New tour takes public behind the curtain of Disney on Broadway
Imagine trying on Mary Poppins' red coat or curling up in The Little Mermaid's seashell bathtub.
That's what participants of "Disney on Broadway: Behind the Magic," a new tour by travel company Walks of New York, will be able to do starting this Saturday.
Walks of New York has partnered with Disney Theatrical Group to give the public special access to Disney's New Amsterdam Theatre, where iconic productions such as The Lion King and Aladdin have been staged.
Broadway insiders, including actors and theater managers, will lead the tours, which is limited to 25 people.
"You have the opportunity to interact with people who are really engaged in the theater community," says Stephen Oddo, co-founder of Walks of New York. "You can be there in a special way that otherwise is inaccessible."
Before arriving at the theater, participants will get a history lesson of The Great White Way.
A recent preview of the tour starts with guide Jeff Dobbins, a former theater manager, tracing New York theater's roots in the 1920s to its resurgence in recent years.
"Some of our greatest songs have come from Broadway," he says.
The tour starts in Times Square at the statue of George Cohan, writer of the classic "Give my Regards to Broadway," which Dobbins plays on the wireless audio guide headset each tour participant carries.
Stops include the 102-year-old Shubert Theatre, where Barbra Streisand made her Broadway debut, and Sardi's, a popular gathering place for cast and crew since 1927. The tour also takes participants to the mammoth Marriott Marquis. Five historic theaters, including one where Audrey Hepburn played Gigi, were demolished to make room for the hotel and its own theater.
Once inside Disney's New Amsterdam, a historian takes over and describes how it was once the home of The Ziegfeld Follies at the beginning of the 20th century.
"From 1913 to 1927, this was the place to be," says Dana Amendola, vice president of operations at Disney Theatrical Group.
But the building fell into disarray, at one point becoming a movie house for Bruce Lee movies. It closed down in the 1980s. Amendola describes finding mushrooms growing in it when he first toured it in the 1990s.
"It was a disaster," he says.
The Walt Disney Company and The 42nd St. Redevelopment Fund partnered to restore it to the palace it was when built in 1903. "They could see there was something there," he says.
So much so that Disney signed a long-term lease for the 1,800-seat theater.
The tour culminates in a rare look inside the Prop and Costume Studio that houses original stage pieces from such shows as The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, and Aida.
Kymberly Tuttle, a Disney Theatrical Group guide, reveals the secrets behind many costumes. For instance, the Beast's boots are made from Reebok high-top sneakers for the actor's comfort.
Tour participants are allowed to try on costumes, carry a $7,000 head-dress from The Lion King, and sit in Joseph Pulitzer's chair at the New York World newspaper from Newsies.
"It's a great opportunity to really see, experience, touch and feel what you would see onstage," Tuttle says.
The tour runs from 10 a.m. to 12:30 pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are $72 for adults and $65 for children ages 3-14 on Walksofnewyork.com.