So I got invited to a full preview by my leaker. No pictures. Disney is going to go full hard on no flash photography, no camera lighting here. They've told managers that they have to be the bad guy because of performer safety.
The theatre is gorgeous. It's something you'd expect from the time and place. The costumes are Cirque quality and there's actually a couple I'd have expected to show up in Fantasia, specifically the Khaleegy girls (think belly dance meets hula) and Flower Dance couples in Pastoral Symphony. Ok so for a full run through, please note there are reused assets. Some from La Nouba, some from Zed, one from Zarkana but done entirely differently.
When people enter, the entire stage is covered in a white sheet. No clue of what will happen shows and I really like it.
The Toccata and Fugue in D Minor opens the show as an Overture. The team really played with what the theatre could do on it's own here and we see some really cool light and laser effects (some very subtle foreshadowing for the penultimate act, more on that) that mimic the original film's actions. This led to the big reveal. Where the original segment ended on Leopold Stokowski, this one ends with the silhouette of The Sorcerer and the stage sucking the curtain into itself.
I'm very pleased to say that Cirque won out and an illusionist was cast for our main character. He's extremely talented and I've received word of two other just as talented casts working on the show. The Sorcerer does some smoke tricks and then leaves the stage, leading to the Apprentice doing some pretty great magic from a simple dove in balloon to the very stunning final trick that I really don't want to spoil. But yes, there is going to be multiple broom tricks for those asking. The end with the Sorcerer is pretty wonderful as it leads to one of my favorite acts and characters, The Oracle.
The woman I saw was brought in from the former Zarkana in Las Vegas and she is seriously amazing. The Rite of Spring may have been the music but there are no dinosaurs here. This is a masterpiece of visual storytelling as she cryptically outlines the show. I've been told that one Sandpainter does do the Rite of Spring story in her act and the other does original creations in his act. Yes, his. All of the roles are gender neutral aside from the Sorcerer. Story wise, this sends the Apprentice on his quest. The most impressive thing about the act is the massive screen that drops from the proscenium.
The next act sends the Apprentice in the air for some Spanish Webs I've seen. It's very tough to describe but if you've seen The Golden Mickey's it brings to mind the Tarzan scene. It's the highflying act Pines of Rome deserved.
The Apprentice lands in a city and it basically explodes. We're treated to the Apprentice's magic catching on some people and a dreams come true situation with Rhapsody in Blue. This leads to one of the two multi-acts in the show. There's a construction crew that does a Korean Plank, a put upon husband that does a pretty hilarious ball balancing and juggling combination, and a fractured family coming together for a banquine. Much as I love the acts separately, they don't really come together as well as they should.
Next up is an act that is quite frankly ridiculous. Carnival of the Animals takes place in a zoo and is pretty much there so Cirque didn't have to throw away the PowerTrack from La Nouba. I can see this being the first to get cut or ending up in Rhapsody in Blue later on.
On the other hand, the Pastoral Symphony is the standout segment. We go from Aerial silks to an interesting dance from the Persian Gulf called a Khaleegy. The girls who did this are so talented and wonderful. I'd gush more if I weren't crushed for time. This led to a ballroom dance (something between a waltz, a two-step, and a samba strangely enough) and it all culminated in a spectacular Georgian dance. It fit the traditional idea of Pastoral Symphony well but made it its own.
Bald Mountain is our climax and it's kind of a snore. The Chernabog puppet is fine and the demons are some spectacular puppets but that's all it is. Light Man lets the Apprentice have his time in the spotlight again with some cool light tricks (see, foreshadowing) and if there were a more energetic song, it'd be fantastic.
The Finale brings the entire cast together and mixes all the acts and adds in some trapeze with a spectacular rendition of the Firebird Suite. I miss the Spring Sprite's inclusion as it was due to be a pretty spectacular act but this was a pretty good replacement. It's grand, it's epic, and it's a mind blowing finale.
Bottom line run through or tl;dr, whichever you prefer.
Overture: Vortex Curtain (Toccata and Fugue in D Minor)
Sorcerer's Keep: Magic (The Sorcerer's Apprentice): The Apprentice steals The Sorcerer's hat and looses control of the resulting magic, accidentally spreading it throughout the land.
Sorcerer's Keep: Sandpainting (Rite of Spring): The Wizard presents The Apprentice to The Oracle, who shows how far the uncontrolled magic has spread.
Sky: Spanish Web (Pines of Rome): The Apprentice is taken to the sky as he sets off on his quest to save the world. He encounters the first results of his magic when he finds a pod of whales have taken to the stars.
City: Korean Plank/Rolling Globe/Banquine (Rhapsody in Blue): The Apprentice lands in a city where his magic has led to dreams coming true for a construction worker, a put upon husband, and a family.
Zoo: PowerTrack Trampoline (Carnival of the Animals): The Apprentice finds himself in the city zoo where his magic has made numerous animals become fun loving as they bounce around the exhibits.
Pastoral Mountain: Aerial Silks/Khaleegy/Flower Dance (Ballroom Dance)/Georgian Dance (Pastoral Symphony): The Apprentice bounces so high that he lands in the clouds where a group of Pegasus lead him to a Pastoral Mountain. There he joins in the festivities of Bacchus.
Bald Mountain: Puppetry (Night on Bald Mountain): The festivities are broken up at twilight, as a dark mood overtakes the Pastoral Mountain and the chaotic, out of control magic spreads to unleash a powerful force the Apprentice must fight.
Bald Mountain: Light Man (Ave Maria): The Apprentice manipulates his magic and the power of light to beat back the monstrous and uncontrollable demon that came of his mess.
Finale: All Acts Plus Trapeze (Firebird Suite): The Apprentice, having conquered his own magic, takes to the stars and commands the universe as the stars and winds kneel to his commands
How good is it? Softs start next week and are due to last a while because of SeatSelection+ testing. See it yourself. I personally give it an
8/10. Not perfect but what is good is damn good but some off acts let it down. Expect cuts and changes by both Cirque and Disney. I can confirm that there are understudy acts that are able to take over at a moment's notice and they are good but it's obvious why they're understudies and don't have their place in the show.
