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[0:25] David Alpert: Welcome to E-Ticket to Broadway, where Broadway meets Main Street.

[0:25] David Alpert: Here's your host, my pal, David Alpert.

[0:24] David Alpert: Hi everyone. Thanks for tuning in to this episode of E-Ticket to Broadway, the only podcast where your favorite Tony Award nominees say things like, I should know what the heffalumps are.

[0:36] David Alpert: The E-Ticket to Broadway community is full of incredibly kind, magical, and lovely people, and I'm so grateful for everyone's support.

[0:43] David Alpert: If you're enjoying the podcast, please consider becoming a Patreon.

[0:47] David Alpert: There are fun perks at each level of giving, and a part of every donation goes directly to Gillanus Fund.

[0:53] David Alpert: To learn more, please visit www.eTicketPodcast.com.

[0:58] David Alpert: I'd like to take this moment to thank two of our newest supporters, D Ticket member Craig K from California, and C Ticket member Carissa M, also from California.

[1:08] David Alpert: These two wonderful folks will get some behind-the-scenes access, a video hangout with some of our guests, and chats with yours truly, not to mention helping to make the world a better place.

[1:18] David Alpert: Before I bring on this guest episode, I want to shine a spotlight on another awesome Disney podcast, The Mad Chatters.

[1:25] David Alpert: They were kind enough to include me in their 249th episode, and I had such a great time.

[1:45] Derek: Thanks so much for having us.

[1:46] Jeremy: Your podcast has gotten me through this desert of having no live theater.

[1:53] David Alpert: Well, that's the intention. You know, hopefully it's not a full replacement for Broadway musicals and plays, but I hope it brings some joy.

[2:00] Jeremy: Do you both remember when you realized that Disney was an important part of your life?

[2:07] Jeremy: When you were like, I think I really like Disney more than the average person.

[2:10] Derek: Oh for me, no doubt. It was my very first trip to Walt Disney World, um, which was when we were in college uh quite a few years ago.

[2:19] Derek: And uh we went just with our friend Matt, who is a uh former co-host of our podcast as well and then he got married and had a career and you know responsibilities.

[2:31] Derek: And uh but we all went the three of us um because we were all friends in college and just decided that uh a trip to Orlando would be fun um before school started the one year so we went in August of uh 2007 and I just remember that trip being so magical and I I think like most kids uh you know who grew up in the 80s and 90s like Disney was an integral part of my life um as far as just coming home after school and watching the movies and the TV shows and and just the toys and everything like that.

[3:02] Derek: Uh but then I when I went to Walt Disney World I just got bit by the magic. I think we both did um uh to varying degrees and I just remember thinking this is a place that I never want to leave and uh it was at that point that I started to realize I'm a little obsessed with this probably more than the average person.

[3:22] Jeremy: Right. I love that you said bit by the magic is that like a mouse thing?

[3:23] Derek: Uh sure yeah that's very Derek, what about you?

[3:30] Jeremy: Same thing?

[3:31] Derek: Yeah, the magic nibbled at me probably around the same time when when we first went to Walt Disney World, that was when my fan-up began because I'm primarily a parks fan.

[3:42] Derek: But to answer your questions about the first time I knew that I probably love Disney more than others, that was probably in like middle school and high school when I would buy every single cassette tape of the soundtrack from a Disney movie whenever it came out.

[3:56] Derek: Like Alan Menken was basically all I listened to in the 90s, and that was probably my first sign. But yeah, it wasn't until we went to Walt Disney World when it was like, okay, I'm sold forever and ever. This will be my second home.

[4:11] Jeremy: I love that. And I I totally, you know, I'm same thing. The Disney Renaissance hit me at a time in my life when I was just growing up.

[4:17] Jeremy: And it's like in the 90s when everyone you were either NSYNC, the Backstreet Boys, and I was like, but what about the Muses from Hercules? That was me. I was like, that's my cool.

