Disney's ON THE RECORD at Ft. Lauderdale's Broward Center

Disney's on the Record is NOT a lovable musical revue. It is not done with elegance, class and the greatness we have come to expect from all things Disney. While certainly not by any means the greatest choice for "children of all or perhaps any ages," this Disney outing seeks to celebrate the amazing catalogue of songs associated with Disney throughout the decades. It succeeds in celebrating nothing.

What were they thinking? How do you make so many extraordinary songs into a dreadfully boring show? Frankly, I was stunned. In our current world of American Idol and our greatest cabaret singers leaving our earth much too quickly, how divine it would have been to spend a couple of hours hearing fabulous songs sung by magnificent singers.

That is not the case here. This show does not work; it is painfully dead on arrival.

The set is a modernistic and attractive recording studio with the orchestra onstage each member in their own cubicle area. The costumes are minimalist, basic concert black, with some surprise color splashes on a couple of occasions. Lots of movement and choreography (Robert Longbottom, listed as the show's co-conceiver gets the blame or credit for the direction and choreography too) happen while the eight singers are singing into the studio boom mikes; but this show remains shockingly lifeless.

The singers simply do not get chances or are simply unable to strut their stuff and make this material soar, as we know it can. Just when you think there may be an opportunity, this show misses it. Disney's On the Record has taken Disney songs and put them together in a two-hour plus concert revue. I am still not believing how tedious and unpleasant it was to get through an evening of Disney songs!

There is little plot here and things being so boring onstage; it is difficult to tell if that is a plus or a minus. No time is spent on spoken words. The show is about the MUSIC, which makes the undeniable cemetery like "glow" of this revue even more mystifying.

My first memorable exposure to Disney was when my family traveled to the Fox Theater in Brooklyn, New York to see the newly released MARY POPPINS. I remember my folks liking it, my mother actually loving it and I recall a couple of my sisters thought the film was too long. Me? My most vivid memory is falling in love with Julie Andrews forever. She stole my heart and soul in MARY POPPINS and has never given it back. And the songs just from that one wonderful score by the Sherman Brothers! (Who later gave us the delightful Broadway musical OVER HERE! starring the Andrews Sisters.) My favorite MARY POPPINS song is "Feed The Birds," I find it enchanting. I was disappointed it was not included here, in retrospect, perhaps I should be pleased. Just A Spoonful of Sugar and Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious from MARY POPPINS are only part of what should be a beguiling ear buffet provided by ON THE RECORD.

Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah, He's a Tramp, I'm Wishing, Someday My Prince Will Come, Can You Feel the Love Tonight, Give A Little Whistle, Colors of the Wind, Be Our Guest; they are all here as are many others. There are numerous masterpiece songs in play in this show. Like other audience members, I would have been more pleased to include those I liked best and discard the others. Sadly, in this show, even the Disney songs I "liked" best, never reached a level of entrancement or excitement.

The show is full of high quality, excellent Broadway singing voices. Ashley Brown, Brian Sutherland, Kaitlin Hopkins, Andrew Samonsky, Leo Ash Evans, Meredith Inglesby, Keewa Nurullah, and Ian Rhodes are all lovely and engaging performers. Occasionally a solo reaches a lovely height as with Colors of the Wind. A duet of Someday My Prince Will Come has moments of tenderness. It is not enough to sustain this show. Indeed, the "memorable" moments are hard to conjure right now.

Again, this is not a Disney show full of spectacle and is not story driven. Much simpler magic was expected here. We were expecting to revel in the glorious music of the House of Disney. The Kingdom did not deliver.

The final performance of Disney's On the Record at Fort Lauderdale's Broward Center is May 1, 2005.