But, for the people behind the magic like musical director Vasile Sirli, the excitement of a new event like Mickey’s Magical Party is about more than just dusting off the classics; It’s about giving a new spin, a new soul, a new personality to the old favourites — not to mention creating some brand new music in the process.

For this entirely new year-long celebration, Vasile Sirli and his team joined the challenge to launch a record five new entertainment productions on the same day, four of which Vasile would work closely on. Jérémie Noyer joined the maestro of the magic to discover the unique European flair behind the party and much more…

To yourself, as the musical director of Disneyland Paris, what is the spirit of Mickey’s Magical Party?

Vasile Sirli: When I started working on the project, I wondered about the way to convey a “party” spirit to guests coming from all over Europe with a different conception of that. Some people associate party with Latino music, others to pop music and others to rock.

Moreover, it’s not only about cultural differences, but also about differences of generation. Which made that project really challenging and exciting: how to touch all these different audiences? How to give all of them the feeling to experience an event and an environment really devoted to party? From then on, I had to take into account the way Mickey’s Magical Party is celebrated all over the resort, from It’s Party Time… with Mickey and Friends in front of Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant, to It’s Dance Time… in Discoveryland, along with our orchestras and other shows introduced during previous seasons.

That’s the reason why we chose to give each event its own voice, but at the same time, to create common features between them. Musically speaking, this can heard through the different versions of the same Disney themes in different shows. For example, we hear Scott Erickson’s song, Mickey’s Magical Party Time in It’s Party Time… with Mickey and Friends, but also in Discoveryland and on Main Street, using different arrangements. And it’s the same for the classic Disney themes.

How did you arrange the classic Disney themes through the spirit of Mickey’s Magical Party?

Generally speaking, all the arrangements sound more contemporary than the original ones. For example, we wanted to introduce a disco colour since, after 30 years, that festive style is still very vivid. Think about the success of Mamma Mia!, the musical, but also the movie, both of them based on songs by Abba.

Thus, for Peter Pan’s Following the Leader, we associated an ethnic, South African approach with the very disco. On the other hand, the music associated with Tigger became Celtic, whereas the one associated to Donald took Central European colours. One party – hundreds of references and colours, from ethnic to disco, jazz, jazz-rock and pop, with all kinds of mixes between them. The result is an incredible musical diversity to bring a joy and an energy to the celebration!

Each arrangement was created with great attention to authenticity, regarding each musical reference.

Above all, I’d want to stress the quality of the original material we work with –Disney music. It’s a pleasure to do all sorts of variations on those themes. Everybody can hum or whistle them. You can do anything with them, provided you love them! And I do love them!

From the start, we tried to enhance each Disney Character musically through different colours and rhythms. Take Tigger. He’s the vivid expression of the idea of “jumping for joy” and the songs the Sherman Brothers wrote for him are really full of that kind of energy. How to go further without repeating oneself? It appeared to me that the Celtic style was the solution because of its rhythmic specificity, incredibly lively, and because of its vibrant instrumental colours.

By the way, we recorded that music with Celtic musicians, true specialists, at Real World studios, nearby London. We used the fiddle, that folk violin, but also different Celtic flutes that brought their unique qualities to the music.

In the same way, for the South African tone of Following the Leader, we looked for musicians who were specialists in that kind of repertoire, playing authentic instruments. The flute they used is a very plain one, made of wood, with a very unusual pitch, which makes all its charm and authenticity. I remember the success that Paul Simon’s album, Graceland, had during the 80s, when he appealed to South African musicians, and I wanted to rekindle that spirit, with that very positive rhythm, and at the same time very serene. I thought it would be interesting to associate Mickey to that spirit, that serenity.

As for disco music, we went back to the archetypes of that style, not only from the rhythmical point of view, but also from the point of view of the strings, of the reverb and of the type of mix which immediately evokes that period.

As you can see, the music of Mickey’s Magical Party is filled with all kinds of references, sometimes very fugitive, but that stand as surprises, nods and homages.

Take Donald. I thought of using a theme that is devoted to him, Macho Duck, but less known, played by a wonderful Hungarian musician on a Cymbalum. Since he’s very good at improvising and he was pleased to play a Disney theme, he made several versions of it among which I had to choose. That was a wonderful meeting with him and all the musicians on that production, and each time, they brought their own style and their personality to the music.

And above that Cymbalum, I added a traditional violin from Central Europe playing a very famous Romanian folk song called The Lark. It’s a moment of virtuosity since the musician has to imitate the birds singing with his instrument, like in 18th century imitative music, in the vein of Leopold Mozart — Wolfgang Amadeus’ father—’s pieces. With Donald, it became not only in reference, but also a gag since he can’t fly. It is music itself that allows him to do it, in a way! In fact, it is when I thought of that piece that I got the idea of arranging the whole moment in the spirit of Central Europe.

