Review: Disney Live! presents Three Classic Fairytales

Recently, my daughter, her friend (and friend's mom), and I had the opportunity to go see Disney Live! presents Three Classic Fairytales. If it was only me, I would not have gone to this show; I am more of a Rock of Ages gal, i.e. cheesy 80s hair rock... and I have outgrown my Disney Princess phase for a couple of years now...

However, I do not think the show was designed to awe me, the important person to impress was my four year old. And, she LOVED IT. I do not think the child blinked once after the lights went down. The two girls were completely enthralled by the show, and especially the princesses.

The show was essentially shortened versions of Snow White, Cinderella, and Beauty and the Beast, with Goofy, Donald, Minnie and of course, Mickey serving as narrators and guides. The costumes were beautiful, the staging was quite impressive. I was a bit worried that my daughter would find it a little boring; after all, there was only so much you could do on a stage with real people, i.e. instead of hundreds of dancing plates, dishes and cutlery, there was one fork and one knife and a few dishes (I think), but it turned out she liked it just fine. The music was great, but I already liked the songs in the movies (there were no new original songs), and there were some pretty cool 'special' effects, like when Cinderella changed from her rags into her ballgown. And, the length of the show was perfect. It was about an hour and a half long, including a short intermission, which is about the maximum amount of time that my little one can sit still.

So for parents, the show is not bad. I do not think it will win a Tony, but it will also not cause you to run to the dentist to make sure you did not get cavities from all the sweetness. It was pretty much what I expected it to be, a show targeted at children (princess obsessed children) under 7. There was one thing that was a bit disappointing: I find most Disney films had some jokes that would amuse the grown ups in the audience, but this show lacked that, granted they did have to cut the stories down to about 20 min each.

For the kids, I think as long as your children love princesses, they will love this show. My daughter's favourite part was seeing Belle, and at the end of the show when all the princesses came out with their ball gowns and princes (I shall refrain from commenting on the whole princesses' goal is to marry a prince thing).

Here are my little one's exact words on the show:

“I love it; I love it; I love it!!”

Here is a caveat though. There are some darker parts in the show which may scare the more sensitive souls in the audience – the magic mirror that the wicked queen in Snow White talks to is a bit spooky; the wicked queen turning into an old hag might be scary to some; and during the fight scene in Beauty and the Beast, there is a simulated thunder storm, so it gets dark and there are lots of flashes of light and thundery booms. Having said that, my daughter who usually gets upset quite easily, was fine for the entire show.

Now, for the thing that I definitely did not like, and had nothing to do with the show itself: the prices at the concession stands. I believe it cost $12 for a snow cone. Unless that cup, which you can keep, can sing the show back to me, there is no way I am paying that much for some ice and syrup.

So would I recommend this show?

It is hard to say; for me, it is an okay show, but at the same time, I think it is a nice treat if your child loves princesses and fairy tales (mainly princesses). It was fun, and entertaining, and the little ones LOVED it. And, I loved watching my child's face glow as she watched the show. Plus, it is always cute to see a bunch of little girls run around in costumes (it is also a great way to get more wear out of that Halloween costume).

I also think this show is a great way to introduce kids to going to a live stage show. It was a comfortable setting, full of other children, so you did not have to worry too much about constantly hushing your child. The plot was simple, and it was pretty much guaranteed the kids would like the story (why would you go if you do not like fairytales).

Oh! Using the show to get my child to behave for a week was a bonus.

On the other hand, if you are deathly allergic to pink, stay away.

Off to see the princesses!

In a week and a bit, we are off to see princesses - Disney Live! presents Three Classic Fairy Tales.

My daughter is very excited to see Belle, her favourite princess. I think my favourite was Ariel, but I never quite understood why she wanted legs, I would have loved to live under the sea.

Okay, I admit that I am starting to get a little excited about this too; partially to see the look of love in my little girl's eyes. But mainly, I am looking forward to being transformed into the role of Fairy Godmother, which is a huge promotion from the Evil Witch (okay, bitch) Queen that I have been for the last couple of days – yes, I am very much looking forward to the start of school again.

I am looking forward to the show itself too. I think even those who think Disney is some evil corporate entity will admit that Disney really knows how to put on a show. Disney is one of those things and places that for a few hours can make me believe in magic and feel like a kid again. It is like some weird drug.

Here is the description of the show from their website:

Join Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy as they bring the timeless fairytale adventures of Cinderella, Beauty and The Beast, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to life right in your hometown. Featuring dynamic storytelling, award winning music, stunning costumes and glittering special effects, audiences will be captivated by the humor, fun and adventure of these spellbinding stories. Dream with the princesses, cheer for the heroes as they conquer evil villains, and marvel as these classic tales are brought to life in an theatrical experience that’s pure magic.

And here are some more interesting tidbits about the show:

• Hours it takes to set up the production – 16 hours
• Hours to tear down the production – 5 hours
• Number of performers – 16
• Fabric used to make the costumes – 1200 yards
• Number of costumes – 100
• Number of light bulbs used on the stage set and curtains – 2,353

And do not forget the discount code: MAMA (see previous blog on information regarding code)

What are some of your favourite Disney characters or memories?

