ODGEN — Broadway on the Side takes their musical revue format to the Magic Kingdom with Disney on the Side. As my four-year-old daughter expressed, they performed all the movies. Drawing on musical numbers from the dense Disney musical canon, most decades are featured in this performance. Director Megan Worthen Nelson informed me that the performers auditioned with the songs they wanted, and selections proceeded for the combined repertoire. As a millennial, the show reminded me of growing up and singing along with the “Disney Greatest Hits” volumes published on CD. This show includes the appropriate additions from the 21st century.
Attending Broadway on the Side is a unique experience for attendees. Currently, the theatre continues building an audience and reputation with a long-term goal of establishing a performing arts center in the Northern Utah area. I previously reviewed another cabaret Beyond Belief and Little Women and am noticing a progression in improving overall production quality with each show. These cabarets allow newcomers to gain stage experience and provide audiences a more casual experience for families. The downside of the revue style is repetitive simplicity given the overall production runtime. Increasing the variety in design and staging elements would improve audience engagement while offering a show that is less of a time commitment to attend.
Worthen Nelson serves multiple roles in the production including as the lighting designer. I am impressed by the amount of lighting cues throughout the performance matching the ambiance of the songs, the shift from verse to chorus, and the overall tone of each number. Adding color and variety in the lighting design supports the performance making the show stronger and visually enticing. “Part of Your World” is such a classic song of the Disney canon and the lighting changes with the mood and the verses feel engaging and natural. Credit also belongs to lightboard operator Brittany Roring for timing the cues well during the performance. As the stage is only set with microphones, two stools, and a small staircase, the visual addition of lighting significantly fills the entire performing space.
So much space is left empty on the stage when soloists or duets perform and though some incorporate movement, overall the staging of these musical numbers became repetitive. The microphones allow for stage movement, so I wondered how staging additional set pieces with varied stage placement would add visual engagement. These pieces could then function as elements performers could interact with during their musical numbers.
Overall, the show felt enthusiastic and joyful to watch. The first group number “Welcome” from Brother Bear, is a great opener introducing the cast to the audience. The group number “Hakuna Matata” is a fun song showcasing the younger cast members whose smiles matched the joy in their voices. These group numbers offered a better fit for some cast members’ skill and confidence levels than their solos while providing opportunities for each on stage.
Riah Shumate performed “Reflection” from Mulan distinguishing her performance by adding American Sign Language while delivering a sweet contemplative vocal. Returning performer Alex Lindstrom delighted with a lush vocal performance of “Bella Notte” from Lady and the Tramp. Lindstorm’s smooth and confident performance highlighted “Bella Notte” as a great inclusion diversifying from the mostly contemporary numbers. Daphne Dixon is another returning cabaret performer and continues showing growth in performance ability and confidence each time I have seen Dixon on this stage. Dixon performed “Speechless” from the live-action adaptation of Disney’s Aladdin with solid vocals especially for a challenging song making this number a highlight.
The cast and Worthen Nelson are credited with the simple and effective costume design. The cast changed into costumes appropriate for the song’s context and character. The design choices matched the overall aesthetics of the original costumes. The sassy and fun vocal performance of “I Won’t Say I’m in Love” dressed the muses in togo-inspired modern white dresses reminiscent of the film and appropriate for the casual cabaret style.
My collection of “Disney’s Greatest Hits” CDs might be collecting dust in my childhood closet. However, Broadway on the Side isn’t letting the dust settle as the company includes more full-length productions in addition to their cabarets. Disney on the Side presents a production singing while they work and demonstrating an admirable “keep moving forward” attitude in growing the company’s reputation and reach.