That said, considering all these styles, there was a risk at dispersing oneself. But we kept our production focused on its main aims — humour and joy. And at the same time, we all feel the greatest respect toward the material we use and toward our guests. With all this, our path was clear. I just needed the sparkle for each piece, the idea that was going to make it unique.

The production of this music is also an opportunity to meet new people and I imagine that was the case here again.

I worked in Budapest with a wonderful orchestrator/arranger named Peter Pejtsik. Like me, he studied classical music first, then came to jazz and rock. Besides, he plays in a progressive rock band in Hungary. He’s very enthusiastic and energetic, always ready to have fun with music — that’s the reason why we got along so well!

He was very much involved in that production, notably playing the bass (he’s a cello player) and traditional Romanian fiddle in the Donald piece we’ve just talked about. And, to get as close as possible to the spirit of folk music, I sang and whistled the theme of The Lark to him so that he could play by ear. I didn’t want to use sheet music because that implies a different relation to music, more rigid. Traditional, folk music is one of oral tradition and transmission, which implies a more fluid, more improvised and more lively approach.

You don’t have to play a score, you have to charm your audience by any means: vibrato, bow technique, timbres, etc. That’s I was looking for in that piece.

On the other hand, for It’s Dance Time… in Discoveryland, you turned to techno music, with a brand new mix of Pirates of the Caribbean, following the version produced by Hans Zimmer and DJ Tiesto. How did you create your own version?

The same way we wanted to pay homage to Celtic, South African, jazz-rock and disco music, we imagined an homage to techno music. The only difference is that we thought it would be more accurate to do it in Discoveryland, a land devoted to technology.

Immediately, I turned to Show Director Emmanuel Lenormand. As you know, before starting to work on a project, I always ask the creators about their favourite songs to help me choose the right themes. So, he told me about Pirates of the Caribbean. Then, I started working on it with the idea of keeping with the same musical family as what had been done before in that matter, the archetypes of that kind of mix. In order to do that, I produced a first demo based on the rhythm of Pirates of the Caribbean and some elements from inside the main theme. Klaus Badelt’s theme is so well conceived that you can always use it as a whole or in parts and always recognize it. Just a few notes and you’re in.

So, I proposed that demo to Emmanuel to see if that was okay with him from the point of view of the dance. Then, we talked about instrumentation and sounds that we could add to it, and I contacted Doru Apreotesei, from Stockholm, to propose the project to him. He got very thrilled about it and, together, we created no less than eight versions, with different mixes. This way, we were able to bring a new personality to that theme, while keeping within the same musical family as the other remixes.

In a way, it was like composing a symphony in the style of Beethoven in respecting the idioms of his writing. There are people who think techno is formulaic, simplistic. On the contrary, I think techno offers a whole array of possibilities, and it was so much fun to work on that!

How did you musically transform the Disney Stars and Motorcars Parade of Disney’s Hollywood Studios into Disney’s Stars ‘n’ Cars, a unique mix of cavalcade and production number.

It really was a team effort since it’s about a kind of a “collage”, in the spirit of the Beaux-Arts in the 30s, a rendering of pre-existing material to which we added new elements. Show Director Emmanuel Lenormand also created that concept. He has a perfect knowledge of the Disney repertoire and he chose the music he wanted for his show.

You know, the Walt Disney Studios Park is like a guided tour through a contemporary fairytale. We work with recent myths, stories that date back to less than 100 years. So, the music of Disney’s Stars ‘n’ Cars is in that sense an homage to the greatest moments of cinema history, a presentation of Disney Characters beautifully dressed and driven in magnificent automobiles, celebrating popular culture. But there is also some wisdom in that culture, in each subject. Even a great wisdom.

Then, for the production number and the meet and greet, we chose cues taken from different shows, like a summary of the history of show business and cinema. I find that this association brings some freshness to that music, which makes our show particularly nice and a highlight in a day at the park. To me, it was a different kind of work, but fun all the same!

You’re also a record producer for Disneyland Paris. You’ve just produced two new albums, Disneyland Resort Paris en Musique and Les Parades en Musique, featuring the complete score of the Disney’s Once Upon A Dream Parade. Can you tell me about that aspect of your work as Director of Music?

To me, it’s a way to balance the different aspects of my work. I love to alternate writing and producing. Record production is a passion that comes from far away in time and space. That was my job in Romania almost 30 years ago when I was the artistic director of the only recording label of the country. That was really intense since I produced about 250 albums a year. We were publishing all kinds of music, but also literature, audiobook recordings.

Thanks to Disneyland Paris, I can do that again. I can produce only for the park, which means that our records are to be sold on site only, and focus on our music for shows, old or new, and even never heard before versions, to allow our fans to appreciate all the work done for each and every production.

For the music of the Disney’s Once Upon A Dream Parade, we didn’t present it the way you would hear it in the park, because, on site, the soundtrack is always changing, adapting according to the progression of the parade and to the position of the floats. So, we preferred to release a medley presenting the entirety of the music of each float, the way it was performed in concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra two years ago.

