I Got a Behind-the-Scenes Look at How Disney Prepares for Its POPULAR Broadway Concert Series in EPCOT!

I can’t believe that EPCOT’s Festival of the Arts begins in ONE week!

I am counting down the days until I can attend this festival, and I’m so thrilled to visit EPCOT with my fellow AllEars team members! We’re prepared to try all the new snacks and drinks, check out the merchandise, and, of course, experience the live entertainment. If there’s two things I love incessantly, it’s Disney and Broadway, so when I was told I had the chance to interview Adrian Sarple, the Associate Director for Disney Theatrical, and get some insight on the Disney on Broadway Concert Series at the festival, I was over the moon! I narrowed down my questions and now have some exciting, exclusive news you certainly won’t want to miss out on.

I’m a sucker for anything behind the scenes, and I know many of you are too, so alas, here we are together! When I went into the interview, I really wanted to dive into the unseen aspects of the Disney on Broadway performances in EPCOT. We get to see the final product, but what goes on behind the scenes to make this magic come to life?

I started out by asking Adrian Sarple what the process is like to move entire Broadway productions and performances, complete with sets and props, to a smaller-scale stage in EPCOT. Disney is limited to a much more compact stage with little to no backstage space for set pieces or props in EPCOT, so the show requires some adjustments!

Sarple told me that, though the transfer from Broadway to EPCOT can be challenging at times, the key here was using visuals, particularly in images that show up on the screens near the stage, to bring the audience into the moment. He highlighted the importance of inviting the audience into the area of the show where the song takes place without detailing every single little thing that’s led up to this moment. In fact, he said he wants the audience to stop and listen to the performance and maybe walk away thinking, “I’ve never thought of this song like that before,” or “I didn’t know that emotion could relate to this song.”

As we talked more about how incredible Disney music is at telling a story all on its own, totally encompassing a theme without the need for any introductions, Sarple let me in on another secret — the hardest part of the whole process? Making the show different each year without compromising the basis of what it is. As he put it himself, at the end of the day, it’s still a concert series that has the same bones each year, but how can you make it look and feel different from year to year to keep audiences engaged?

Again, the visuals used are a big part of that, I was told, and Sarple even let me in on the secret that they have over 100 new pieces of art/visual pieces to use in this year’s show! In addition, lighting also plays a large part in changing up the look of the show, and Sarple informed me that they’ve adjusted the lighting for multiple numbers this time around to focus on different emotional beats of the song coinciding with different areas of the stage. I fully agreed with him when he said lightning can truly make or break moments on stage, and I can’t wait to see how the final product turns out this year.

And get this! Something NEW is happening for the very first time on stage for this year’s concert series — Disney will host the very first male/male duet pairing for shows! The 2023 Concert Series was the first time EPCOT had two female singers duet together on stage, where Caissie Levy and Patty Murin sang Broadway hits from Frozen, Tarzan, The Little Mermaid, and more together. This year, you can see Adam Jacobs (Aladdin) and Josh Strickland (Tarzan) perform together on January 31st. Mr. Sarple pointed out that there really aren’t many female/female and male/male duets in the Disney on Broadway world, so they’ve had to get creative. He’s very much looking forward to seeing how much audiences will love it.

When I asked Sarple what he hoped people take away from seeing this year’s show, he said he hopes it inspires people to go out and see a Broadway show. Whether that means traveling to New York to see a show, or traveling to their local professional theatre to see a traveling Broadway production, he wants guests to walk away from the show searching for any way to bring more Broadway theatre into their hearts. I’ll tell you one thing — I know for a fact I’m going to finish watching this show and want to book a trip to NYC as soon as possible!

Sarple also expressed his immense excitement for the Disney on Broadway Museum that is currently being set up in CommuniCore Hall! He told me he’s seen the concept art and knows it’s going to be incredible, so you heard it here Broadway fans, don’t miss the exhibit in CommuniCore Hall. (You’ll probably see me there — I’ll be the girl standing in front of each and every piece, marveling at it.)

Huge thank you to Adrian Sarple and Disney Public Relations representative Coral for setting this interview up! I learned so much and am even more excited to see the performances this year. We’ll be LIVE from Disney World on the first day of the festival to bring you all the latest news and updates, so stay tuned to AllEars!

ALERT! Reservations for EPCOT Festival of the Arts Disney on Broadway Dining Packages Are Open!

What are you most looking forward to experiencing at this year’s Festival of the Arts? Tell us in the comments!

Disclosure: We were invited by Disney to attend an exclusive interview with the EPCOT Festival of the Arts team. This did not affect our reporting of the event — our opinions are our own.

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