Review: Disney Live! presents Mickey's Magic Show

Just watching Disney’s theme park parades and productions and best movies can often seem like pure magic. And the idea of combining Disney themes with illusion seems like a natural. While “Disney Live! presents Mickey's Magic Show,” a touring show that combines Disney and magic, is a very professional production, somehow, the combination of Disney and illusion falls somewhat short of its synergistic potential.

The production features excellent illusion that are well presented. As one would expect, there are dancers, musical numbers, excellent lighting and great props and sets. It’s a professional, high-level production that lives up to standards of Disney and the art of magic.

The show has been clearly designed towards younger children with short attention spans. The humans, Brad (Brad Ross) and Benny (Alex Gonzales), tend towards the zany, wacky and over-the-top personas of Saturday morning television hosts. If you don’t have young kids, these energetic performances can become a bit irritating. I recommend the show to kids ages six through ten. At the morning show that I attended, there was a crowd filled with restless, young children-those under five.

While the combination of Disney and illusions seems a natural, many illusions fall rather flat. The illusions are well designed, lit and executed, but when Cinderella quickly changes into her ball gown, or Jasmine levitates, it’s seemingly no big deal. The theatrical presentation of magic in the context of these characters is seemingly what they already do. And it’s easy to just go along and see something that should be amazing, but just view the feat as one would in a movie.

The show features the usual cast of Disney characters: Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy, as well as Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Jasmine, Belle and Snow White. A running theme is Benny’s attempt to learn and perform magic. As Minnie says to Benny, “Never give up...everyone has magic inside of them.” And as you would expect--this is a Disney production--Benny does rise to the task.

Interestingly, the first half of the show features Disney set pieces and songs and creative adaptations of classic illusions, while the second half, after intermission, features more sequences where the illusionists competently perform stage standards such as linking rings, sawing in half and metamorphosis.

"Disney Live! presents Mickey's Magic Show" generally serves the goods in a slick, professional production. Families with young children should enjoy the show. Magic fans will appreciate the various illusions; adaptation of magic standards to Disney stories; set design and lighting effects, but may find the hosts obnoxious.

Strangely, that strong emotional involvement that one feels at the theme parks is just not here. If I want to experience real Disney magic, for my money, I'll take the theme park any day over the show.

-Wayne N. Kawamoto