It was a very complicated project since each cue is produced a particular way for the park, sometimes mono, sometimes with a different reverb according to the acoustics of the place. For the album, we have a stereo mix that offers nearly perfect listening conditions.

That’s the way I think of my job as a producer: to give the audience attractive tracklistings, but also to set a light on the talent of the artists. At the time I was in Romania, for four years I didn’t publish any of my music, to be free to be fair. That’s the reason why I conceive my records as an homage to the great artists that have worked with us.

Let me also pay tribute to my team, sound engineers Michael Obst, Sylvain Chesneau and Xavier Bongrand, without forgetting Estelle Champeau and Robert Fienga’s always smart and professional contribution. I also closely collaborate with our colleagues from the Merchandise department who help us to create designs in coherence with the one of the season or of a show.

Besides, I can tell you we’re working on another album for Mickey’s year, which will go out this summer, with material from Mickey’s Magical Party and other surprises…

It seems that the records produced at Disneyland Paris lean rather to shows than to attraction music. What are your thoughts on that?

As a record producer, Disneyland Paris’ aim is to produce records for the visitors of the park, so as producer of the park’s music, that’s why I do it with the idea that our guests will enjoy listening to it on a record at home, like a souvenir. And I consider it important to give priority to our own productions, in order to respect the artists that kindly accept to work with us.

Now, I’d like to pay tribute to Wayne Allwine, voice of Mickey Mouse, who passed away on 18th May 2009, and who had lent his voice to numerous shows and events for Disneyland Paris.

For my team and myself, he’s Mickey. Forever will he be our Mickey. I can’t think of him but in the present. I haven’t fully come to terms with his passing away yet.

I had the pleasure of working with him in Los Angeles, along with his wife, Russi Taylor —Minnie’s voice, and I have always looked forward to meeting him again. He came here [to Disneyland Paris] several times, notably for the 5th and the 10th anniversaries of the park.

When I think of Wayne Allwine, I think of an extraordinary human relationship, a generosity, a kind of desire to share and be with other people which you only see in exceptional people. Each time we met, we laughed, and at the same time, we had really deep moments talking about life, about being human, about friendship, about the world. Artists like him can’t pretend. You can pretend once or twice, but that’s all. That’s why he will always be our Mickey.

He was an immense actor and immense human being, someone critical for the Disney organization. People loved him and still love him for a reason. He was and is respected by his fellow actors and by fans. It’s the great loss of this Spring, and for us, a friend has gone. Our thoughts go to Russi…

Because of that, the new album you’re producing sounds like an homage.

Indeed, it’s an homage because, beyond the fact that Mickey is the icon of our company, we always thought about him when doing our records and our shows. We always tried to find a way to have him say a few words just to have the pleasure of meeting him again, through the phone or for real, here or in Los Angeles. And we always felt that warmth from him.

Of course, Mickey’s Magical Party is no exception! For this brand new year of fun, the resort called upon well-known Disney parks composer Scott Erickson to write the theme song which ultimately became “Mickey’s Magical Party Time!”, a lively, feel-good rock-pop anthem.

Scott knows the universe of Disney well. He has arranged numerous songs for the follow-ups to animated classics, such as Mulan II, Tarzan II, Mulan II and even Bambi II before becoming a frequent composer for Tokyo Disneyland amongst other resorts. But his relationship with Disney is deeper still, thanks to his upbringing of Mickey Mouse Club TV shows and visits to the original Disneyland in California.

How did you get into the realm of Disney theme park music?

It was probably 1997. I was working with a producer named Robbie Buchanan and Vasile Sirli called him to do a song for their parade that was Dancin’ (A Catchy Rhythm). So, Vasile came to Los Angeles to work with Robbie, and as I was working with Robbie, I came to meet him. I was production assistant, Robbie was the producer.

The first thing I ever wrote for one of the parks was a song called Pumpkin Party for Tokyo Disneyland. That was five years ago.

And in just a few years you’ve just come to work for almost every Disney park in the world!

I’ve done mostly songs and music for parades or for shows. It’s fantastic to work with Disney parks. Everybody is so professional and so talented. They only use the highest level of musicians and the music directors of the parks are so smart and so talented!

How did you come to work on the Mickey’s Magical Party song?

It was kind of a funny story. First of all, Vasile was trying to find a project for us to work on together for a long time and last year, probably in February or March, he called and asked me to send him a bunch of songs possibly for Halloween. It turned out that they didn’t have the budget last year to update the parade and change the Halloween song.

Then, in October, he called and said: “we have this new show” and he explained about Mickey’s Magical Party to me. “We’d love you to write a song”. And there was one of the songs I had sent them that they really liked and that hadn’t been used for anything. “We love this song. If you want to change that into the song for our show, that would be great!”

So, since nobody owned it at that time, I could do anything I wanted with that song and we changed it from a Halloween song into the Party Time song. We added a big band in it, made it bigger and changed some things, and that was how we did it!

