The weather is chilly, but it cannot take away the holiday spirit ― especially with the wealth of concerts and performances inviting families to share their warmth at the end and beginning of every year.

‘Disney on Classic’

The “Disney on Classic: A Magical Night 2012,” scheduled to be held at Olympic Hall in Olympic Park on Dec. 28-29, will allow spectators to travel back to their childhoods and reminisce about their favorite Disney animated films to the performance of their signature tunes. 

Brad Kelly, a member of the show since its launch in 2002, will lead the Prime Philharmonic Orchestra in playing Disney film music that have become classics in their own right. Acclaimed Broadway stars including Carlyn Connolly, Tony Gonzalez, Thomas Mackenzie, Chris Blem and John Rapson will reenact the merry atmospheres from the adventures of Prince Charming, beautiful girls, and jokesters.

Some of cinema’s most beloved tunes will be staged, such as the scores and songs from “Aladdin,” “The Lion King,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.” The show will include tunes from the Tokyo Disneyland Electrical Parade “Dream Lights” and “Fantillusion!” as well as “Memories of Walt Disney & Mickey Mouse March.” Kelly has also compiled nine minutes of love songs and ballads for those looking for some Disney-style romance.

According to the organizers, more than 720,000 people have watched the concerts over the past nine years in Tokyo. The team’s first concert in Korea in 2008 ranked second in ticket sales in the classical musical concert category that year.

Teddy Bear Theater

“The Teddy Bear Theater No. 1 Swan Lake,” staged at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts from Jan. 5 through Feb. 3, features teddy bears dancing to Tchaikovsky classic “Swan Lake.”

The performance shows a young wannabe-ballerina one day finding that her teddy bear can move and talk. The girl is cursed by a witch and turns into a swan, Odette, and follows the storyline of Swan Lake, to be saved at last by her bear doll.

Dancers in costumes of 12 different animals including teddy bears, swans, foxes and deer will show detailed gestures of each animal. “They will keep the originality of ballet but will highlight the characteristics of each creature,” said Seol & Company, the concert organizer.

Marionette Concert

The “Marionette Concert” held at Gwanak Cultural Center and Library on Dec. 22-23 will feature wooden marionettes performing a wide range of artistic genres including ballet, magic, a Chinese mask show, circus and more.

The marionettes are all hand carved by director Kim Jong-koo, who learned marionette performance in Russia. He will present an authentic European-style show with both artistic and humorous sides of the doll-play.

By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)