[4:29] Derek: Herc was on that role. So you know, E-Ticket to Broadway is all about the Disney parks and Broadway, and you both love live theater. Do you remember the first Broadway show you saw?

[4:40] Jeremy: Ooh, great question. I think I s I think my first show was probably the national tour of Annie years ago.

[4:49] Derek: Were you in that moment like, I think I want to do this or I think I really enjoy it? I know you performed a little bit.

[4:55] Jeremy: Um, oh gosh. I I you know, definitely not that show. I mean, I have memories of that show, but I don't really remember falling in love with that show or anything.

[5:03] Jeremy: It was probably when I saw The Lion King on tour. Uh, when I when I first started to really decide that I'm gonna make musical theater a part of my life.

[5:14] Derek: But for me, it's definitely more going to see it than ever really wanting to be part of it.

[5:19] Jeremy: Sure. Jeremy, what about you? First shows?

[5:22] Derek: Uh, well, I grew up in St. Louis, and so we have an amazing theater there called the Muni, which I'm sure people are familiar with.

[5:30] Derek: So I remember as a kid seeing various shows there. Um, but it was never it never like had an imprint on me like like uh like a fandom would. Uh it was just something that you did every now and then with your grandma and mom, they would want to go see Cinderella or whatever.

[5:45] Derek: Uh so it really wasn't until I was a little older, and I remember seeing Wicked, and uh it was the national tour, and I'd heard about the show, and people told me I would really enjoy the show.

[6:01] Derek: So I went and I went ahead and splurged and just got like, I don't know, like second row seats or whatever. And just like the magnitude of that show and the it just overwhelmed me being that close to the stage, and you know, I mean that show and when she flies at intermission, you know, whatever.

[6:19] Derek: Uh, I think that's really when the hooks of musical theater got into me in the same way that like I really love Disney as well.

[6:28] Jeremy: And I will say for me, like I like the way musical theater makes me feel and the emotions it brings up, so that's why I love doing it. But I will say, if there's one show that made me wish I could actually be part of our performance, it was Newsies, because I saw, I don't know, 15, 20 young guys close to my age doing all these incredible dancing feats on stage, and I loved watching it so much.

[6:55] Jeremy: And I think in that moment I I remember feeling like, man, I missed my calling. If I had started dance lessons 10 years ago, I could be having fun on stage like these guys are because they just look like they're having so much fun.

[7:07] Derek: And that's funny. I said the same thing when I saw Newsies. I was like mad at my mom for not putting me in dance classes when I was three.

[7:14] Jeremy: I mean, when your mom is a ballet teacher, you do take dance lessons at an early age, but still I could not do what they were doing.

[7:20] David Alpert: But I, you know, what I love about this podcast, um, and talking to my guests and you know, and the listeners as well, the overlap of musical theater and plays and the Disney parks is so strong.

[7:32] David Alpert: There's something about storytelling and magic and and you know, the good guy winning in the end that I think is a really beautiful thing that exists in both worlds.

[7:42] David Alpert: So, speaking of both worlds, when I was on your podcast, which was so much fun, you both created some incredible hashtags that combine the titles of Broadway shows or show tunes or stars and giving it some Disney flair called hashtag BroadwayButMakeItDisney.

[7:58] David Alpert: And you were both much, much better than me. But uh, I have some new ones to share, and I want to share with the E-Ticket listeners some of these incredible hashtags.

[8:06] Derek: So are you ready to share some of these hashtag Broadway but make it Disney?

[8:06] Jeremy: Yes.

[8:11] Derek: This is a segment we do pretty often on our show, but this has to be one of my favorites we've ever done. You both were very good at it.

[8:19] David Alpert: Let me I'm gonna give you some new ones that I've created to warm us up so that you know I'm gonna open for you.

[8:24] David Alpert: So um so forgive me. The first one is uh uh from Guys and Dolls. It's called Sit Down, you're rocking the Mark Twain River Boat.

