JUNIOR CITIZENS: “SuperKitties” is a Disney Jr. television program incorporated into Disney Jr. Live On Tour: Let’s Play.” (Courtesy Terrapin Station Entertainment)

‘Disney Jr. Live On Tour: Let’s Play’ Will Hit 60 Cities

The newest iteration of Disney Jr. Live Tour, which has been running since 2018 with over 400 performances, launched this week with a sold-out performance at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California.

“Disney Jr. Live On Tour: Let’s Play” will hit more than 60 cities through Dec. 15, according to artist management and tour production company Terrapin Station Entertainment, which produces the show.

Terrapin Station Entertainment has expanded into stadium concerts, representing around 20 sports franchises and planning 12 stadium shows this year, says Jonathan Shank, the company’s founder.

Jonathan Shank

The character Ariel from the new series “Disney Jr.’s Ariel” and Bitsy from “SuperKitties” make their debut in the show, along with Disney favorites Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and characters from other Disney Jr. series, including “Marvel’s Spidey and his Amazing Friends.”

The Clubhouse from “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” will also be incorporated into the show for the first time.

The show’s ideal capacity is 2,000-2,500 attendees. It runs for 60 minutes with a 15-minute intermission and travels in two trucks, with same-day load-in/load-out.

“We’re always tweaking things and looking for solutions, and think of
what happened on the previous run and delivering in the future,” Shank said. “We’ve added in characters in these songs and that about one hour plus the intermission is the type of production that seems to be able to keep everybody’s attention and also be able to fulfill enough of the imagination and bring them into their favorite characters’ world. That’s really what our our goal is, to immerse the family in the Disney Jr. space and let them forget about everything else for that hour. You can just be in the room with your favorite characters.”

The show’s presenting sponsor is Walmart.

Tickets are priced from $35 to around $50, more or less depending on the market. There are VIP options offered for an upcharge.

Merchandise, including popular light-up items and T-shirts, is priced between $10 and $35.

“The top-selling products are light up, all light up products,” Shank said. “We also have a beautiful range of plush, T-shirts and hoodies. What’s great is a lot of the items are bespoke to the tour (and can’t be purchased elsewhere).”

Shank said the ideal age range for the show is children age 2-6.

“We see tons of kids coming back with older brothers and sisters and younger siblings,” Shank said, adding that one family attending the Segerstrom Center, where the production held technical rehearsals, had seen 10 Disney Jr, performances over the years.

“A large part of that is, these characters are these children’s favorite intellectual properties and seeing them live is one of their  favorite things to do,” Shank said.

Shank said the shows “work well in theaters because of the intimacy and developmental skills of these children and where they are in terms of field of vision, which is sometimes not fully developed.

“For them to be in an arena and be so far away from the stage, they might not even be able to see what’s happening. Our goal is really to bring the families and the children closer to the action,” he said.

Production effects are age appropriate with nothing jarring, Shank said.

“We have this incredible trampoline, and we’re able to these high skill level stunts and elevate the production while doing things that kids have never seen before in terms of acrobatic skill sets and choreography and theater presentation,” he said.

Disney Jr. will go global next year, representing the latest expansion of the Terrapin Station Entertainment universe, Shank said.

“The great success story for us at Terrapin is the ability to work in so many different spaces and have an expanded footprint into those spaces,” he said. “The stadium business is incredible, with unprecedented growth. We have 50-75 offers for next year.”