How did the creators of Mickey’s Magical Party tell you about the spirit of the party so that you could change your song?

We didn’t change the music very much. We changed some of the lyrics that were specifically about Halloween to be more about parties and being happy and having a great, fun time. For instance, when I compose a song for a show, I like to put the name of the show in my song so that everything is tied together.

How did you write that song?

The writing of this song was different from what I usually do. Usually, I write it at home in my studio. But at that time, I was in Las Vegas producing a Christmas record for Barry Manilow. We were mixing it there. And during the mixing of a record, the producer doesn’t have a lot to do. Usually, he waits for the mixer to do his job.

So, I was there, bored for a week and a half. So I borrowed a keyboard from the stage and I brought a couple of my computers, and I set up a little studio. That’s how, mixing a Christmas record, I composed a song for Halloween!

How did you write the lyrics of the song?

Probably two thirds of the lyrics were left over from the original demo, and then anything that had to do with Halloween was taken out and changed to be more specific to the show. Also, Vasile told me that there were some banners around the park that say “Welcome” in different languages, and he said it would be fun to incorporate that somehow into the song. So, I did.

With Vasile, it was a give-and-take kind of exchange, going back and forth and working together until we all came up with a structure of a song that we were happy with.

It seems that Kat de Blois was very much involved in that process, too.

Very much so. I was introduced to her on this project. She had a lot of input. Vasile was working in Romania at this time, so I started to call Kat to get her input and her specific ideas, because she’s the Creative Director of the show.

Also, she’s American as opposed to Vasile and Christophe Leclercq, the Show Director, so she was able to add some possible lyric ideas or some specific images because she speaks the language a little more fluently. She was very helpful.

Can you tell me about the main arrangement of the song?

It has a kind of a rock feel. We kept that, but made it a little broader. And to add some emotional feel, we added some strings over the chorus and over the second verse. I was doing another project for Disney – I was recording some promotional versions of When You Wish Upon a Star with an orchestra in Prague – and on the same session, I had some extra time so I recorded the strings for this one.

We also added horns. They’re pretty characteristic of theme park music but we wanted to use them in a more “pop” kind of way than in a theme park one. They add a little more excitment and a little more energy. For the bass part, I got in touch with Lee Sklar, who is a famous bass player with a long beard who’s worked a lot with Phil Collins during the 80s, and who’s a good friend of mine.

I called my usual guitar player, Tim Pierce, who plays for all kinds of famous records, and my drummer, Charlie Morgan, who lives in Nashville. So, I sent him the track music and he played drums in Nashville and then sent over the audio through the internet.

That’s my favourite part of the production of any song, this one included: doing sessions with all these incredibly talented people that I have the privilege of getting to work with, and watching them do what they do so well. All the musicians and singers and the orchestras – I’m such a fan! So, we had people from everywhere: Prague, Nashville, Paris…

Percussions were part of your background. Does that influence the way you approach rhythm in your songs?

The very first thing, I started playing the piano when I was 5, and then when I was 11, I started to play the drums. I continued to play piano while doing a lot of percussion in orchestras and classical percussion through college. Because of that, I like to change rhythm so that the rhythm is not the same all the way through the song. It changes several different times. It definitely is an outgrowth of my experience as a percussionist and a drummer.

Stylistically, there seems to be a Blues Brothers-meets-High School Musical touch in your song. Do you agree?

Yes! The High School Musical franchise is now part of the company’s creative message. With a little touch of Disney theme park music, too! The Disney theme parks seem to have their own, specific kind of style of production. We’re trying to update it and modernize it but it remains a very identifiable sound.

Can you tell me about the different arrangements of your song presented in the park?

I was surprised to discover Vasile’s orchestral arrangement. I didn’t know he was doing it and it turned out fantastic, just great. I love it!

As for the techno one, it’s a remix done in Cleveland by a guy called Tony Miracle. I sent him all of my tracks and we sent him the mix. He rebuilt it with different things. He did it all and I co-produced it with him. He’d send it to me and I gave him notes and sent it to Vasile and Vasile added some comments. There were two or three small revisions and that was it.

Mostly, it was great! But to make it a little more “Disney”, the very first version he sent didn’t have quite as many “sparkling” sounds or “Disney” kind of effects. It was kind of darker and we had to remind him that it was intended for a Disney park and that we had to add a little bit of sparkle, a little bit of magic. So, he did that and he did a great job.

You seem very much aware of what the Disney magic truly is. How’s that?

My first memory of Disney music is the Electrical Parade at Disneyland when I was ten. It was so great. The lights were so magical and wonderful, but the music was just fantastic. And it was really a thrill for me to actually come to know the composer of that piece, Jean-Jacques Perrey! I’ve been a fan of this guy forever! Also, I love animation. I used to watch cartoons on Saturday mornings.