[8:33] David Alpert: If the boats are rocking. You know, um some that I shared on your uh wonderful podcast, The Mad Chatters. Uh I did share Jellical Songs for Disneyland Feral Cats, as well as a chorus single rider line.

[8:47] Derek: What about the ones that you guys had?

[8:49] Jeremy: Derek, you had some good ones. Go for it.

[8:51] Derek: Oh, thanks. Um, I think the one I was proudest of There's a Snake in my Kinky Boots.

[8:51] Jeremy: Yes.

[8:57] Derek: Also, 525,0001 Dalmatians.

[9:03] Jeremy: So good.

[9:03] Derek: So good. This was for my niece. Don't cry for me, Vampirina.

[9:03] Jeremy: Yes.

[9:09] Derek: Of course. Uh, I had Living with the Angela Lansbury.

[9:15] Jeremy: Um, and then I also had um I I thought of this one the other day in the shower, actually, because that's how my mind works.

[9:22] Derek: Uh Seven Brides for Seven Sherman Brothers.

[9:26] Jeremy: Oh, nice.

[9:28] Derek: Nice, yeah. Because I think we had Seven Brides for Seven Dwarves, but Seven Brides for Seven Sherman Brothers is brilliant. Well done.

[9:34] David Alpert: Um, I have some new ones. This one is uh, we're gonna I'm gonna test it out. Bright Star Tours, the adventure continues.

[9:42] Jeremy: Okay, yep.

[9:44] David Alpert: And um one of my uh these are some great songs. It this one's from Pippin on the Right Test Track.

[9:50] David Alpert: And uh Don't Rain on My Main Street Electrical Parade. There's also uh more songs Sleeping Beauty's Castle on a Cloud.

[10:02] David Alpert: And Ring of Keys to the Kingdom Tour. It's really bad. Do you guys have any other others?

[10:13] Derek: Yeah, I actually thought of one after we recorded. Now I know you're more of a Disneyland person, but there's a parade that many well Disney World fans of our generation hold very near and dear to their heart.

[10:23] Derek: So also from Pippin, we've got Spectral Magic to do.

[10:27] Jeremy: Nice, nice.

[10:28] Derek: That's good.

[10:30] Jeremy: Jeremy, any others from the shower?

[10:32] Jeremy: I I remember there was my fair lady in the tramp.

[10:32] Derek: Yes.

[10:37] Jeremy: Yeah. And what's so cool is you, you know, you put it out there for your listeners, so you can also go to the Mad Chatters Twitter account and look at that hashtag. There's more.

[10:45] Derek: Um this was one uh Great Moments with Mr. Link Larkin.

[10:52] Jeremy: Uh I'd watch that.

[10:54] Derek: I'd watch that. You know, we love Burn it at Peters, and she has two songs that she sings um that I gave a little Disney flair to.

[11:02] Derek: One is The Silly Unexpected Song and Step in Time Heals Everything.

[11:07] Jeremy: Those are some deep cut musical theater references.

[11:10] Derek: Yeah, I don't know either of those.

[11:12] Jeremy: Yeah. And then I was thinking because I'm such a fan of Dopey and the Dwarves, Hi Oklahoma.

[11:23] Derek: Oh no.

[11:26] Jeremy: We have jumped the shark.

[11:28] Derek: Uh yeah, I remember a listener submitted Climb Every Space Mountain. I thought that was good.

[11:33] Jeremy: Um, I remember we had Sweeney Todd, the demon barber of Main Street USA.

[11:33] Derek: Yeah.

[11:39] Jeremy: It's just like it the and and it's one of those our the hashtag game for us is one of those things where once you get going, it just spills out and like all of these ideas come flooding to your brain.

[11:51] Derek: You have some uh from your listeners, Into the Hundred Acre Woods.

[11:55] Jeremy: So good.

[11:56] Derek: Oh yeah. Um Disney Parks fan on Twitter, uh West Side Storybook Land Canal Boats.

[12:05] Jeremy: I do remember that.

[12:06] Derek: And uh instead of the sharks, it's the whale.

