Tangled The Musical Debuts On Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Magic
I was thrilled to be invited to the media-only debut of Tangled: The Musical – Disney Cruise Line’s latest cruise line-only stage production. Tangled: The Musical will be an exclusive show available only to audiences aboard the Disney Cruise Line’s ship, the Disney Magic.
This is the first time that the beloved Disney animated tale of Rapunzel is being presented as a stage production. Her adventure-filled journey is complete with everyone’s favorite characters: Flynn Rider, Mother Gothel and of course, Maximus, the guard horse.
The stage production was delightful and it seemed almost impossible that a Broadway – caliber show could take place on a cruise ship stage. Don’t mind the pun, but it really had that “Disney Magic.” The audience was mesmerized by the performance and ended with a standing ovation. Tangled: The Musical will be a sure treat to Disney Magic guests that will have the opportunity to see it.
After our performance we were treated to a special press roundtable where some of the Tangled: The Musical’s creative team shared some insider-only secrets about the production. Read on to find out more….
About Tangled: The Musical’s set design
Bradley Kaye, Scenic Designer:
“The biggest challenge is, there is a minimum of three, but up to five shows per ship. And everything has to fit backstage.” The storage room is used for three different shows. This is one of the reasons the show relies so heavily on projections.
Rapunzel’s Costume
Costume designer Paloma Young gave some insight on the source of her inspiration for Rapunzel’s costume design:
“I stepped back and got really inspired by some of the early concept art for Tangled that came from a very “natural” place. About a week after I got the job, I walked outside of my apartment and this really unusual flower to be growing in Brooklyn was growing outside my apartment. It was kinda a type of Hibiscus flower- and it looked like Rapunzel to me. And so that was actually my jumping off point for the Rapunzel dress. Because there’s so much flower imagery and the significance of the flower and the sun, which is sorta like a golden flower that shines and glows.”
“I’m so inspired by the character of Rapunzel. I think when I watch the film, she came across to me- I’ve been calling her the ‘Pinterest Princess‘ – In that she has so much energy and creativity. She paints, she bakes, she braids her hair all different ways. It’s sort of this very contemporary idea that you can imagine Rapunzel’s Pinterest board, “Today here is how I painted the lanterns.” I was inspired by folk craft and contemporary interpretation of folk craft. This is Rapunzel’s pin of how she learned embroidery on her dress, how she learned how to do crinkle treatment on silk, how she learned how to do ombre on her dress, how she learned how to do block printing. All of those ‘hand crafts’, I wanted to work into the costumes. But especially in Rapunzel’s.”
Tangled: The Musical’s crew keeps crazy hours
“The last show goes down around 10-something, the technicians go in, work through the night and have their lunch break at 3am. They go to sleep and we start around 5am. The actors come in at 8am and rehearse until 1 or 4pm and then do shows at night.”
Where’s Pascal?
The character of Pascal wasn’t able to make it to the stage edition, (similar to how you don’t see the character of Hildago in Broadway’s Aladdin) but if you look carefully, there are some hidden Pascals within the tower, in homage to the reptilian side kick. By the way, be on the look out for some hidden Mickeys in the barrels on the set.
Rapunzel’s Hair is very, very long
All of the show’s departments had a part in the creation of Rapunzel’s hair including, scenic, lighting, puppetry, robotics, electronics. “At it’s longest, Rapunzel’s hair is 93 feet long.”
More about Tangled: The Musical via Disney Cruise Line:
Tangled: The Musical is the newest addition to the line-up of Disney Cruise Line-exclusive live entertainment performed every voyage aboard the Disney Magic. It joins “Twice Charmed: An Original Twist on the Cinderella Story” and “Disney Dreams… An Enchanted Classic,” which features a new segment from the blockbuster animated hit “Frozen.”
New Songs Debuting with Film Favorites
Acclaimed composer Alan Menken (“The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast”) and lyricist Glenn Slater, the prolific pair behind the original soundtrack for “Tangled,” teamed up again to adapt the score and story for the stage. Complementing the score from the film, three new songs weave a delightful combination of narrative, humor and theatrics into the performance. In addition to new melodies, audiences enjoy live performances of favorite songs from the movie, including “When Will My Life Begin,” “Mother Knows Best,” “I’ve Got a Dream” and the Grammy Award-winning ballad, “I See the Light.”
The story follows the thrilling adventure of Rapunzel as she escapes the confines of her tower and the clutches of Mother Gothel, who wishes to shield the secret of Rapunzel’s magical golden tresses and royal roots. Rapunzel strikes up an unlikely friendship with the suave, crown-stealing bandit Flynn Rider, and together they face ruffians, thugs and a budding romance on a hair-raising journey filled with classic Disney playfulness and whimsy that will delight audiences of all ages.
Master puppet designer Michael Curry, whose extraordinary creations are featured in Disney’s Tony Award-winning musical “The Lion King” on Broadway, bred a brand-new pedigree of puppetry in Maximus, the rambunctious guard horse. The “mane” attraction of every scene he steals, Maximus’ exaggerated demeanor becomes even more hilarious through the talents of the whinnying puppet performer within.
“Tangled: The Musical” premiered aboard the Disney Magic during the Nov. 11 four-night Bahamian sailing. The ship will continue to sail four-night Bahamas and five-night Western Caribbean cruises from Miami through the new year.
To learn more about Disney Cruise Line or to book a vacation, visit disneycruise.com.
Just For You:
I must confess that we watch Rapunzel about 2 times a day in my house, sometimes more. I honestly can’t say who loves it more, me or my two girls. Ever since it came out on DVD we’ve been watching it together and loving every minute of the film. To be able to experience the magic in a live products, now that I would simply die for. What a wonderful experience to be able to have!