With the Princesses comfortably settled into their new home at Fantasy Faire, Fantasyland Theatre at Disneyland is scheduled to reopen with a spectacular new show on May 25th! Since it first opened at Disneyland in 1985 (under the name Videopolis), the newly refurbished Fantasyland Theater has hosted a huge array of performances, the most recent being Snow White-An Enchanting Musical which closed in 2006 when the Princesses moved in. Since that time, live theater at Disneyland has been greatly missed, but musical-loving park goers have a treat in store this coming Memorial Day weekend! Mickey and the Magical Map, Disney’s latest live musical production, will debut this Saturday as part of the kick-off celebration of a Monstrous Disney Summer.
Disney recently issued a press release sharing all of the information about this new show:
“We’re very excited to welcome guests to the Disneyland Resort this summer to enjoy all the entertainment and attractions that make this a world-class, family vacation destination,” said Michael Colglazier, President of the Disneyland Resort. “We’re particularly thrilled to debut our captivating new show ‘Mickey and the Magical Map’ and to invite guests to experience Fantasy Faire, a new themed area with Disney Princess encounters and two live shows based on favorite princess stories.”
Performed in the most magical of lands, Fantasyland, the new show reveals a mischievous Mickey Mouse.
“Each new show we create is a chance to push storytelling in a new direction,” said Michael Jung, Theatrical Development Executive, Walt Disney Imagineering Creative Entertainment. “At Disney, we love the challenge of continuously looking at our classic tales and most recent stories to see how we can bring live entertainment and excitement to today’s audiences.”
“Mickey and the Magical Map” presents Mickey in his timeless role as the sorcerer’s apprentice. Wise sorcerer Yen Sid directs his Mapmakers, a singing-dancing ensemble cast that paints a wondrous map – capable of taking dreamers to any place imaginable and so large it spans the entire stage of the outdoor Fantasyland Theatre.
Apprentice Mickey lets his curiosity get the better of him and he stumbles upon the map’s magical powers, which take him, along with the audience, on a fantastic journey of imagination in the company of the Mapmakers. The journey, presented through theatrical stage wizardry, unveils wonderful worlds of music, color, adventure and beloved characters with each new direction – all set to an original song, “Journey of the Imagination,” and music from classic Disney films.
The show, scheduled for five daily performances this summer, comes alive with appearances and songs by King Louie from “The Jungle Book” (“I Wan’na Be Like You”), Pocahontas (“Just Around the Riverbend”), Mulan (“Reflection”), Rapunzel and Flynn Rider from “Tangled,” (“I See The Light”) Princess Tiana from “The Princess and the Frog” (“Dig a Little Deeper”), and Sebastian from “The Little Mermaid” (“Under the Sea”). Also included is the song “Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride” from “Lilo and Stitch.”
The theater’s refurbishment features new lighting and tech booth, stage improvements, wheelchair accessibility, new benches for increased capacity, better audience flow and improved audience sight lines. Lovers of Disney history may know (or remember!) that the original Fantasyland Theater showed Disney cartoons and Mickey Mouse Club films in its earliest days when it opened in 1955 as the Mickey Mouse Club Theater. It was renamed Fantasyland Theater in 1964 and continued operate as a projection theater. That space closed in 1982 when it was remodeled into the present attraction, Pinocchio’s Daring Journey.
You can follow all the excitement this weekend on Twitter at #JustGotHappier And be sure to check out this great video of Fantasyland Theatre through the years from the Disney Parks blog!
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