Donald Duck, Minnie, Mickey and Goofy make a festive jump at a performance of Disney Live! Mickey's Music Festival. Photo: Courtesy of Feld Entertainment

"Miska Muska Mickey Mouse!" Still remember the magic words?

Wearing his red shirt, shorts and yellow shoes, and sporting two very round ears, Mickey Mouse, along with his girlfriend Minnie and their Disneyland friends, has arrived in China. 

A musical feast of mega proportions, titled Disney live! Mickey's Music Festival, will hit the city of Xi'an in Shaanxi Province on July 8. This will be the first stop on a 2011 tour of China, and will take place in the grand theatre of the Sofitel Xi'an Hotel in Renmin Square.

Eight performances of the musical will be given in Xi'an from July 8 to 10, with one show in English and seven in Chinese. 

"We have collaborated with some Chinese actors, and all Western performers have worked very hard on learning Chinese characters," Sallie Palmieri, the director of the show, told the Global Times.

Mickey and his Rock'n'roll gang

Mickey Mouse and his band of friends, including Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy, will perform alongside stars from The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and Disney/Pixar's Toy Story, in an ensemble of rock, pop, reggae, hip-hop, jazz and country music.

"We have chosen different types of music, and it's pretty much a big fun concert that everyone can enjoy. The audience can even hear some very contemporary songs like Beyoncé's "Single Ladies," said Palmieri.

The concert targets people of all ages – in Palmieri's words, "it will inspire both children and adults."

"I don't want to give away too much, but there is definitely an underlying message: music does bring everyone together no matter where they are from," the performer-turned-director told the Global Times.

Other Disney fans in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hangzhou and Hong Kong will soon meet the stars during the period between July 8 and August 25.

"One song can touch millions of people around the world, and Disney has been at the heart of this concept for years by making music a main ingredient of storytelling," said Kenneth Feld, producer of the show and CEO of Feld Entertainment, a US firm. "In Disney Live! Mickey's Music Festival we are combining Disney characters with a musical score that includes the latest sounds and chart-topping hits. We want our guests to walk away with lasting memories and to be singing these unforgettable melodies long after they leave the show."

Featuring an all-star line-up of more than 25 Disney characters, Mickey's Music Festival plans to  create a seamless connection between the performers and the attendees, as the director has made it a priority to have a high amount of audience participation.

When discussing the differences between the original animations and a live performance, Palmieri told the Global Times that the characters will retain the same personalities as in the cartoons – Mickey with his cheerful, curious, and sometimes mischievous qualities, and Donald Duck with his affinity for dancing. 

Not only the coasts, but also the west

With a multi-million dollar investment, Disney has decided to include second and third-tier cities for the Mickey's Music Festival tour, with such locales as Wuxi and Changzhou in Jiangsu Province to be visited in addition to Xi'an.

As the only stop in western China, Xi'an, along with the locations stretching along the China coast,  shows robust market potential for top musical performances. "We've done market research, the result of which convinced us to come to Xi'an, in the middle of China, and to present the three classic Disney fairytales to second and third-tier cities. From our research, the Disney Live show may be the first to have come to these smaller cities, and we think the musical format is an excellent way of presenting our characters to people for the first time," Cao Zhihui, the marketing manager of Feld Entertainment China told the Global Times.

Feld has also arranged a special performance in English to satisfy diverse appetites. "In larger cities like Shanghai, we have arranged two shows in English because children there are more familiar with the language and have the desire to encounter it on an extracurricular level. And based on our research with local promoters, Xi'an also has the market to put on shows in English. Hence, we've decided to give one show in English here, and we believe that many members of the community look forward to seeing the performance in its original language," said Cao.

"A performance in English can serve as a great introduction of both the language and the characters. It will be great for elders, parents and particularly the young people," said Palmieri. Updated with the latest popular hits in addition to classic favorites, the show is bidding to appeal to audiences of all ages.

Thus far, attendance numbers for the show look very promising, with all seats sold out for the upcoming Saturday evening performance at Xi'an Concert Hall. The cooperation between Feld Entertainment and the concert hall has been a boost to the hall's local and national prestige in Shaanxi Province's capital.

"At present, we are the only concert hall operating in the Xi'an market, and we must take the opportunity to win over audience confidence and create a culture of concert-going," Ye Qinyang, a senior member in the marketing division for the hall, told the Global Times. "But soon the Xi'an Music Conservatory and the High-Tech District of Xi'an will build their own music halls, which will create competition in the local market."

Feld's live drama dream

Feld Entertainment, founded by Irvin Feld in 1950s, was expanded by his son Kenneth to include Disney on Ice and Disney Live! After the founder's death in 1984, Kenneth took over his father's legacy and increased the firm's emphasis on live entertainment, which has since comprised circuses and many other events, such as Feld Motor Sports.

Though movies and television occupy a huge share of the market, "the stage brings a different element," said Palmieri. "I think the stories on stage give the members of the audience a new appreciation for the characters. It is almost like meeting a rock star. You will hear people say, ‘There is Mickey Mouse! Right in front of me!' Although you can see the stars on TV, seeing them in real life is a totally different experience," she added. 

"It will be a theatre experience like no other. The audiences are encouraged to sing along, clap and dance with Disney characters in the aisles. I'm sure that both children and their parents, and even their grandparents, will have a great time. There are points where people really do feel they are part of the show. In one scene, we have a meteor shower, and I can already see the kids playing with the big meteors. So it is quite interactive and will certainly keep everyone's attention," said Palmieri.

Over 30 million people flock to Feld Entertainment's productions every year. On any given day, families from every corner of the globe rush to take their seats at more than 30 live performances that bear the Feld Entertainment name. Safe with these numbers, Feld and his team will continue on their mission to transform dreams into live dramas.

Aladdin and Princess Jasmine fly on a magic carpet. Photo: Courtesy of Feld Entertainment

The underwater palace where Ariel, the Little Mermaid, and Sebastian sing together with their fellow creatures. Photo: Courtesy of Feld Entertainment