Two artists from the CBD who are performing in Disney’s The Magic Box said they hope to bring the magic, and add to the fun of the production, which will run at the Artscape from Wednesday October 9 to Sunday November 10.

Zoë Gray will take on the role of Conscience, formally known as Instinct, and Tania Mteto will play Sister 1 in the all South-African cast of 26 actors in the musical production, which originally premiered in January in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The show immerses the audience in a theatrical adventure that combines puppetry, elaborate costumes, and projections in an innovative and large-scale staging, and will feature excerpts from more than 75 songs from Disney films including A Whole New World from Aladdin, We Don’t Talk About Bruno from Encanto, How Far I’ll Go from Moana, Circle of Life from The Lion King and Let It Go from Frozen.

Tania Mteto as Sister 1 during rehearsals of Disney’s The Magic Box. Picture: Lance Peterson

“The cast is full of amazing talented people and together in character we can only offer our audience magic,” said Tania, while Zoë said: ”Expect nostalgia and a spectacle! I just hope to add to the fun of the production.“

Zoë, who grew up in Gqeberha, said she’s always been passionate about theatre. “My mother quite literally said I began to sing long before I could talk!”

She said the first movie she ever watched was The Sound of Music, and had a full circle moment when she was cast as Liesel von Trapp. “Ironically though, my stage debut was a train wreck - I cried and held my teddy the whole time - I still have that teddy.”

She studied at Waterfront Theatre School and holds Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) training in modern, ballet, tap and contemporary dance, as well as a Trinity LTCL in Speech and Drama.

Zoë works as a performing waitress at Stardust Theatrical Dining.

Tania, who grew up in Gugulethu, said she was always an active young woman and played every sport, but never made the first team as people described her as “petite”.

She then joined Dance for All in Gugulethu, and started doing contemporary and African dance. “When I made front row of my first performance on stage I knew that day that this is where I belong.”

She graduated from Cape Academy of Performing Arts where she majored in dance, acting and musical theatre and has been working professionally since then. She also holds a Mabel Ryan Award for her Ballet Chechetti exam, among other awards.

Zoë and Tania said when they auditioned for the musical and received the roles of Conscience and Sister 1 respectively, they were both very excited.

Zoë said when heard she was part of the cast, she started screaming, jumping around and crying, while Tania said she couldn’t describe how her heart felt. “ I was proud to have made it inside the ‘box’.”

The character Conscience moves through the show keeping things in place and as they should be, said Zoë, sometimes allowing herself to let go and have fun. “This is definitely a heightened version of myself.”

The character Sister 1 gets to share the stage with Sister 2, and this resonates well with Tania, as she is the only girl and last-born sibling at home. I come from a family of 5 where I’m the last born and the only girl. “I can finally get to explore my first born fantasies.”

Zoë added that she loves how the cast spends weeks putting a show together in front of almost no one and then get to hear different audiences reacting to things that they didn’t even know they would react to.

While both Tania and Zoë are very excited to perform, they admit they still get pre-show jitters.

Zoë said she is usually more excited than nervous, but she trusts that she knows what she is doing and lets go. Tania, however, said while she is performing out of her comfort zone, having her industry friends with her on stage usually calms her down.

Tickets to Disney’s The Magic Box cost from R200 to R450 on Wednesdays and Thursdays; and R250 to R550 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Book at Disneythemagicbox.com

No children under 3 years allowed and parental guidance is recommended.

There is a 20% discount on groups of 21 and more. Contact Jill Somers between 9am and 5pm on 079 218 1658 for details.

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Cast of Disney musical hope to create magic