[12:06] Jeremy: Yes.

[12:09] Derek: Oh gosh. Um you you had Big Hero 1776.

[12:14] Jeremy: Yeah, that's right.

[12:15] Derek: Jesus Christ Superstar Limo.

[12:18] Jeremy: Yes, for the DCA fans.

[12:21] Derek: Yeah. Pip and Dale, Rescue Rangers, that one. Um, we also had a Anna Get Your Gun.

[12:29] Jeremy: Oh, yes.

[12:30] Derek: Yeah. Sun in the Park with George of the Jungle. And this one, this one really tickled me. I'm gonna try and say without laughing. Dear Evan Hansen feet inside the vehicle at all times.

[12:43] Jeremy: I'm also looking at our Facebook post. We have a comment from JT. People who need people movers.

[12:50] Derek: Oh no.

[12:51] Jeremy: And in my own little Casey's corner.

[12:55] David Alpert: Oh good. So everyone listening, please go ahead and check out the Mad Chatters Twitter page uh and and E-Ticket and and make sure to create your own Broadway but make it Disney with that hashtag.

[13:06] David Alpert: So um Derek and Jeremy, because you take it to Broadway, I love playing games. We're gonna play a little bit of Tweedledeer, Tweedledum.

[13:12] David Alpert: I'm gonna give you two options, and we're gonna quickly say which one we prefer. And feel free to defend your choice. And um you can disagree, whatever you want.

[13:19] David Alpert: So Tweedledear, Tweedledumb, Tower of Terror, or Expedition Everest.

[13:27] Derek: Oh my. Um are we talking Tower Walt Disney World Tower of Terror?

[13:33] David Alpert: See, this is when you talk to Disney fans, they're like, let me clarify what you're talking about.

[13:39] Derek: Let's go with let's go with Disney World, Tower of Terror.

[13:42] David Alpert: So we'll keep it all in Florida. Tower of Terror or Expedition Everest.

[13:47] Derek: Oh man. Um I have my answer.

[13:51] Derek: Tower of Terror is an all time favorite of mine.

[13:55] Jeremy: Okay, I'm gonna go with I'm actually gonna go with Everest then.

[13:58] Jeremy: Um because I was kind of on the fence leaning towards Everest.

[14:01] Gavin Lee: I think overall the cues of both of them are amazing.

[14:05] Gavin Lee: Um, but in just in terms of uh of a thrill, I get a little more thrill from Everest than I do from Tower of Terror.

[14:14] David Alpert: Okay.

[14:15] David Alpert: Uh next Tweedledeer Tweedledum, Churros or Dole Whips.

[14:19] Derek: Easy.

[14:19] Derek: Churros.

[14:21] Derek: Yeah, I'm gonna go churros.

[14:23] Jeremy: I'm not I'm really not a fan of either.

[14:25] Jeremy: Don't hate me, but uh, if I had to pick between the two churros.

[14:29] Gavin Lee: You know, Jeremy, I have never purchased either at a Disney park.

[14:32] Jeremy: Yeah.

[14:33] Jeremy: Wait, what?

[14:34] Gavin Lee: Yeah, I'm just I mean, I've tried them, of course, but I'm much more um that Mickey Mouse ice cream sandwich bar.

[14:39] Gavin Lee: I've got my traditions.

[14:40] Gavin Lee: You don't mess, you know, don't mess with that.

[14:42] Gavin Lee: It works.

[14:44] Derek: I will say, of the two of us on our podcast, I have the bigger sweet tooth.

[14:49] Jeremy: Oh, a thousand percent.

[14:50] Jeremy: Me, uh, I am more of like uh a Mickey pretzel with cheese.

[14:55] Derek: Sure.

[14:56] Derek: With cheese, of course.

[14:58] Derek: It's mouse-based, you know.

[14:59] David Alpert: Uh Tweedledeer, Tweedledum, Star Tours or Smuggler's Run.

[15:05] Gavin Lee: Star Tours.

