By JULES SHINKLE
BG Independent News
Perrysburg Musical Theatre’s Imagineers are eager to play the hits in “Dare to Dream Jr. — A Disney Musical Revue.”
The show is a back-to-back montage of songs taken across Disney’s decades-long span of movies. An ensemble of imagineers – what Disney refers to their creative design team as – are training to make dreams come true. The team is led by two lead imagineers (Truth McCadney and Elina Danforth), who prompt the trainees to think about their own dreams.
The production is being staged at the Perrysburg Arts Center at 210 E. South Boundary, Perrysburg. Opening night is on Friday, Aug. 1, at 7 p.m., with additional performances on Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Nicole Spadafore is directing. Click here to purchase tickets https://pmttickets.ludus.com/index.php?show_id=200488158
“Dare to Dream” opens with some classics: “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes” (Cinderella), “Be Our Guest” (Beauty and the Beast) and “When You Wish Upon a Star” (Pinocchio) will be instantly recognizable for most. Songs from “Frozen,” “The Lion King,” “Toy Story,” and more are sprinkled between some lesser known numbers.
There are plenty of deep cuts for the Disney musical enthusiast, as well. Even if “Try Everything” (Zootopia) or “Remember Me” (Coco) are a bit lesser known, they all share a catchiness that defines the sing-along nature of Disney songs. It helps that each number is triumphantly sung by a spirited, enthusiastic cast.
The choreography is also worth a special mention, as it does a good job of bolstering each song’s mood. In “Let it Go,” imagineers dance with lengths of ribbon as a nod to Elsa’s snow and frost powers. Similarly, “Dig a Little Deeper” (The Princess and the Frog) has the ensemble making use of shovels as they dance.
There’s a wide swath of characters in the imagineer ensemble. They take turns sharing their dreams, fears, and words of wisdom. One kid, whose initial dream of royalty was articulated in “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King,” later shares that dreams can change – she wanted to be king at first, but only because it was her first idea. “I don’t really know what I want yet … I’m only 10!”
Each imagineer has their own path to take in the journey to understanding and then realizing their dream. All will face doubt and setbacks, but their perseverance and optimism make it all work out in the end.
Coming in at slightly under an hour, “Dare to Dream Jr.” offers audiences a delightful tour through Disney’s repertoire of classic songs.
