Working on a Disney show greatly differs from working on a classical literature piece. Students in theater often reiterate how many rules Disney has.
Disney shows bring way more magic to the stage, but that magic takes more effort. Because Disney is such a huge brand, the school productions have to put in more time to get every detail right because of the rules the company enacts.
“‘Mary Poppins’ is way more magical because of how much time and effort goes into making it work, with all the flying details and props,” said Lizzy Hendrickson ’27.
Hendrickson described the spectacular sets and felt Xavier brought it to life. All the time put into the production and all those details were very difficult but the outcome left the crowd astonished. Hendrickson was amazed to be a part of complicated production with such limited time.
“Consolidating with ‘Frozen’ in mind was certainly our most difficult block,” said Addie Bandura ‘29.
Scenic crew member Bandura explains the “Frozen” production will be very advanced due to the rules the production has to abide by, requiring them to spend the majority of their budget. The upcoming show in the spring pressures the build crew because of the short period of time, all the elements needed and a smaller team.
“Frozen” will have huge sets for all of the scenes. Since Disney requires so much, the scenic crew has to put in more time to keep the future audience entertained.
Musicals such as “Mary Poppins” and “Frozen” make the cast and crew put Disney’s significance in their show the best they can. Behind the scenes, the crew spends extra hours setting up sets and lighting.
Since Disney makes such marvelous stories full of life, which leaves fans very pleased, the actors have to add the same energy to Disney’s guidelines. A lot depends on the effects.
If one light is off or a prop isn’t ready, the whole effect gets messed up in front of everyone.
Actor Hana Meyers ‘28 explains that the upcoming show “Frozen” is going to be on a much larger scale and more intricate than “Pride and Prejudice.”
Plays like “Pride and Prejudice” are different because actors get more freedom with their characters.
“Our production was less focused on serious tones in the book and brought to light the funky relationships between family, friends and foes,” said Bandura.
Taking away the magical details means actors have to put more effort into entertaining the audience.
Without big stage tricks, actors have to depend on the way they deliver their lines to the audience. They also have to rely heavily on how they react to their scene partners and the props.
Instead of big set pieces, plays often stick to simpler sets so the audience pays more attention to the story. “Pride and Prejudice” focused primarily on dialogue rather than stage effects because the writing is the effect.
Jane Austen’s “ Pride and Prejudice” is more serious and emotional, and Xavier’s actors used their freedom to change the tone to keep the audience entertained.
Whether it’s putting in extra time for Disney magic, hitting cues or learning dated dialogue, Xavier students deal with something new with every show.
