Interview: Alana Feld Proves that Theatre Really is for All Ages & Discusses DISNEY LIVE! THREE CLASSIC FAIRYTALES

By: Apr. 02, 2015
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No age is too young to introduce your children to the world of live entertainment. That is certainly the opinion of Alana Feld, EVP and Producer of Feld Entertainment, which produces large scale family entertainment for kids of all ages, including Disney on Ice and the circus, among others. Alana is the mother of an eight-month-old daughter who gets to attend her very first live show with Disney Live! coming to the New York area in April. Alana can't wait to introduce her daughter to this exciting world and wants to share the experience with other parents/theater lovers.

Disney Live! Three Classic Fairy Tales begins when Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy embark on an unexpected quest and find a magical storybook hidden in Mickey's attic. Upon discovery the four pals curiously turn the pages and discover Snow White as she searches for her one true love, Cinderella getting ready for her magical night at the ball and Belle as she finds happiness in the most unusual place. Along the way, the audience will be invited to join in on the fun by solving clues, clapping along and singing time-honored songs, such as Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo, Heigh Ho and Be Our Guest.

Feld chatted with BroadwayWorld about her experiences growing up in the family business and why no age is too young to introduce children to the world of live entertainment. Check out the full interview below!

What was it like growing up around the family business? Do you have a favorite memory from your childhood?

I have so many memories from my childhood! [Laughs] It was pretty amazing growing up around all the shows we produced, Ringling Bros and Disney on Ice, when I was a child. And I think more than anything, I just, you know, loved getting to know the people. Going to the shows and getting to know the people, you know, meeting the people that actually go on stage and entertain and i thought that was so amazing to do as a child, you know, just have fun. Every weekend, my dad would say, "you know, let's get in the car, we'll drive and go see one of our shows!" And, we had a lot of fun, and I think my sisters and I were really fortunate to be exposed to so many wonderful people of course great entertainment.

That's so cool, you guys must have had a really exciting childhood!

[Laughs] We did. And, you talk about memories! My birthday was in April, and the circus was always in the Washington, D.C. area where I grew up. And I would always have my birthday party at the circus! But my sister, Juliette, I remember one of her first parties when she was four years old was at Beauty And The Beast: On Ice. So her birthday was September near when the ice show was found so she had an ice show party.

So, how old were you when you saw your first live production? And what was it?

Oh gosh! I'm sure it was before I remember, and I would say I was probably six months old. So, I can say, I'm a mother myself, I have an eight-month old daughter, and she's already been to a bunch of our shows. And actually, I can't wait to take her to her first Disney Live! show later this week when we open in Brooklyn. So, I'm really excited about that. And you know, even at eight months old, yes, she doesn't understand what the show is about, but she still takes it all in. She looks at the lights, she likes the music, she likes the costumes, especially when she can see them up close, and touch them and feel the texture, just see the sparkle. I'm a huge believer in exposing kids to all kinds of entertainment at a young age, and I think it just helps them grow in appreciation for theatre and for the arts. And I think it just exposes them to new sensory experiences.

What has been your favorite project or show that you have worked on since being EVP?

Well, I will say I love every show I work on. It's hard to pick one. I will say, Disney Live!: Three Classic Fairytales is probably one of my favorites. And I think just because it feels like such a big show: it has a theatrical, Broadway feel to it and i think it really tells the three fairytale stories of Snow White, Cinderella, and Beauty and the Beast. It really feels like a Broadway show, but certainly for children. There's so much music in the show and big production numbers and such incredible costumes. Our costume designer for the show is Gregg Barnes, tony award winner. He's designed so many shows; he just did ALADDIN on Broadway amongst so many others. DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS, FLOWER DRUM SONG, THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, and so many productions. And it really just has a grand, theatrical feel to it.

What has been your favorite show to work with?

I really like working on all of our shows. I say that my favorite is always the one I'm working on currently.

Good answer!

Yeah, because we always try to top ourselves. We're always trying to do new and different things in each production. So, it's always like the next show that I'm working on I love the most because we're doing something new, and that's what's exciting to me.

What do you believe is so special about seeing a live production for the first time? You mentioned that your little girl loves seeing them because of the lights and the costumes, so what do you think is so special?

I think that for a child that is very young, maybe three-years-old, where they can really remember the experience, I think it's about that memory. And, you can only have your first show once. I think it's important that it's a show that really speaks to what live entertainment should be. Really entertaining for that age group that has beautiful scenery, costumes, wonderful music, characters that kids adore that they get to see live. And there's that memory that they have, and that's what sort of makes them fall in love with theatre and makes them want to come back. So, it's all about that first experience being so memorable and so great for them that they want to keep coming back to see more.

What advice would you give to parents whose children are interested in theatre? So they may be young and want to get involved or go see a show, what advice would you give to parents looking to bring their kids to a show?

I would say bring them! Obviously, all kids are different. But even if your child makes it through half the show, I think it's worth it because they're getting exposed to something that's so great, something that they can't see at home. They can't see those costumes, the lights, that music, the same way at home. I think that it's so great bring them because our shows are very interactive, very fast paced. So we don't really have a lot of downtime, people talking or all of that. It's really paced for children. So, I believe there isn't a minute or two that goes by where we don't have another song or some kind of interactive element where the audience can get involved. So we really do channel our shows for a young audience. I just encourage parents to as soon as they want to bring them, bring them!

True! So, what qualities should a parent look for when deciding what show to bring their child to?

First and foremost I would say age and age-appropriate, obviously wholesome for sure. But I would say, a show that is what kids might know. So I think something with the Disney characters or characters that they know and love and are familiar with, they will be that much more excited to see them live. I also encourage parents to do exciting things to get the child excited about the show. If it's a calendar that's a countdown to when they're going, or a scavenger hunt, something that gets them really excited for the experience and when they get there, they're not just hearing about it for the first time; they're prepared for it, ready for it, and are really, really excited.

That's really smart! What is in the works at Feld Entertainment? What are you most looking forward to?

Well, currently we are starting rehearsals on a brand new live show called Mickey and Minnie: Parade of Magic! That's going to open in Brazil this summer. We're really excited about the show with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy, as well as Rapunzel and Flynn Rider for the very first time on our stage. There's a lot of magic in our show, like illusions and magic. We are really excited about the show and we think this is something that families are going to love. With all of our shows, we try to create entertainment that is great and tailored for children and their attention span, but it's also a show that's entertaining for parents too. We want to make sure that the parents have a good time with their kids as well but they're not on their phones or bored but that they are entertained too and they can really enjoy with their child. And I think this is something that we do with all of our productions.

When the curtains are drawn back to reveal the all-new stage show experience Disney Live! Three Classic Fairy Tales presented by Stonyfield YoKids Organic Yogurt, audiences will find themselves on an enchanted adventure journeying through the awe-inspiring stories of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. Mickey, Minnie and more than 25 of their Disney pals make appearances throughout the show where scenes from each story magically come alive to create an unforgettable experience for kids and adults, alike. Produced by Feld Entertainment®, Disney Live! Three Classic Fairy Tales is anchored amidst a transforming set, with captivating choreography, innovative lighting and breathtaking costumes; all created to treat families to an authentically woven tale of "happily ever after."

For more information, go to www.feldentertainment.com/threeclassicfairytales or follow Feld Entertainment on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. To learn more about Disney Live!, go to www.disneylive.com.



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