"Mickey's Music Festival" comes to Hanover Theatre Nov. 7 - Worcester Telegram

A music festival that has toured the United States and the world for more than four seasons comes to Massachusetts for the first time Nov. 7.

Legendary figures will be at The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts in Worcester for two performances.

Taking the baton will be ... Mickey Mouse.

'Disney Live! Mickey's Music Festival' will feature Mickey, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy with characters from 'The Little Mermaid,' 'Aladdin' and Disney/Pixar's 'Toy Story' movies. They will perform hits from the films that have been 'remixed to the hottest sounds of today' including hip-hop, pop, swing, reggae, country and rock.

'We encourage everyone to interact with us and sing along,' said Nick Manna, the show's performance director.

Manna's job entails traveling with the production, and it has taken him to Australia, Japan, and nationwide stateside including Hershey, Pennsylvania, where he and the show were last week.

He doesn't just go along for ride, since the performance director has to 'make sure the show runs like a well oiled machine and everything really comes together to put on the best show for our guests,' he said during a telephone interview.

Still, he's particularly looking forward to the ride to The Hanover Theatre since it will be a Massachusetts homecoming for Manna as well as the show's debut here.

'I am ecstatic to bring our show to Massachusetts after four seasons,' said Manna, who is originally from Tewksbury. Lots of Manna's family and friends will be coming from Tewksbury to Worcester for the performances. 'It will be like a 10-year reunion,' he said.

Produced by Feld Entertainment, which has created several 'Disney Live!' shows, 'Mickey's Music Festival' has a cast of 15 who play more than 25 Disney characters. The show begins with a video projection of them backstage, and then they spill onto the stage. Set piece sequences include acrobatics, flying carpets, a dive underwater and magical transformations.

The cast performs to a recorded soundtrack that was produced so that audience members would instantly recognize each character's voice, Manna said. Within that framework, 'I have to maintain the director's original intent for each performance' (the original choreography and direction is by Fred Tallaksen).

This includes overseeing the choreography and animation. 'Our show is fast-paced,' Manna said. In Hershey, the cast had 'maintenance rehearsals' to make sure everything was in step. In a way, Manna's job is similar to being the stage manager of a play who runs the show after the director has left town. 'A well-rounded stage manager,' Manna said.

Manna can tell the cast he knows of what he speaks, since he was formerly a dancer/performer with 'Disney Live!' and toured with its 'Mickey's Rockin' Road Show.'

Becoming a performer was his heartfelt wish after seeing a Broadway production of 'Cats' as a child. 'I fell in love with live theater and knew that it was what I wanted to do with my life,' he said.

At Tewksbury Memorial High School, he made history by becoming the school's first and only male cheerleader. 'I still hold the title to this day. So I've always had leadership in my blood,' he said.

After graduating from Point Park University in Pittsburgh, Manna worked for Walt Disney World Resort in Florida as a dancer in shows and parades. He had long been a Disney fan. He also loves to travel.

'A goal of mine was to be part of a touring production. I knew it was a perfect fit for me,' he said.

After seeing a notice for 'Disney Live!' auditions in Florida, he went through 'audition, and audition, and audition.' When he found out he had actually made the grade, 'I was so excited I cried with excitement,' he said. His first show was in Puerto Rico.

'It was truly a dream come true.'

Manna now feels very much a part of the Feld Entertainment/'Disney Live!' family. He became a performance director last season.

'It was an excellent, seamless transition into the new role, and I love it,' he said.

'Mickey's Music Festival' is one of Feld Entertainment's top-rated shows. It isn't just about keeping the machine well oiled. One of the joys is 'to see the children dancing in the aisles and see their excitement,' Manna said. 'Always so many smiles.'

Contact Richard Duckett at Richard.Duckett@telegram.com.

Entities 0 Name: Manna Count: 6 1 Name: Massachusetts Count: 3 2 Name: Feld Entertainment Count: 3 3 Name: Mickey Count: 3 4 Name: Tewksbury Count: 2 5 Name: Hershey Count: 2 6 Name: Florida Count: 2 7 Name: Worcester Count: 2 8 Name: Nick Manna Count: 1 9 Name: Fred Tallaksen Count: 1 10 Name: Mickey Mouse Count: 1 11 Name: Disney Count: 1 12 Name: Australia Count: 1 13 Name: Pittsburgh Count: 1 14 Name: Puerto Rico Count: 1 15 Name: Donald Duck Count: 1 16 Name: Pennsylvania Count: 1 17 Name: United States Count: 1 18 Name: Tewksbury Memorial High School Count: 1 19 Name: Point Park University Count: 1 20 Name: Disney\/Pixar Count: 1 21 Name: Richard Duckett Count: 1 22 Name: Walt Disney World Resort Count: 1 23 Name: Minnie Mouse Count: 1 24 Name: Japan Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1cJQwRa Title: FROZEN - Let It Go Sing-along | Official Disney HD Description: Buy the soundtrack here: Amazon - http://po.st/JYuVWf iTunes - http://po.st/GtBFzg Due to the fantastic response to the original songs in Disney's "Frozen", audiences are invited to be part of the show as cinemas across the country introduce an all-new sing-along version of Disney's Oscar® and BAFTA®-nominated, Golden Globe®-winning big-screen adventure from 7th February 2014.