A Q&A with the performers of ‘Disney Princess the Concert in Bangkok’

Before they take Bangkokians on a magical fairy tale journey, we ask the Broadway performers of Disney Princess the Concert in Bangkok a few questions.

In the basement of Studo 54 in New York is the aptly-named 54 Below, a restaurant that’s become an icon in the Broadway community. Hundreds of small concerts and shows have been shown on its quaint stage, giving theatre audiences an intimate experience with the stars they would otherwise just see on stage. One of these shows is the Broadway Princess Party, where Benjamin Rauhala, affectionately known as Fairy Godfairy by fans, gathered some of theatre’s leading ladies to celebrate Disney’s princesses. Hosted by Laura Osnes, the show became a hit, with many of the magical renditions and arrangements uploaded on YouTube for everyone else not fortunate enough to fly over to the Big Apple to see.

That show in 54 Below has since morphed into an actual concert, a concert that will take the stage of Muangthai Rachadalai Theatre this Saturday. The Disney Princess Concert brings Rauhala himself, who mans the piano, and his magical arrangements and medleys along with five performers from the Great White Way right here to Bangkok. With a number of Disney classics in the setlist, kids will probably be jumping in joy hearing familiar songs while millennials, like me, will be wiping their tears in nostalgia as we remember our VHS glory days.

We were able to sit in a Q&A session with the performers which includes Benjamin Rauhala, Krysta Rodriguez (Meg in Hercules and Vanessa in In the Heights), Aisha Jackson (Anna in Frozen and Snow White in Once Upon a One More Time), Anneliese van der Pol (Belle in Beauty and the Beast and Chelsea in That’s so Raven), Steffanie Leigh (Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins), and Adam Levy (Christian and the Duke on Monroth in Moulin Rouge). They talked about their love for Disney, eating scorpions at Jodd Fairs, and khao soi. 

[Hero image: Live Nation]

Eating scorpions, visiting Jay Fai, and that magical feeling: a Q&A with the Broadway performers of Disney Princess the Concert in Bangkok

Is this your first time in Bangkok?

Steffanie Leigh: I’ve actually been here before, and the last time I was here was during Songkran. It was a very exciting time, but this time I’m much more dry!

Krysta Rodriguez: It’s the first time for the rest of us and we’re so excited. We’ve done some things but there’s more to do. 

How did the show start in the first place?

Benjamin Rauhala: It began as a tiny show in New York in 2015, but the first time that Disney Princess the Concert happened was actually in Riyadh in 2021.

Adam Levy: Something you may not know is that the original version was actually created by Benjamin.

For those who may not be familiar with the show, what songs can we expect to hear?

BR: We love to celebrate all 13 Disney princesses and two queens, which is a big song list. What’s exciting is that we have these incredible Broadway stars who sing the songs in four-part harmony. The girls and Adam perform as themselves but we try to embody the spirit of every Disney princess so there’s big 40-foot LED wall behind us that features all the animation you know and love. I’m very lucky that they sing special arrangements I’ve done just for them in four-part harmony.

Does that mean the songs will be performed exactly like they were in the movies?

BR: Sometimes, we do the songs just as you know them. But sometimes we’ll sing a medley of different Snow White and Cinderella songs together so we try and change it up so you don’t know what to expect. 

Who is your favourite Disney character?

BR: My favourite Disney character ever is Flounder. He’s friends with all of the best singers. 

Aisha Jackson: I’m gonna say Olaf. He’s very funny and he’s in the Frozen family. I love Olaf. He’s a good sidekick.

KR: If we’re not choosing princesses, I would say Dory from Finding Nemo. She’s so endearing and such a good friend even through her faults and flaws. She’s very sweet. 

Anneliese van der Pol: I’m gonna go out of the animal realm and pick a human. I really like the villains, like Mother Gothel and Ursula, who get to be funny and fierce. So I pick two, what are you gonna do about it?

SL: My answer always changes for this but recently I get to sing a lot of Rapunzel stuff in the show. I just have the best time playing her because of her circumstances. She’s kept from the world so she has this love of everything that the world is so it’s a nice reminder to just enjoy it all because sometimes we get a little jaded. 

AL: My favourite Disney character is Mushu. He’s such a good friend to Mulan and he tries so hard to do the right thing for her and he just keeps messing up over and over again, and that makes him very relatable. 

What’s something that’s stuck with as you’ve performed this show all around the world?

KR: It’s really amazing to see that anywhere we go around the world, everyone loves these songs. Everywhere we go, people sing along and always dress up. I’m always impressed by how well people sing and how joyful they are. We’ve gone to many different countries and they’re really loud singers so I hope Bangkok can rival them. 

AJ: There’s also really good food everywhere we go! We’ve had some really great dishes going from place to place.

BR: We were at Jodd Fairs the other day and Krysta ate a scorpion. 

KR: It was delicious! Very crunchy. I’m trying it all! 

AL: We also waited three hours yesterday to eat at Jay Fai. 

What’s your favourite Disney song and what kind of dish would you liken it to?

BR: When these four sing “Part of Your World (Reprise)” from The Little Mermaid, it’s like a beautiful soufflé with all the right ingredients. It’s airy, it’s light, it’s beautiful. 

AJ: I would say “Colours of the Wind” but I don’t know what kind of food it’s like! 

KR: I’d say “Let It Go” is like ice cream—the most famous song about frozen things. 

AVDP: I really like beignets and how Aisha sings “Almost There”, but I really like singing all these songs with these women. You’ve never heard these Disney songs sung in four-part harmony before. I just love singing with them. It’s very empowering. 

SL: I’m picking a song that gives me that magical feeling every time I hear it and I will compare it to a food that also gives me that feeling, so I’m gonna say “When You Wish Upon a Star” and my sister’s snickerdoodle cookies. 

AL: My favourite Disney song in our show is “Beauty and the Beast”, and if I would compare it to a food, I would say it’s like a warm khao soi. It’s my favourite Thai soup.

What can Thai fans expect when they see the show over the weekend?

KR: We do have a bit of a surprise if we hear everyone singing loud enough. At the end, there’s a bit of magic that happens that we can’t tell you about.

AVDP: Our show is unlike any other show. We do talk about our experiences on Broadway and television but we really try to emulate and promote these princesses and who they really are. These women are full of bravery and kindness, and there’s a princess in all of us. It’s for you. It’s for the adults. It’s for the kids. It’s really special, that’s why we’re really sold out in performing and going around different countries. 

BR: My favourite thing about this show is you get to know these five Broadway stars. Because these songs are so open-hearted, you get to see inside their hearts and the beautiful people they are. I think it’s really special to get to experience these songs and these incredible performers.

AVDP: And the glitter dresses!

Disney Princess the Concert in Bangkok will be held at the Muangthai Rachadalai Theatre from December 2-3

Buy tickets here