By Alex Kerravala, Contributing Writer
Last weekend, Friday, March 31 and Saturday April 1, the Dartmouth Theatre Company (TCo) performed Disney Under the Stars, a cabaret show featuring several of our favorite Disney songs from some of our favorite Disney films.
Showgoers were able to relive their nostalgia and hear the songs they grew up listening to performed in front of their very eyes, and the cast did not disappoint.
Audience members described the show as “magical,” “incredible,” and one passionate fan even referred to it as “supercalifragilistic!”
Across the board, parents and peers considered this to be a trip down memory lane, featuring songs such as “Part of Your World” from The Little Mermaid, “Something There” from Beauty and the Beast, “The Bare Necessities” from The Jungle Book, and a dozen more fan favorite Disney songs sure to remind any showgoer of the wonder they felt as a child.
Of course, the only thing more wonderful than the songs were the singers themselves; nothing beats seeing your friends and colleagues sing songs from the cornerstones of our childhoods.
It was impossible not to feel inspired when first year astrophysics major Tyler Rebello lead us through the start of Hercules’ journey in his performance of “Go the Distance.”
The desperation was almost palpable in Ariana Leo’s jaw dropping performance of “God Help The Outcasts” from Hunchback of Notre Dame.
The fun filled the room in Rosie Bell’s performance of the previously mentioned “Bare Necessities.” For the entire three-hour performance, magic filled the air. With such a talented cast, it is almost impossible to pick a favorite.
Of course, a final product as amazing as this cannot be as excellent as it is without a long, and challenging road to it, and certainly not without an incredible cast of directors on par with that of the performers.
Music Director and performer Ariana Leo, a junior photography major, says “I was so nervous in the beginning, worried about the group numbers and everything since it’s my first time as music director and the cast brought out that confidence. I love how we all built eachother up and everything.”
Assistant Director Lionel Lafleur says, “I am very proud with how far my cast has come. They all stepped up their game.”
Lafleur has helped in directing other shows in the past, and in comparison he said, “Some people came in super prepared, some came in very underdeveloped but everyone got up to the level they had to,” and describes this cast as being the “most fun in terms of experience and dedication.”
And, of course, you cannot have a show like this without a talented, lenient Director, and Artistic Director Jeremy Drolet fills those shoes almost perfectly.
Strangely enough, this was Drolet’s first time directing here at UMass Dartmouth, and describes his first time directing as “more work, but more rewarding.”
Obviously very humble, Drolet described his cast as “Fantastic. They were all the talent, the ones who did all the work. I just had to show up and put a song list together. They did everything else.”
The most miraculous thing Director Drolet did, above all else, was casting. “I couldn’t decide who to cut so I didn’t cut anyone.”
Never have I seen anyone so humbled, so awestruck by his incredible cast.
If you missed the wondrous performance of Disney Under the Stars, don’t fret; coming April 14 is a variety show put on by both of UMass Dartmouth’s incredible theatre companies, TCo and 20 Cent Fiction.
If you want to support the hardworking and talented cast that makes up UMass Dartmouth theatre, please feel free to stop by.