Q&A with Fred Tallaksen Director/Choreographer for Disney Live!

Posted on

9 February 2014

| Last updated on 31 March 2019

Disney Live!

Q&A with Fred Tallaksen, Director/Choreographer for Disney Live! Mickey’s Music Festival

With experience as both a performer and a choreographer, Fred brings an eclectic mix of styles to his role as director of Disney Live! Mickey’s Music Festival. Tallaksen’s work in film, television, stage, music videos and commercials includes collaborating with talents as diverse as Madonna, La Toya Jackson, Kelly Osborne, James Blunt and Enrique Iglesias. As the winner of two Emmy® Awards, an Espirit Award, a Latin Grammy Award® and several Gala Awards, Tallaksen’s resume runs the gamut from dance theatre to choreographing skateboarders, cheerleaders, gymnasts and drummers.

Q: Tell us about your background and career.

A: I'm from a really small town, and when I told my parents I wanted to be an artist and in show business, they thought I was out of my mind. To be able to have a career for 35 years as a choreographer and now as a director has been the biggest dream of my life. I am thrilled to be a part of Mickey’s Music Festival.

Q: How would you describe the show?

A: Disney Live! Mickey’s Music Festival is a rock concert with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and all of your favorite Disney characters. They're going to sing and dance and rock the house.

Q: How would you describe the production value of Mickey’s Music Festival?

A: One of the really amazing things about this tour is the production value. We've got amazing lights, amazing music, amazing special effects, incredible video.

Q: Was it a challenge working with so many different styles of music?

A: For me it wasn't a challenge working with a lot of different styles of music because that's my own personal taste. I'm the type of choreographer who choreographs to lots and lots of different styles. I feel happy going from hip-hop to musical theater to a little more jazzy to a ballad. I love rhythm and it's really fun for me.

Q: What was the biggest challenge you faced in choreographing Mickey’s Music Festival and bringing the show to life?

A: One of the challenges for the cast is that they have to play so many different parts in the show. They have to dance, they have to be able to tumble and do gymnastics, they have to be able to jump rope. There's roller blading and drumming. There are all these things in the show, and a lot of the performers do all of them. They're all really talented.

Q: What do you want the audience to experience when they see the show?

A: In Mickey’s Music Festival, we want to take everything to the extreme level. We want the energy to be so high that everyone in the audience, no matter what language or what country, all get that same feeling of excitement. It's going to break all the international barriers, and we're just going to be able to appreciate the music and the concert.

Q: What is the rehearsal process like for Disney Live! Mickey’s Music Festival?

A: The schedule for a production like this is really intricate. For the first few weeks, we rehearse in a dance studio. We have three different things happening at the same time in three different rooms: dancers will be learning choreography in one room, actors will be learning a scene in another, and then we'll have specialty training in a third room where people are learning jump rope, roller blading, mini trampoline, gymnastics and adagio. All of that happens at the same time for a couple of hours and then we switch. It keeps moving day after day after day until the cast learns all the choreography. Then we come to the theater where we start blocking the scenes on stage adding in the technical elements. This lasts for about a week or two, and then we start doing dress rehearsals. Where we add in all the special effects, video and costumes. The entire process takes about 5 or 6 weeks.

Q: Why should people see this show?

A: I think this show is going to be great for everyone to see. There really is something for everyone from children to adults to people who love music to people who love dancing and for anyone who loves the Disney characters.