While the food and beverages tempt at every turn, the Epcot International Festival of the Arts Disney on Broadway Series is a moment to come together as a community. For a brief few moments during the theme park visit, music beckons, voices emote, and the invitation to join others in a fleeting moment is too compelling to turn down.
Everyone knows that a visit to Disney Parks is full of magical memories. People can remember their first ride on Space Mountain or the hug with their favorite Disney Princess. While all those moments are etched into a forever memory, it is often the smaller, unsuspecting moments that can move people in a profound way.
As Epcot prepares to open the 2025 International Festival of the Arts Disney on Broadway Series, the nightly concerts featuring some of Disney on Broadway’s brightest stars are a draw for many guests. Packed into that short concert are a combination of well-known songs and some hidden gems.
Recently, Adrian Sarple, Director of Disney on Broadway Concert Series spoke to FoodSided about his vision for the festival’s events. While these concerts are just one of the arts celebrated during the annual Epcot festival, the music is a melody that is weaving its way through several of the experiences at the theme park.
When asked about how he crafts some of the selections for the concerts, Sarple revealed that it is a balance between the upbeat, showstopping numbers, where everyone knows every word, and quieter, more lyric driven numbers that reveal some universally understood messages.
As Sarple explained, “those beautiful songs are a moment when we can ask guests to really listen to those messages in the songs and the depth that these musicals go to. It is more than just bouncy sing-a-longs. They take you on a journey. It is the magic of Disney. Every story from Walt’s original stories always had a message in some way.”
While a single note can conjure a sentiment, the exploration of emotions happens because the performances bring together the performer and audience in a unique way. In a moment in time, everyone is united. It might be fleeting, but it happens and then it cannot be replicated.
Sarple believes that live theater’s uniqueness is special. It is more than spontenity in a moment or hitting that perfect note night after night. The highs, and the occasional mishap, serves as a reminder “you're the only people who are seeing that particular performance. I think that's a really special thing.”
Even though people can sit in a darken room and enjoy a movie on a screen together, live theater holds something more. Beyond audience interaction, it is watching how the performances impact the person one row over or how enthusiastic the performance feels at a given show.
During last year’s Festival of the Arts, Sarple explained his use of the Hunchback of Notre Dame songs in the concert series. While that musical might not be as popular as Frozen or the Lion King, the sentimentality of the story and the lyrics resonated with him.
Sarple shared, “one of the things that I try to remind myself as a director is to think how the audience feels. The most important thing to know is that they have experienced most of what we are putting up on stage. Experiences are universal.”
While the lyrics and melodies can tug at the emotional side, it is more than music on a stagnant stage. Sharple engages video screens to captivate the eyes as the performers sing. Those moments might not be as elaborate as a full scale Broadway production, but the imagery helps to transport the audience and sets a mood.
During the conversation, Sarple revealed that it took six months to perfect last year’s 120 video screens. From birds in flight to the gothic arches of a cathedral, the reality is those screens give a glimpse into the intricacies associated with a Disney on Broadway production. People can marvel at the technology presented on a movie screen, but the ability to transport an audience via their imagination is vital to any stage performance.
Whether this year’s Epcot International Festival of the Arts Disney on Broadway Concert Series is the first time they heard “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” live or the 100th time they have heard “You’ll Be in My Heart” every nightly concert is one to enjoy. From the first performance on January 17 till the grand finale on February 24, 2025, the night is alive with music. It is time to tap your toes, clap, and, perhaps, sing-along.
The 2025 Epcot International Festival of the Arts runs January 17 through February 24, 2025. The special event includes art installations, special performances, and numerous food marketplaces. The festival is included with Disney Parks admission. Guests should make theme park reservations for their preferred attendance date.