In the gigantic Paramount studios in Martínez there is a special atmosphere, and they rehearse to reach the premiere of “Disney Celebrates: An Unforgettable Christmas”, with the stage machinery ready. We still need to finish the scenery, add the costumes and the effects that transform the artists into stars. But, despite being only passes and repetitions of songs, texts and choreographies, the Christmas spirit is felt.
There is a contagious joy that is transmitted to the lucky few who have the opportunity to see how the talented and popular Laurita Fernández and Diego Topa, accompanied by an enthusiastic group of young singers and dancers, prepare to go out into the ring under the watchful eye of the director Ariel del Mastro, an expert in the musical genre.
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The performances will be on December 12, 13, 14, 15 and 17 and, in each performance, there will be special guests such as Ángela Torres, Karol Sevilla, Soledad Pastorutti and Flor Bertotti, who will join the presenters to offer the classic songs that we knew in movie theaters.
It will be an immersive experience that will take place at the Ciudad Universitaria Sports Field, and will include a giant 500 m2 screen where fragments of popular Disney movies will be projected, plus a huge Christmas tree, which will be lit in the end of the show.
Audiences will relive some of the most memorable moments from Disney stories through live performances of hit songs such as “Free I Am” from “Frozen,” “How Far I Go” from “Moana: A Sea of adventures”, “The endless cycle” from “The Lion King” and “Magical gift” and “There is no talk of Bruno” from “Encanto”.
But not everything will happen on stage, prior to the show, you can enjoy different gastronomic experiences, a space with product sales and activities for the whole family. And there will be a regulation area for those who need to reduce sensory stimuli during the performance. In addition, for the same purpose, kits will be offered that include sound-reducing headphones, UVl green filter glasses and emotion cards with pictograms. The laudable intention is that everyone can enjoy the show in a relaxed way.
The baton is in the hands of Ariel del Mastro, a prodigy of the artistic environment: he began working at the age of 16 on a tour that his mother Nacha Guevara made in Spain and, one day, in the absence of the technician who directed the light follower , filled that position. The passing of the years led him to direct dozens of musicals and plays. Disney chose him as the organizer of “Disney’s Violetta Live!”, “High School Musical – Live on Stage,” “A Big Day with Topa and Muni,” and “Playhouse Disney.” In theater he was in charge of the musicals “Peter Pan”, “Spring Awakening”, “Matilda” and “Legally Blonde”, among others. Next year he will assume the general direction of “The Little Mermaid”, based on the story by Hans Christian Andersen, with production by Carlos Rottemberg.
Dream realized
Laurita Fernández, who this year dazzled with her leading role in the theatrical version of “Legally Blonde,” sings with passion and dedication as if she were already in front of the estimated 10,000 people there will be each night. “For my career it is a dream come true, because the entire team is the best in each area, they are hyper-professional. And the most incredible thing is the quality of people who make it up. Being inside I understood why magic is transmitted in everything Disney does,” he says. Fernández has little time to rest and must continue with the next song. Before returning to her task, she shares with NEWS that Disney always invited her to dream and create imaginary worlds during her childhood. And while she admits that the first time she cried at a movie was during a screening of “Dumbo,” her favorite is “Mulan.”
“She is my favorite character because I think she was one of the first empowered princesses who took control of her path. And I remember that girl who cut her hair to camouflage herself among men and went to fight for her father, it shocked me, I loved it. In some ways I am in a very masculine world, if I refer to the world of hosting on television and having to stand in certain ways at different times in my life or take courage for some things, they refer me to that movie,” he reveals and says. away to immerse yourself again with total professionalism in the magic of Christmas.
Diego Topa, for his part, has extensive experience with the Disney factory. He worked on programs such as “Zapping Zone”, “Playhouse Disney”, with the hosts Euge Molinari, the remembered Romina Yan, Sofía Reca and later with Muni (Mariana Seligmann). In addition, he was in “Junior Express,” where the company partnered with the artist for the first time to produce a joint show, and “El ristorantino de Arnoldo,” where he played the role of a friendly cook.
Wearing a black t-shirt and shorts, at one point in the essay, he states about his first memories associated with the world that Disney proposes: “Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald and Pluto always accompanied me in all the decorations for my birthdays. Later, the memory I have is that my dad hosted children’s parties on weekends, where on birthdays he would show Disney movies. I was a fan of accompanying him and watching those movies. My dream was to go to the Disney parks. So Disney was always present in my childhood with its songs, with films like Snow White, Pinocchio or Bambi.”
Topa conveys enthusiasm for working for the company again and even generates understandable excitement: “after almost two years of not doing anything for Disney, they called me to do this show that is going to be wonderful, unique, huge, magical, familiar, with songs, with characters, I am very excited and very happy,” he says.
More options
Disney’s isn’t the only show of the Christmas season, of course. Buenos Aires is filled with shows ideal for enjoying with the family, especially designed for the little ones. These shows not only recreate the holiday spirit, but also provide magical and fun moments to share with children.
On December 14, 15, 21 and 22, Buenos Aires lights up with the Christmas parades held in the Plaza Intendente Seeber, in Palermo. Starting at 7 p.m., itinerant artists, stilt walkers, bubble fairies, unicyclists and wind musicians will accompany a large Jazz Big Band. Santa Claus’s float will be the star of the closing, making this event a unique experience. Admission is free, ideal to enjoy outdoors and with the family.
Meanwhile, on December 14 and 22, at the El Tinglado theater there will be “El Mágico Viaje de Santa Claus”, a children’s musical that tells how Santa Claus decided to start delivering gifts around the world. Through a trip through different countries such as Greece, Holland, Italy and Russia, children will be able to accompany Santa Claus until his arrival in Buenos Aires. The performances will be at 5:30 p.m., with tickets from $12,000 and special promotions.
On December 21, at 8 p.m., the Belgrano Auditorium will become the scene of a celebration led by the Pop Symphonic Orchestra. With more than 30 artists on stage, this show will tell a story in which the Master Toymakers will fight to save the Christmas spirit in the face of the threat of the Christmas clock stopping (tickets available through Ticketek).
And the Sueños company, specialized in theater for babies, presents its Christmas performance on December 22 at Poncho Teatro (in Parque Centenario), creating a cozy and magical atmosphere to enjoy with the family. The performances will be at 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Finally, Flavio Mendoza offers his show “Circo del Ánima: Una Mágica Navidad” at the Teatro Astral (Av. Corrientes 1639), a show that combines art, magic, display and technology to create a unique atmosphere. Tickets are available from $25,000 through Plateanet.
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