Showtimes:

Kitchener, Ontario, Centre in the Square Jan. 6, 2011

Kingston, Ontario, K-Rock Centre Jan. 7, 2012

London, Ontario, John Labatt Centre Jan. 8 - 9, 2012

Oshawa, Ontario, General Motors Centre Jan. 12, 2012

Toronto, Ontario, Rogers Centre Jan. 13 - 15, 2012

Fine Print:

Feld Entertainment may be providing me with complimentary tickets to this show, in exchange for my time and efforts in attending the show, and reporting my opinion within this blog. However, the opinions about the show, and everything else are 100 per cent mine.

pictures courtesy of Feld Entertainment.© Disney.

Discount Code for tickets to Disney Live! presents Three Classic Fairy Tales

If your little ones are as obsessed with princesses as mine is, this may be a great little present for a post-holiday princess fix (especially since the threat of Santa not bringing presents is now gone) – tickets to Disney Live! presents Three Classic Fairy Tales. Consider this as my way of helping with Boxing Day shopping.

Using the code: MAMA

• You can get 4 tickets for $44 for the Monday through Thursday performances

• For Friday through Sunday performances, you can save $4 per ticket

• However, like many other offers, there are some restrictions: EXCLUDES Front Row, VIP, TP and Gold Circle tickets and may not be combined with other discount offers.

• And, this code is valid between now and end of performance schedule

And yes, Santa did bring my little one a princess doll – Belle. Well, at least it was not pink.

I fought the Princesses, and the Princesses won!

I am not willing to admit defeat yet in my fight to convince my child that there is more to life than being a princess, and that there is something else to wear other than dresses. I am, however, pretty sure that I have lost this battle – to keep princesses from invading every corner of my house, which is especially difficult this time of year.

Yes, I know her father and I control the purse strings, and it is essentially our fault when we buy her some doll that resembles a princess (okay, a lot of the incoming toys are because of grandparents). On the other hand, I want her to like her present; why buy things for someone when you know they won't like it (see previous post on presents).

So, instead of fighting the princesses, I am acquiescing to their presence, and I decided to use them as examples of how a little girl, who wants to be a princess, should behave. For example:

• Princesses listen to their elders – see Cinderella, and Snow White – Cinderella's stepmother orders her to clean the house, do all the laundry and cook all the meals, and Cinderella obeys, I am just asking my child to put her dirty socks in the hamper...

• Cleaning is good, and feel free to whistle while you work – see Snow White

• Reading is fun – see Belle

• Be good, nice and kind – see all the princesses

• It is good to have set goals, and to work hard for to reach those goals, just not so hard that you forget to have fun along the way – see Tiana

• Be adventurous and try new things, there is a big world to see out there – see Arial, Jasmine and Rapunzel

• Look beyond what someone looks like when deciding if you want to be their friend – see Belle

• Girls can do anything boys can, and sometimes even better – see Mulan

• Sometimes it is up to the girl to help rescue both herself and the boy – see Arial

• And a very important lesson: Sleep is good – see Snow White and Aurora

• Also, don't piss of big talking trees – see Pocahontas, or was that from Lord of the Rings...

And here is something that I would like her to not learn:

• Not listening to your parents – see Arial, who should have also listened to the crab, “Darling it's better Down where it's wetter” (Mulan also didn't listen to her father, but it probably did save his life, and Rapunzel did not listen to her 'mother' but the woman did kidnap the child, so these cases should not count)

• changing who you are for a boy – see Arial

• Sitting around waiting for your prince to come – see Aurora and Snow White (though in their cases, they were more asleep than sitting)

So, I hope she will try to keep these lessons in mind when I try to take her to see the Disney Live!presents Three Classic Fairy Tales. It sounds like a great show, with music, adventure, and magic; and of course “THE MOUSE”and his friends; and most importantly, Snow White, Cinderella and Belle.

Something that sounds perfect for my little princess.

For more information about the show - http://www.disneylive.ca/ThreeClassicFairyTales/

Show times:

Ottawa, Ontario, Scotiabank Place Dec. 18 - 19, 2011

Montreal, Quebec, Theatre St-Denis Dec. 22 - 28, 2011

Hamilton, Ontario, Hamilton Place Theatre Dec. 29 - 30, 2011

Kitchener, Ontario, Centre in the Square Jan. 6, 2011

Kingston, Ontario, K-Rock Centre Jan. 7, 2012

London, Ontario, John Labatt Centre Jan. 8 - 9, 2012

Oshawa, Ontario, General Motors Centre Jan. 12, 2012

Toronto, Ontario, Rogers Centre Jan. 13 - 15, 2012

Fine Print:

Feld Entertainment may be providing me with complimentary tickets to this show, in exchange for my time and efforts in attending the show, and reporting my opinion within this blog. However, the opinions about the show, and everything else are 100 per cent mine.

pictures courtesy of Feld Entertainment.© Disney.