Probably when I was 10 years old, I bought a book, The Illusion of Life, by Disney Legends Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas and had it in my bookshelf for years and used to look at it. It was great! But my first Disney trivia personal connection is that I was born on the day Jungle Book was released: October 17th 1967! In the 60s and 70s, Disney made records for children to learn things. I actually have them hanging in my studio here: one is called Fun With Music – 30 Favorite Disney Songs, another is called Learning to Tell Time, and Acting Out the ABCs.

And when I was in Grade School, the new Mickey Mouse Club was on and was so addicted to it! My fantasy in the world was to be a Mouseketeer. Friday was called Discovery Day and they taped the show at Disneyland, at the Carnation Plaza. So, of course, when we got to go there two years later after watching, I freaked out when I saw the Carnation Plaza where the Mouseketeers did their show every Friday.

And at the same time, they were still airing original Mickey Mouse Club episodes on TV. So, I used to watch that when I was a kid, too. Ironically, Don Grady, who was part of the original Mickey Mouse Club, became a very talented songwriter and musician, and we crossed paths seven or eight years ago and we’ve become very good friends! So, my connection to Disney seems to be pretty long and deep!

And I guess that’s an experience you share with your kids. How is it for them to have their father make Disney music?

It’s thrilling to get to watch my 6 year old daughter and 4 year old son experience these shows in a different way because the songs they hear at home come out to television, theater or Disney parks. Just after she turned four, my daughter sang along with the children’s group on a Disney Princess parade that I wrote for Tokyo. That was thrilling. We got the video from Tokyo and every time that part of the song comes out, she knows that she was part of those girls singing along with those Disney Princesses! What could be better?

Of course, my kids are my test audience! When I write something for one of the shows, I bring them out here and they tell me if they love it or hate it. And believe me, they don’t love everything, especially my daughter! She’s not an easy audience! Here’s a great story: I wrote a Halloween show for Tokyo Disneyland, and in one of the songs, I wrote a section for Princesses dancing around their castle singing La-Dee-Da-Dee-Da… I had the demo playing in my car, and my daughter was not quite convinced.

She said: “I really like it except for one part: Disney Princesses don’t say La-Dee-Da! They just say: La-La-La”. It just turned out that I had lunch with the Creative Director from Tokyo Disneyland a week later. I told him about it and he said: “you know what? I think she’s right!” My daughter is an expert on all things Princesses, that for sure!

• With thanks to Scott Erickson, Vasile Sirli, Aurélie Massin and Magali Arnéodo!

A show full of heart and bursting with energy, it was show director Christophe Leclercq who was tasked with bringing this centrepiece event to life. So, It’s Interview Time… with our host Jérémie Noyer!

How did you conceive It’s Party Time… with Mickey and Friends?

We knew we needed an overture, a prologue, interactive moments and a finale with a play-off. From this, we looked to how to give life and energy to that structure. Considering the number of dancers we have, we thought it would be great if they’d arrive on stage first. However, we later changed this, and it’s now the hosts who arrive first and introduce the dancers.

After that, we needed a magical moment for Mickey to appear. We chose to wait a little before having him magically appear on stage, so that we could warm the audience up to welcome him in the most exciting way. That’s our overture.

Now, once our star, Mickey, the dancers and the hosts were gathered on stage, we were ready for the prologue, an introductory production number. That was the time to invite the other Disney Characters to come along. To do that, we drew our inspiration from the logo of Mickey’s Magical Party, which features Mickey, Pluto, Goofy and Donald. For that reason, we thought it would be best if these Characters were the first to join Mickey.

From here, we had four Disney Characters, each on one of the four satellites of the stage, with dancers and one host: now everything was set to invite the rest of the cast, that is Mickey’s other friends: Baloo, Tigger, Timon and Peter Pan & Wendy. For this, we use the lift incorporated within this magical stage, to allow the Characters to arrive completely by surprise.

So, briefly, we started with a classical structure that we plussed along the way to fit the story we wanted to tell.

How did you choose which of Mickey’s friends would participate to the show?

We made the decision rather soon to ask Goofy, Donald and Pluto to take part, to echo the Mickey’s Magical Party logo already designed. Then, the choice of the other Characters was mainly motivated by the music. We needed each Character to be interesting musically.

For instance, children love Baloo, who is inseparable from his song, The Bare Necessities. The same goes for Timon and Hakuna Matata, which is an instant winner. With Tigger, we have “bouncing” songs, perfect to bring energy and fun to the show, whereas Winnie the Pooh’s songs would be too soft.

Finally, I hesitated a lot between Alice and Peter Pan. Actually, in the park, Princesses are very much present, much to the delight of little girls. So instead, I turned to a Character that boys could identify with – Peter Pan – and, in associating him with Wendy, little girls wouldn’t be forgotten either. I also loved the idea that both Characters can fly and I represented that in the choreography.

As you described, the soundtrack of It’s Party Time… with Mickey and Friends strongly follows the energy and storyline of the show. How did you find collaborating with Musical Director Vasile Sirli?

