Transforming Disney’s award-winning animated feature “Encanto” into a live experience at the Hollywood Bowl in front of an audience of 17,000 people was no easy feat, with factors such as the pandemic, limited access to the venue and unexpected weather conditions all in play. But the production team, cast and crew pulled it off in under 72 hours, delivering a Broadway-quality experience.
Unlike a Broadway show, the original voice cast, scores of dancers and production team did not have the luxury of rehearsing at the Bowl. Gabe Turner, executive producer of the event, said, “We could only gain access to the Bowl for four days before we were due to welcome our dancers, orchestra and cast into the space.”
“This meant we really only had 72 hours where we had everyone in the same place, rehearsing and stepping through numbers before we were due to open doors,” said producer Sally Wood.
The idea to convert the film to a live experience began four months earlier, with teams across London and Los Angeles, with Fulwell 73 leading the way, utilizing Zoom to conceptualize the process.
Communication was vital for the production to pull off delivering the newly-conceived screen-to-stage show on time to a live audience.
“Every bit of information was vital to be passed on to the next person,” Wood said. “If the set dimensions changed, the projections team needed to know about amendments, the director and the camera team needed to know about their shot list and camera placements, and the choreographer and cast needed to know where to exit the stage from.”
The rehearsal process hit a minor obstacle when L.A. experienced adverse weather conditions and a torrential downpour, which forced rehearsals back indoors, hindering actual time on the Bowl’s stage.
“We did not have the luxury of weeks of stage technical rehearsals you would expect of a Broadway show,” Turner said.
Choreographer Jamal Sims, who worked on the dance steps for the animated feature, began conceptualizing his live-to-film steps over Zoom with the production team, before utilizing 50 dancers from the LA area. With the weather setback, Sims worked with the dancers and cast on a soundstage instead.
The original voice cast included Stephanie Beatriz as Mirabel, Jessica Darrow (Luisa), Diane Guerrero (Isabela), Adassa (Dolores), Carolina Gaitán (Pepa), Mauro Castillo (Félix), Angie Cepeda (Julieta) and Olga Merediz (Abuela), all reunited for the special, working with Sims to bring numbers like “We Don’t Talk about Bruno” and “Casa Madrigal” to life.
Turner says the first time the crew stepped on stage at the Bowl marked a special occasion.
“This was the first time they came together because the animated feature actually came out during the pandemic, and the voice recordings had been done over Zoom,” she said.
“Encanto Live at the Hollywood Bowl” is streaming on Disney+
