One of the things that my husband and I have always enjoyed is attending the symphony. No matter what city we lived in, we always tried to make it to performances when we could. So when we moved to Charlotte we were delighted to discover the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra and quickly became big fans. When we started having kids, we assumed that our symphony days would be over until we realized that the symphony offers many kid-friendly performances that are geared towards the little ones, Disney in Concert being one of them.
So after some successful outings with our oldest, we felt that our kindergartner would be ready to take her first trip to see this performance.
Upon arriving to the show, we quickly realized that it would be very different than a typical symphony performance. The roar of children's voices warmed the environment, sweeping out any stuffiness that one might expect. A massive screen hung down above the stage which, with the silhouette of Mickey Mouse ears prominently displayed, caused me to feel its incongruence with the environment.
My daughter and I took our seats just as the theater quieted down and the performance began. It wasn't long before I realized that this type of performance would take some time for both my daughter and I to understand. Without a doubt, the performers take a backseat to the multimedia experience as it the performance lives somewhere between what you see on screen and how the music that is played comes through those images. As montages of various Disney images fly by to the wonderfully sweeping soundtracks, one can only marvel at just how much of our lives have been filled and affected by both the movies and the music that fills them.
She quickly wondered why there weren't any words coming from the screen. Obviously, the experience for her was quite different. She may have thought we were seeing a movie and wondering how a live symphony might change the experience...yet, like me, she adapted to the experience realizing that the charm of the music was center stage.
One of the best parts of the program was the interactive singing. The four vocalists brought some of the most loved songs some of which included "The Lion King", "The Little Mermaid" and "Beauty and The Beast" to life alongside the imagery which made my daughter swoon and me feel like a kid again.
Disney in Concert proved to be a huge success. My daughter never asked when it would be over which is always a sign that she enjoys a new experience. I could already see the curiosity in her eyes as she learned about the magic-like quality of the group of musicians behind the scenes that were creating the music that she easily recognized from her favorite Disney movies. It was fun explaining to her that they were playing that music together live at that moment. All those people and instruments coming together to create these delightful melodies.
If you are interested in introducing your little ones to the beauty that is the symphony, then this is a great show to get them started. Also realize that you'll have a transformative experience just as much as they will. For more information on Disney in Concert and Charlotte Symphony please click Here.