Disney Parks Blog says… for this new, full-length original show, we have enlisted the help of our friends from PIXAR Animation Studios. We went to them with a wild idea: what if “Toy Story” characters decided to perform Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker”?
In the original ballet, Clara’s Christmas tree grows and the audience shrinks to this size of a toy beneath the tree. This became our inspiration. The “World of Color” technology was perfect for this effect, because we can make the tree grow in front of your eyes. Then, below the tree is where the magic really happens. Beneath the tree we find Woody, the show’s director. Over the summer he has put together the toys’ version of the ballet. Of course, they have their own special spin on it. Each musical piece we used – Miniature Overture, Trepak (Russian Dance), Tea (Chinese Dance) and Waltz of the Flowers – took on a life of its own. We gave them all special arrangements to match the characters; for instance, the Trepak dance became western to fit Woody and Jessie’s duet.
Another great example of putting a new spin on the classic is Tea (Chinese Dance). We took our inspiration from Walt Disney’s “Fantasia” and the Mushroom scene. We replaced the Mushrooms with Little Green Men and the baby Mushroom with Rex in a tutu. The result is pure magic!
See the full story for more details and a fun video where you can catch a sneak peek of Rex in that tutu!