The challenge was that both the writing of the show script and the writing of the score had to be done in parallel. We had long talks, long meetings, listening to demos, in order to find a satisfying way to tell our story. We needed it to be very energetic all the way through.

It was the music, thanks to Vasile’s demos, which helped us to choose the appearance order of the different Characters. At the beginning, we were set on starting with Peter Pan and finishing with Timon. But it was musically more interesting to start with Baloo and Tigger and to finish with Peter Pan. This also fit much better the musical cue that would follow, for the finale.

How did you come to create and use the Mickey’s Magical Party Time song by Scott Erickson, which can be heard several times during the show?

The first time I heard it, it was at the demo stage and I said: “That’s what I want! That’s what I need for the show!” From this, the decision was made to hire Scott on the project and have him write the lyrics and transform his demo into a fully-produced original song.

The final product is the result of an intense collaboration between Scott, Vasile and Creative Director Kat de Blois.

For the first time, you looked to a writer to help you on the show script.

Absolutely. I worked with Paul Scherer, who is a British actor, singer and scriptwriter. He helped me a lot through both the exchanging of ideas and the writing – and re-writing – of the script each time a new idea would come up.

It’s always very difficult to put on paper an idea you have in your head and in your heart, and he helped me clarify some of the ideas which came out of my imagination. He brought a more dramatic, theatrical approach to the script, as I’m rather “concert” oriented, driven by the music. It was a superb collaboration!

Can you tell me about that amazing stage built in front of Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant?

It was designed before the creation of the production itself and my job was therefore to create a show for it. What was very important to me was to have the two lifts. They were merely suggested at the beginning, but I insisted a lot for them to become a reality.

Mickey’s lift was crucial because it is the one that brings the magic on stage, allowing Mickey to appear. As for the second one, which lifts the podiums on stage, it was also necessary since the whole show script was conceived around it.

How did the stage influence the way you directed the show?

The challenge was to create a show visible through 360 degrees. When you’re in a theatre, there’s always a backdrop and the side wings to get in and out. Here, we had a great backdrop – the castle – but no wings. From the moment the artists arrive on stage, they stay there. I therefore had to keep them active so that the visual is always interesting. And, since they have no focus – which means they don’t have one audience directly in front of them like in a traditional theatre like The Chaparral Theater or Videopolis – we had to imagine our choreographies “in circle”.

We don’t have one but four main focuses: Main Street, the Castle, Discoveryland and Adventureland/Frontierland. Knowing that, between the satellites, there are even more focuses. It’s 360 degrees, all around! You have to always keep in mind that the Disney Characters, the dancers and the hosts must dance for everybody. Wherever you are in the audience, you always see artists facing you. The whole choreography and the staging were conditioned by that really gigantic and wide stage.

Because the idea was always to have a big central stage, with machinery, bridges and satellites allowing the Disney Characters, dancers and hosts to get closer to the audience, that demanded a lot of thinking and a lot of work in the staging.

We ended up with up to 36 different versions of the script. With 33 artists on stage, if you have someone move, you’ve got to move everybody else to keep the balance. Hence the whole staging is based on lines, crossing lines and English chains. That’s very complex!

How did you visualize those moves, when you were initially planning the show?

Everything was drawn by hand on boards representing a bird-eye view of the stage. With Choreographer and Junior Show Director Françoise Baffioni, we drew crosses and circles for the dancers, and wrote names for the Characters.

According to the musical structure, we drew a board for each important moment of the soundtrack. And, since we wanted everything to move all the time, using the whole scenic space, we drew all the movements by hand on dozens of boards.

Where did you find the space for rehearsals?

We rehearsed at Disney Village, in the Dome. We had some marquees on the ground identical to the actual stage so that we could avoid surprises when we would transpose our work into the park. That proved really helpful since, for our first rehearsal in the park, almost everything worked and we had to make just very few adjustments.

You said how inspirational the logo of Mickey’s Magical Party was for you in the choice of the Characters. Are there any other elements of the decoration of the park that inspired you?

At one moment, in the Prologue, there is a ballet with ribbons. That idea was inspired by an original concept for the decoration of the lampposts in Main Street USA, which was later abandoned. You can still find that general idea nevertheless on other decorations like the ones on the castle.

It’s Party Time… with Mickey and Friends is based on an alternation of production numbers and interactive moments. How did you find the right balance between these?

Interactivity is a crucial feature in the concept of Mickey’s Magical Party. Yet, at the same time, we have an impressive cast of dancers on stage. So, with Françoise, we said that we had to give the dancers some true work to do, interesting things to perform. That’s the reason why you have both complex ballets and more simple moves for the audience to dance along to.

Though we know the European audience is more reluctant to dance that the American audience, there are always groups of people who join the party and dance. But, at the same time, I made the show as visually interesting as possible so that people who don’t want to dance can enjoy it because of the Characters, of the beautiful costumes, the music, the choreographies, the dancers and the hosts.

