Disney’s ‘The Magic Box’ brings enchanting musical to Joburg stage

There’s something timeless about Disney. Whether it’s the first time you heard the opening lines of a song or the adventures of Mickey Mouse, Goofy, or Donald Duck, Disney has a way of staying with us. It’s a connection to our childhoods, the magic of storytelling, and the limitless possibilities of imagination.

The Magic Box, a new Disney musical, will land in Joburg this month and promises to bring all of Walt Disney’s magic to the stage. It features an all-South African cast and crew.

Felipe Gamba, the creative producer and co-writer of The Magic Box is as passionate about Disney as anyone with a sweet tooth is about candy. He has been a key figure in bringing this production to life.

“The genesis of this project is deeply connected to what it became,” he said. “It’s more ambitious than any of the other shows because we’re trying to condense a hundred years of Disney storytelling into one show, celebrating the creative process that made those stories come to life,” he said. It includes 87 songs arranged to create a new story.

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A journey into the imagination

The Magic Box tells the story of a young woman from the audience, mysteriously summoned to a simple white box on the stage. As the box transforms before the audience’s eyes, Mara embarks on a journey into her imagination. Her shadow detaches from her adult self, ageing down to become the mischievous shadow of her younger self. It’s a path she then explores with music and dance.

Gamba said it is a metaphor for reconnecting with your inner child.

“By the end, there’s a reconciliation between the older self and the younger self,” Gamba said. “It’s about never losing sight of your younger selves.”

Gamba’s connection to Disney runs deep. Growing up in Colombia, he was captivated by the magic of Disney from an early age. “The first book I read as a child was Walt Disney’s biography,” he shared.

“I was obsessed with the movies, the history, and the theme parks. For a child growing up in Colombia, it just seemed like such a remote thing, this magical world.”

This is why taking the wonders of the characters to audiences around the world means so much to him.

Taking the big screen to stage

Keeping animation, well, animated, is also no small feat. Translating the big screen into live theatre requires a lot of solution-seeking and imagination.

To bridge the experience divide, Gamba said the show incorporated various theatrical techniques, including puppetry, projections, and elaborate costumes.

“We wanted to bring back the playfulness of those early Disney animations,” Gamba explained.

“The choice to represent Mickey and his friends as puppets has been one of the big triumphs creatively of the show because it allows us to bring them back to that playfulness, to do things that are only possible on a stage.”

The show made its debut in Buenos Aires in January. South Africa is its second stop.  “The feedback in Buenos Aires was terrific,” Gamba said. The show is designed to appeal to all ages. “The great thing about the show is, as I always say, it’s like a building with an elevator,” Gamba said. “You can get off on any floor, whether your favourite Disney songs are from the 60s or 2010.”

All South African cast

Choosing a fully South African cast and crew was deeply personal for Gamba. His long history with The Lion King while working for Disney Theatre played a significant role in the decision.

“South Africa is very close to my heart,” he said. “I knew that we would cast the show beautifully, which we have. We have a glorious cast of 26, and we’ve rewritten sections of the show around this talent because they showed us things in auditions that we couldn’t have imagined,” he shared.

Gamba said the power of storytelling is transformative and Disney’s mastered the art. But, he said, it’s also part of every person’s DNA.

“Whether they’re family stories, stories of you with your friends, stories you make up on your own. It’s a power that strengthens us as a community and as individuals. I want people to leave the theatre full of joy in the confidence that storytelling, making up stories, music, and characters are vital to our well-being.”

The Magic Box opens at Montecasino’s Teatro in Johannesburg on 22 November before embarking on an international tour.

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