No obscure B-side tunes here. In Disney’s “Dare to Dream Jr.,” a new generation behind the microphone speed-runs through nothing but the hits.
More than 40 young performers will have their moment under the lights in Marathon Community Theatre’s summer kids camp production this weekend. The fast-moving musical revue takes the cast through their first day as “Junior Imagineers” at Disney’s Imagineering Studio, showcasing decades of earworm-worthy tunes from “Beauty and the Beast” all the way up to more modern kid favorites like “Encanto,” “Frozen” and “Moana.”
And while the cast may belt out tunes made popular by Belle, Elsa and friends, the stars of the show told the Weekly the magic is getting to be themselves, NOT a specific character, on stage. Each actor is assigned a player number, responsible for bringing different songs or mashups to life.
“I’m Player 14, who’s known as the more goofy character of the show,” said Adrian Garcia. “He has five songs in one in the Nonsense Medley. From Mary Poppins, Tarzan…”
“Winnie the Pooh, Cinderella…” added Carli D’Ascanio, who stars in a “Bare Necessities”/“Hakuna Matata” mashup.
“I know Disney a lot,” she laughed.
“See, she knows my character more than me!” said Garcia.
“I’ve learned more about all the different songs and how they do them,” said Emily Martinez, who chaperones the younger cast members through their Imagineering journey as Player 2. “The younger actors doing their Disney songs know them really well. All the kids know ‘Let It Go,’ so they’re gonna be great at it.”
The cabaret-style show lifts the typical pressure on lines, sets and plot in favor of tunes an entire audience can sing along with, paired with a full ensemble on stage at most times. It’s an environment the actors said they relished during a more relaxed summer show under veteran directors Kara Pascucci and Stephanie Zajac.
“They’re very patient – they go step by step and help us,” said Garcia. “It’s a kids thing – it’s meant to be fun, it’s meant to be for the cast members. It’s a fun time to be here.”
“It’s summer camp, so it’s not like the whole school is going to see it,” added D’Ascanio. “My friends come, but it’s less pressure to be spot-on.”
“The fun of it is that you don’t have to act a certain way,” said Rojas. “In other shows, you’re a certain character, and people are coming to see that character. In this one, you can just be yourself and sing the songs.”
“Dare to Dream Jr.” has limited tickets available for 7 p.m. curtains on Friday and Saturday, July 10 and 11, plus a 3 p.m. matinee on Sunday, July 12. Tickets are $17 including fees, available at marathontheater.org or by calling 305-743-0994.
Photos by ALEX RICKERT/Keys Weekly