What is your best memory of the production process?

The day the cast arrived in the studio for the presentation of the concept through boards and demos (since the soundtrack wasn’t ready yet). Meeting all these artists we had auditioned all over the world was really something. Imagine it, we have dancers from seven different countries: France, England, USA, Italy, Spain, Poland and Greece.

At the beginning, in our casting office, we just had photos of the dancers and the MCs, and this day everybody was finally here, it was big! There were 90 people in the studio, and they all liked the concept. After that, rehearsals went smoothly, without any stress. Everything was so well-prepared that despite the amount of people to manage, it was a pleasure!

Another memory was the day the stage was completed. It was Saturday morning. I had the day off and I received a photo of the stage on my Blackberry from the Production Manager. I immediately took my car and got to the park because I wanted to see the completed stage with the castle behind so much.

I had followed the whole building process, but from behind the construction walls. Now, I could see the whole place opened out, with all the flowers planted by our Landscaping department. That was a very moving moment – and a scary one, too, because it was huge and I could see the amount of work which still waited!

Just like Candleabration became the Enchanted Candleabration for Christmas, do you think the show will be adapted to the different seasons of the park?

Nothing’s set yet. But I’ve already decided that Mickey should wish a merry Christmas and a happy new year during the Christmas season. That said, I can imagine an enchanting finale with the whole cast for the illumination of the Crystal Castle, taking advantage of all these brilliant artists to create a brand new spectacle for Christmas!

Of American origin, Kat de Blois has been living in France for over 25 years and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from the Boston Conservatory of Music.

Kat began by a New York career, which included working with modern Choreographers Twyla Tharp, José Limon, Anna Sokolow, Daniel Lewis, and Jerome Robbins, as well as Broadway Composers Leonard Bernstein and Julie Styne. She then worked extensively, in Europe, with The Really Useful Company as resident Artistic Director of “Cats” in Paris and Zurich. French Television credits include: “Salut les Mickey”, “Emilie Jolie” and “Téléfolies”. Kat is on the jury for the Fédération Française de Danse and has participated in numerous international dance and theatre conventions.

Kat became the Creative Director for the Entertainment Division in December 2005 after having joined Disneyland Resort Paris as a Choreographer for shows, events and parades a year before grand opening, in October 1991. She directed and choreographed “Disney’s Fantillusion”, “Main Street Electrical Parade”, “Rock Shock”, “Pocahontas, le spectacle”, “The Tarzan Encounter”, and “Disney Classics: the Music and the Magic” among many others. She has also been the principal creative force behind the Halloween Festival and created the Atmosphere Talent Program for the Hong Kong Disneyland opening.

How did you begin to plan Mickey’s Magical Party after the successful celebrations of the 15th Anniversary of Disneyland Resort Paris?

By doing something totally different! The 15th anniversary was a very important step in the history of the resort and we had to celebrate all these years of magic in a traditional and classical way.

With Mickey’s Magical Party, we wanted to spread the party all over the resort, out of the walls! Come, join the party! Mickey invites you to celebrate with him! All day long, at certain magical times, special events will happen in both parks. For instance, if you’re passing by Star Traders in Discoveryland, you’ll be able to see Stitch jumping in with his ship and his SciFi-styled dancers to invite you to the dance. The party will be everywhere!

In front of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, we’ll present a brand new show, It’s Party Time… with Mickey and Friends, on this huge, new, 360° stage. Whether you’re passing by the Castle, or leaving Discoveryland, or going to Frontierland, or heading up Main Street, USA, the party is all around you, with lots of interactivity.

In the same way, Disney’s Stars ‘n’ Cars at the Walt Disney Studios Park will evoke the great Hollywood ceremonies like the Oscars, with extraordinary vehicles carrying the celebrities. Disney Characters will gather for a great production number before walking the red carpet for a unique meet-and-greet time with the fans. I call that “partytainment”.

All of our talents and know-how in timing, music, recording, choreography and showmanship is being put to use, yet this time around a festive concept: street party, nightclub party, Mickey’s party… all kind of parties.

So, Mickey is the centrepiece of the party. Is it also a way to celebrate his 80th birthday?

Not specifically, no. It is true that his birthday was an inspiration and that other departments are talking about it, but there are no candles and no cake. It’s a 365-day party. That said, Mickey will be not only present on the stage in front of the Castle, but also at Videopolis in Discoveryland.

The theater will be transformed into a big cinema, Cinéma Mickey. Be it in the stalls, or eating upstairs, you’ll be able to watch a bunch of Mickey cartoons that made him the star we know, introduced by himself. A new way to celebrate with him, this time as a cartoon character.

Is it a way to concentrate more on classic characters, at a time when Disney’s latest animated characters seem less in the spotlight in the parks?

