DUBAI: Disney fans in Abu Dhabi are in for a treat as “The Magic Box,” an innovative theatrical production celebrating a century of Disney, is set to premiere at the Etihad Arena from Feb. 6 to 15, 2025.

Created and co-written by Felipe Gamba Paredes, the show combines more than 75 Disney songs with immersive visuals and an original narrative.

Gamba, a former Disney executive with over 15 years of experience, describes “The Magic Box” as a “love letter” to the timeless stories and music that have defined generations.

“In creating ‘The Magic Box,’ I wanted audiences to reconnect with their own inner child, and to do so, we chose not to tell one singular story from one single Disney film but instead blend them all into one unforgettable journey to the feelings and joy they triggered when we first saw them,” he told Arab News.

At its core is the tale of Mara, a woman rediscovering her inner child through Disney’s evocative melodies.

The production spans Disney’s vast musical history, featuring songs from as early as 1929 alongside contemporary hits from 2023, which Gamba said was “not an easy task.”

He said: “We spent many months just combing through the catalog. We knew we wanted to curate a collage that would resonate across multiple generations so that everyone would find their emotional place inside our show. Balancing content was important.”

The decision to debut “The Magic Box” in Abu Dhabi is based on the UAE capital’s diverse demographics.

“So, I know our show will feel right at home in Abu Dhabi, which is home to so many diverse cultures and represents such a rich tapestry of humanity,” Gamba said.

DUBAI: After topping off a stellar 2024 by co-hosting the closing ceremony of the star-studded Red Sea Film Festival in December, Saudi director and actress Fatima Al-Banawi took to Instagram this week to share behind-the-scenes snafus that occurred before the event.

The star, who is nominated in the Best Film Director category at the upcoming Joy Awards in Riyadh, shared a carousel of photos taken during and after the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, including a poignant shot of her grandfather.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by فاطِــمَة البـنَوي (@fatima_albanawi)

“I don’t know where the words came from, but truly behind every grand appearance there are dark nights, dim lights, a sudden illness, and a liver sandwich that drips a sauce on your dress. But what comforts us through all the moments of exhaustion and fatigue are the celebrations that unfold honoring the stories we tell. And above all that, the moment you return home and find your grandfather watching you on the television screen (sic),” she captioned the post.

Al-Banawi made her directorial debut with “Basma” this year and she is nominated for an award at the Joy Awards, set to be held on Jan. 18.

The Best Film Director nominees include Tarek Al-Eryan (“Welad Rizq 3: Elqadia”), Ali Al-Kalthami (“Night Courier”), Fatima Al-Banawi (“Basma”), and Moataz Al-Touni (“Ex Merati”).

“Basma” launched on Netflix in June and Al-Banawi  not only directed the movie, but wrote it (and an original song for the soundtrack) and played the title role — a young Saudi woman who returns home to Jeddah after two years away studying in the States to find that her parents have divorced without telling her after struggling to deal with the mental illness of her father, the well-respected Dr. Adly.

“My undergrad is in psychology. My father’s a psychologist. My sister’s a psychologist. I have psychology and sociology in my DNA,” Al-Banawi told Arab News at the time of the film’s release. “We talk about Sigmund Freud over lunch, you know?”  

And so, when she sat down to write her first feature, it was natural that she would choose mental health as its focus. 

“Dissonance was a word I found when I started working on ‘Basma.’ I wasn’t familiar with this term: to be in a complete state of, not just denial, but not responding in any way — action or awareness — to what (is obvious),” she said. “I felt it around me everywhere; things that were brushed under the carpet for years and years until they piled up and a person or a family could not handle them anymore.”