By Tim Collins
Contributor
The magic began in 1937 when Walt Disney’s first animated feature, “Snow White,” graced the screen.
The beloved, cherry-cheeked princess captured the hearts of millions as she sang about finding her true love, leaving audiences yearning for more. It took until 1950 for the next princess, Cinderella, to recapture their hearts — a wait that proved worthwhile.
Since then, countless princesses, heroes, rogues, and lovable anthropomorphic characters have emerged, all unified by one element: the music.
This enchanting music continues to captivate, making “Thank You, Walt: 100 Years of Disney Magic!” an apt choice for this spring’s PACE musical review.
PACE concerts are known for their magical quality, transforming a diverse group of about 300 young performers from kindergartners to high school seniors into a cohesive musical ensemble. This show, complete with singing, dancing, humour, costumes, and sets, promises a performance worthy of any grand stage.
“It’s a lot of hard work and dedication from all the kids that makes the shows so great. Of course, Sandra Webster-Worthy, the driving force behind our successes, holds it all together. She’s amazing,” said Dallas Ross, the show’s marketing director and part of the extensive team of parent volunteers.
“But we also have people like Sarah Wilson, our musical director, who is an accredited musical theatre director. There are many talented individuals involved with PACE,” Ross added.
Ross, a public relations professional, collaborates with other skilled volunteers, overseeing everything from choreography to music and costumes.
“It’s a real team effort,” Ross emphasized.
The show especially highlights performers from the graduating class, many of whom have been part of PACE since their early school days.
“A lot of these kids have grown up with PACE and have been part of the program for years,” said Kara Power, another PACE parent volunteer. “It’s incredible to watch these phenomenal young people grow and develop into the wonderful performers they are today.”
The program includes songs from classic and recent Disney films, such as “Encanto,” and extends to other Disney properties like “High School Musical” and “The Descendants.”
“We run the gamut of all things Disney. In one of our first production meetings, we decided to take the Disney theme seriously and create as big a spectacle as possible,” said Ross.
In line with this commitment, the team and performers have worked tirelessly to recreate the Disney magic with elaborate costumes, lighting, choreography, and more. The show even features about 20 hidden Mickeys for eagle-eyed Disney fans to discover.
The performances are scheduled for April 26 and 27 at 7 p.m., with additional matinees on April 27 and 28 at 2 p.m. at the Isabelle Reader Theatre, located at 1026 Goldstream Ave. in Langford. Tickets are priced at $15 and are available at www.eventbrite.com.