Q/A: Behind the Scenes of Disney PRIDE in Concert with its Producer

Introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your role with Disney PRIDE in Concert.

My name is Brannon Fells, and I am the Director of Concert Program Development & Operations for Disney Concerts and have the joy of serving as Creative Producer for Disney PRIDE in Concert!

How did this production come to be?

Conversations on the project began back in early 2020 when the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus approached Disney Concerts to create a Disney program for their chorus. Requests to present ‘a Disney concert’ remain nothing new, but there was some undeniable pixie dust in the thought process of this one and my new presence on the team brought creative bandwidth, allowing us to explore and say, “Yes, this is a great idea. Let’s do something really special together!”

From there, our goal was to premiere the project in June 2021, but as it became clear that normalcy would still remain out of reach at that time, we adjusted. In the end, June 2022 became the perfect home for the premiere, as we used the extra time at home during the pandemic honing the show to be the absolute best experience it could be, and our partners in Boston utilized the show as their first big production back after over 2 years away from the stage.

How did you go about curating the Disney clips and songs to use in this concert?

Any time I begin development of a new concert that celebrates such a broad swath of the Disney catalog, it’s a tremendous challenge - where do you begin? There are so many hit songs that cannot be ignored, as well as lesser-known numbers that may not have broken the charts but are still steeped in nostalgia and memories. There are literally too many songs for a single concert!

But in this case, I had excellent partners at the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus who came to the table with a true love for the catalog, a vision for the sound of the orchestrations and a brilliant narrative structure for the show that highlighted local chorus members and their life stories. This afforded me the invaluable insight into what resonated with them and their audience. From there I could further curate the music, add my own ideas and experience into the mix, and ultimately meld and polish our collective vision into what has become the show.

As with any piece of art, our show also took in organic influence from the world that surrounded its development – from everything that was happening in the news amongst the pandemic, to what we were finding comfort or enlightenment in on Disney+. It all made an impact.

With regard to the film clips and animation, I had a talented video editing partner that was able to bring a foundational vision to that element and together we were able to fully imagine, map-out and construct what you see at the concerts.

Putting all these elements together is my favorite thing to do. I am, at heart, a massive Disney fan first, and in projects like this one, I hope that my deep appreciation, and hilariously detailed knowledge of the Disney catalog, helps to ensure a better end-product for the audience. I always tend to remember some random scene from a random film and have been told those kinds of moments take an audience from “isn’t that nice” to “did anyone bring a tissue?!” That’s the goal – to re-awaken the emotions that these Disney films and music inspire.

What can audiences expect at Disney Pride in Concert? Any specific movies you pulled from that you’re willing to share in advance?

Simply put, audiences can expect a roller-coaster ride of a show, journeying through iconic films from the Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar, all the way to Disneyland and beyond!

We celebrate the classics like Cinderella, The Jungle Book and Lady and the Tramp; the renaissance films such as The Lion King, The Little Mermaid and Mulan; the groundbreaking films of Pixar including Toy Story and Monsters, Inc.; the modern hits of Zootopia, Wreck-It Ralph and The Princess and the Frog; and what Disney concert is not complete without Frozen?!

All this is of course beautifully framed by the stories and performances of the chorus members – which shine oh-so-bright alongside their animated counterparts.

Why is this production special to you?

In general, Disney PRIDE in Concert is special to me for a few reasons:

1) It highlights such a broad range of Disney! With a massive cross-genre show like this, you get to explore every corner of the library, and you never know what will strike a chord. While a film or song may be completely new to one individual, it might be the accompaniment to a major live event for another. As a concert producer, experiencing an audience as they discover and react to your show is my favorite part of the gig.

2) Unlike any other concert offering in our catalog, Disney PRIDE in Concert genuinely highlights the performing artists on-stage and introduces them to the audience – all within the confines and creative of the show! It’s not a pre-concert talk or extra time commitment, it’s just part of the show. Typically, you watch an artist perform, and you certainly interact with a part of their soul through their performance, but you don’t learn anything material about their story. In this show, you come face-to-face with the real-life stories that define and inspire the artists you are watching.

How is the Omaha Symphony/RCMC performance different from the ones that have already been presented?

This Omaha presentation is different for a few unique reasons:

1) It is one of the few times that Disney PRIDE in Concert is being performed by a mixed voice chorus. To date, the show has been performed predominantly by choruses with only tenor and bass voices, such as the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus and the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles. While the original version of the show will always hold a special place in my heart, I’m looking forward to Omaha audiences experiencing the full spectrum of colors that the human voice has to offer with the River City Mixed Chorus.

2) This is one of the few presentations that is a true co-production between a local orchestra and local chorus. Most are presented by a local chorus and include an orchestra of freelance musicians – not two distinct creative entities collaborating. I love that this presentation is an opportunity for this to happen.

3) Lastly, this is the ONLY presentation that has a certain homegrown connection…me! The Omaha Symphony is where I began my professional career and spent six years of my life, until I started with Disney in late 2019. I still consider Omaha my other home (my current and childhood home being Davenport, IA), as well as home to a world-class orchestra, a thriving arts community and people near and dear to me. Bringing my work back to where I started and being able to have it performed in the community I once served is the greatest gift. While you will not find me on stage (haha!), I’m so excited to be back for these performances, supporting the team creatively and executing the playback of all the film clips, while the Omaha Symphony and RCMC share this beautiful collection of music and stories on stage.

What impact do you hope to make with Disney PRIDE in Concert?

My hope is that Disney PRIDE in Concert takes concertgoers on a journey and grants them the opportunity to step into a space that will no doubt be very real and emotional but still lifts the burden of whatever they may be dealing with, allowing them to be transported outside of themselves for a couple hours.

I hope the spirit of this show – embodied in a universal, communal love of all things Disney – serves to remind that there is still so much that we share as humanity on this small world, and it’s of the utmost importance that we remain aware of this fact.

Join the River City Mixed Chorus and your Omaha Symphony on Sunday, June 1 at 7:05 p.m. for a spectacular, new concert that celebrates LGBTQ+ life, love, family, and pride through the combination of timeless songs from the Disney songbook, curated video clips from the Disney vault, and the personal life experiences of local chorus members.