Disney music flooded Smothers Theatre on Oct. 12 with classics such as “You’ve Got a Friend In Me,” “When You Wish Upon a Star” and more, all with a jazz twist.
Smothers was packed with students, families, children and those who traveled to campus just to see the show. Students said they are excited to see Disney representation at Pepperdine with this recently-formed band of jazz professionals.
“If we can make one adult cry once and one child shout with joy, we’ve done our job,” singer Kim Nalley said.
The show featured jazz vocalists and musicians Nalley, Shasha Dobson, Charles Goold, Sean Mason and Mark Lewandowski. Vocalist Nalley said she jumped at the opportunity when asked to be part of this show by musical director Mason, because she grew up looking forward to every Disney film.
Nalley went to the theater with her family right when they came out. She said she only practiced with the band the day before this performance.
“Since I’m African American, I have to say that the songs from ‘The Princess and the Frog’ 2009 that features Disney’s very first Black princess and a jazz score resonates strongly with me,” Nalley said.
She has always admired how Disney is a leader in the entertainment world and as a jazz musician, she admires the Tim Alley composers who wrote jazz standards as well as Disney music, Nalley said.
Sophomore Carly Duerre said she was looking for on-campus shows to attend and this show drew her in because of her love for Disney films, Disney music and her favorite songs from “The Princess and the Frog.”
“They really brought the jazz into it [the music] well; I really enjoyed the show overall, I thought it was very creative,” Duerre said.
This show has traveled to Livermore and Tracy, California; Boulder, Utah and Twin Falls, Idaho, and the singers said they feel the show is a perfect match for Pepperdine.
“Walt Disney and Pepperdine have been known for espousing good Christian morals throughout the decades and I believe the show is a great fit,” Nalley said.
Jazz vocalist and songwriter Dobson has been in the jazz scene since she moved to New York in 1997. She said she felt called to this show because this music resonated with her on a deeply emotional level.
Dobson said when she was asked to sing “Remember Me” from “Coco,” she was drawn in to the project. She said she lost her father at a young age and she felt shelved into this song on a personal level that transformed her intention. “Remember Me” is a song sang from a father to a daughter, asking her to remember him when he is gone.
“Everyone has a special relationship to these songs, these memories. It’s been very deep and rewarding spiritually,” Dobson said.
She didn’t get to rehearse much, and even though she never gets nervous, nerves slipped in due to the sparing rehearsal time, Dobson said.
Despite this, the crowd gave a standing ovation and tears were shed during songs such as “Remember Me.”
“Life is a serious matter these days more than ever but I hope this show can allow people the space to let go and forget everything for awhile,” Dobson said. “Maybe even remember a happy time in their earliest years.”
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Email Beth Gonzales: beth.gonzales@pepperdine.edu
