Disney’s biggest princess reunion takes center stage

Once upon a time, Disney assembled its animated icons, Broadway stars, and live-action princesses for a celebration of a lifetime.

Disney’s D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event and World Princess Week kicked off on 17th August with “Disney Princess: The Ultimate Concert Celebration,” a musical showcase that brought together what organizers described as the largest gathering of Disney Princess talent ever.

Held at the Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim, California, the concert featured performances from Disney princesses across different media, with several collaborations happening for the very first time.

A royal gathering

Brandy, star of the 1997 television adaptation of “Cinderella,” opened the evening with “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes,” kicking off the multi-generational show.

Original and live-action versions of beloved characters performed side by side, including two Ariels – Jody Benson and Halle Bailey – with “Part of Your World” from “The Little Mermaid.”

Meanwhile, original animated “Beauty and the Beast” star Paige O’Hara shared the stage with Broadway’s original Belle, Susan Egan, for performances of “Belle Reprise” and “Something There.”

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Princesses across generations

The concert also highlighted how the princess franchise continues to evolve.

Auli’i Cravalho, the original voice of Moana, sang “How Far I’ll Go” before being joined by Catherine Laga’aia, who plays the same role in the live-action movie.

Disney legend Lea Salonga revisited two of her most iconic roles through performances of “A Whole New World” and “Reflection,” while Judy Kuhn returned as Pocahontas with “Colors of the Wind.”

The night also had Anika Noni Rose, who performed “Almost There” from “Princess and the Frog.”

Once a princess, always a princess

As the showcase came to a close, all the princesses came together to perform “When You Wish Upon A Star.”

For longtime fans, the concert was a chance to revisit the songs that defined their childhood. For the younger generation, it was a great introduction of the princesses that came before. And for Disney, it was proof that some fairy tales continue to find new voices through the years.

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