It all depends on what you mean by “classic”. Stitch is a relatively recent character and he already has his own attraction, Stitch Live!, together with his new live show, It’s Dance Time… in Discoveryland where he’ll teach guest a new, exciting and up-tempo kind of dance. He even invited himself for Halloween lately!

In the same way, we’ve created a brand-new place dedicated to the Toy Story 2 characters in Frontierland, Woody’s Roundup Village. And don’t forget, you can meet Ratatouille‘s Remy at Rendez-Vous des Stars Restaurant in Walt Disney Studios Park, in a brand-new way of presenting a character, in its real size. It’s part of our creativity to find where, when and how to present a character.

But the most important thing is to listen to our guests. We’ve realized that the most important thing was not to gather dozens of characters all in Main Street USA. The most important for them is to see the “top 20″.

From It’s Party Time…with Mickey and Friends to It’s Dance Time… in Discoveryland and to Disney’s Stars ‘n’ Cars, it seems that you focused more on outdoor entertainment while indoor shows like The Legend of the Lion King and The Tarzan Encounter are being cut back.

As I said, we wanted the party to be everywhere – it’s the concept itself that demands we focus on street entertainment, and we are pleased to try that new challenge. You’ll know it’s very rare for a parade or a show to be cancelled due to adverse weather at Disneyland Resort Paris, and we did our best to anticipate those kind of issues to be able to perform these new shows in every condition possible.

But, most of all, instead of having just 400 people attending The Legend of the Lion King indoors, we’ll be able to gather up to 3,000 of them around Stitch! The idea is to allow the maximum number of guests to participate in the entertainment.

How do you share the task of creating an event like this with all your colleagues, partners and collaborators?

The Entertainment division is headed by Simon Opie, who is Vice-President, and as for myself, I’m the Creative Director of the department that develops all the shows. That includes the parades, the fireworks, the street shows, the stage shows and the special events, and it involves show directors, choreographers, scenographers, designers and CG designers all working together to create the right concept around a dream, an idea.

It can be introducing a new Disney film, or “how to make Mickey’s party magical?”. I collaborate with the Music Department and its Music Director, Vasile Sirli, along with the costume designers, headed by Sue Lecash, and the Entertainment, Strategic Development & Communication department. And all the directors report to Simon Opie.

As you can see, we’re one big, happy family! With all the directors, we have a meeting every Wednesday morning at 9am, as everybody has not completely woken up and our dreams are still fresh in our minds. During those informal meetings, we throw up ideas for projects without any constraint of time and budget, and that’s when certain ideas emerge, which have already been produced, or will be some day!…

If certain shows are original, others, like Disney’s Stars ‘n’ Cars or Playhouse Disney – Live on Stage!, were originally created for other parks. Using the original as a basis, how do you then manage to give them a feel unique to the Parisian resort?

That’s a wonderful question. Concerning Playhouse Disney – Live on Stage!, it is basically a strong show that works perfectly with little kids and that fits the spirit of the recent expansion of Walt Disney Studios Park in offering entertainments for the whole family. It’s show that comes from the US, yet here, we’re going to present it in three languages, for the first time in the world: English, French and Spanish according to the audience. In other words, we’ve completely adapted that show specifically to our audiences.

As for Disney’s Stars ‘n’ Cars, it is a creation of Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida. Originally, it was a classical Disney parade with dancers and cars. We started from the cars of that concept and then we thought about the way we could produce that kind of show in France. Knowing it’s about cars, meaning vehicles that are closer to the ground than classical parade floats, we felt concerned about their visibility. That’s why we made it a “cavalcade”, a motorcade, and not a parade; a big arrival of stars, the Hollywood way!

The cars come along and gather at Place des Stars in Production Courtyard. The Characters step out, jump onto the stage for a production number and then go to join the guests for a meet and greet moment. You’ll see Mickey with his megaphone directing the shooting, with no need for words or language to understand the message. So, we imported elements from the States, but we created our own concept, very visual, very musical, to fit our very international audiences.

At Disneyland, California, this years’ concept is “What will you celebrate?”. It seems like the party is spreading all over the world!

What’s magical is that, even if you’re working on four different continents, there is a joint energy between all the Disney resorts — an ambiance, the idea that you’re going to participate in something unique, experience a classic story in 360°. I’m part of a group of creative directors of all the Disney parks in the world and we work together. We share ideas, inspirations, and everyone brings that back to their resort to adapt them to the culture of the country.

That’s the reason why shows, entertainments and messages are different from one park to the other. For example, the American parks tried to create something more intimate in pushing the guests to celebrate something that touches them personally, in their family – a birthday, a graduation, an engagement… That’s the American way, meaning you can celebrate an intimate event in a very outgoing, extravagant way. You share it with everyone.

In Europe, those kinds of event are celebrated more within the frame of the family, and not necessarily in public. That’s the reason why, here, it’s Disneyland Resort Paris that invites you to the party. You come here because it’s Mickey Mouse throwing the party!

• With special thanks to Kat de Blois!