Vega says that to help her prepare for the video she focused on what drew her to acting onstage. She points out that every performance is an opportunity to continue her growing experience.

“I am still finding my light,” she says. “The training here in HKDL is integral to my growth as an artist. Even if I recorded two albums in the Philipines, HKDL is a different arena because it is a world-renowned franchise.”

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 Watch the Find Your Light music video at “Show Your Disney Side — Find Your Light on YouTube.