The Madrigal family is coming out of the world of animation and into real life as Disney’s “Encanto” comes to the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on Nov. 11-12.
“Like everything Disney does, this will be very magical,” said Mauro Castillo, who provided the voice of Félix Madrigal in the Oscar-winning film. “We will have dancers, musicians, all the energy from the drums, the lighting. … I think it will be a great show.”
The Colombian performer, who spoke in both English to Spanish during a recent phone interview, is one of several voice actors from the film who will be reunited to sing songs from the movie during the live performance.
“It’s going to be a fireworks show that no one is going to want to miss,” added reggaeton singer-songwriter Adassa, who made her acting debut as Dolores Madrigal in the film and will also perform at the Hollywood Bowl shows.
The 2021 animated feature tells the story of the Madrigal family, who live in the mountains of Colombia in a magical house in the town of Encanto. Everyone in the town has some form of magical gift except one child, Mirabel Madrigal. For the live show, the 50-person ensemble will also include actress Stephanie Beatriz reviving her leading role as Mirabel, Carolina Gaitan as Pepa, Diane Guerrero as Isabela, Jessica Darrow as Luisa, Olga Merediz as Abuela Alma and Angie Cepeda as Julieta.
The movie features eight original songs written by Lin-Manuel Miranda of “Hamilton” fame, including “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 song chart. During the show at the Hollywood Bowl, the actors will be backed by an 80-member orchestra performing the score live-to-film while a Colombian band with musicians from the original soundtrack accompanies them. The performances will also be available for streaming on Disney+ on Dec. 28, with an introduction by Miranda.
“This will feel very grand because the energy of the audience really feeds you and you feel that connection,” Castillo said. “We know how beautiful the songs are from the movie, and people will really feel this live and will be wanting more.”
The “Encanto” concert will be more than just about music, the actors say, since the Madrigal family’s magical casita from the film will be re-created on stage with the use of projections and other effects.
“You are literally going to be walking into the visuals of what the casita is and in different moments in time,” Adassa said. “It’s an immersive experience; you are going to feel like you’re inside of it.”
“ ‘Encanto’ is something that stole the heart of the world and people love the magic that happens in that world, and this production will be very interactive,” Castillo added. “I don’t want to give too much away, but people will be able to participate with what’s happening onstage.”