[15:06] Gavin Lee: All the way.

[15:07] Gavin Lee: And the reason why is because I don't like my the fate of my traction being in the hands of the general public.

[15:15] Gavin Lee: So, you know, I I think it's a better experience to let the imagineers just do their thing rather than the uh four-year-old who got to sit in the driver's seat or the pilot.

[15:25] Jeremy: I completely agree.

[15:27] Jeremy: I also prefer Star Tours because I when I went on Smuggler's Run, I was I wasn't paying attention to like the storytelling.

[15:34] Jeremy: I was like, what is this button do?

[15:36] Jeremy: Which is again a different experience, but I'm with you.

[15:39] David Alpert: Uh Derek, what about you?

[15:40] Derek: I totally agree for all the same reasons.

[15:42] Derek: I feel like on Smuggler's Run, I have to work.

[15:45] Derek: And it's like I just want to enjoy the ride.

[15:47] Jeremy: Yeah.

[15:48] Jeremy: I I do miss Star um Star Tours 1.0 as well at Disneyland, where you can see George Lucas at the end.

[15:54] Jeremy: There was just something so it the way the ride worked felt like it came from you know the time that Star Wars was created.

[16:02] Jeremy: There was some vintage feel that I really liked.

[16:06] David Alpert: Final Tweedledear, Tweedledum, Haunted Mansion, or Pirates of the Caribbean.

[16:11] Gavin Lee: Oh my gosh.

[16:12] Gavin Lee: Okay, I have an answer for this because well, I don't have an answer for this because in Disneyland, my favorite attraction is Pirates of the Caribbean, but in Walt Disney World, my favorite attraction is Haunted Mansion.

[16:25] David Alpert: Okay.

[16:25] David Alpert: Well, again, Disney fans have strong opinions.

[16:29] David Alpert: I'm gonna say, I'm gonna say Pirates of the Caribbean, because if you're talking about the Disneyland version, I think that is an all-time iconic masterpiece.

[16:37] Jeremy: What about you?

[16:38] Jeremy: If I only have time to ride one, I'm probably gonna ride Pirates.

[16:42] Jeremy: Uh it's just a more relaxed experience for me.

[16:45] Jeremy: And um, you know, anything with water, I'll take water over uh as a ride system.

[16:53] Derek: Yeah, over black light.

[16:54] Jeremy: Yeah, yeah.

[16:56] David Alpert: Well, thank you, Derek and Jeremy, for playing Tweedledeeer, Tweedledum.

[16:59] David Alpert: For all of you listening to E Ticket to Broadway, I'd love to share with you the Mad Chatters podcast.

[17:04] David Alpert: Will you guys share with our listeners what your podcast is all about?

[17:08] Derek: Yeah, of course.

[17:09] Derek: Well, we loved having you on.

[17:10] Derek: We uh we just wanted to create a podcast that would have material that we ourselves would want to listen to.

[17:18] Derek: So with really a hodgepodge of things related to the Disney park.

[17:21] Derek: So we talk a lot about history and things that fascinate us, and we have a lot of top five lists about our favorite attractions and even down to minute things like our favorite bathrooms at Walt Disney World, and we have the hashtag segment like we played earlier, we play lots of wacky games, and it's really just fun for us, and we know that the people who are really big Disney fans also get a kick out of it, or we hope at least.

[17:45] Derek: And that's really what we intend to do with our show.

[17:48] David Alpert: I love that.

[17:49] David Alpert: It's all about spreading that Disney magic.

[17:50] David Alpert: Uh, you can find Derek and Jeremy and the Mad Chatters on Twitter at Mad Chatters, and you know, we'll definitely want to send some love their way.

[17:59] David Alpert: So Derek and Jeremy, thank you so much for joining me and sharing your Disney love.

[18:03] Derek: Thank you both.

[18:06] Derek: Thanks, David.

[18:07] Derek: The world needs as much Disney magic as possible.

[18:10] Derek: So please go check them out.

[18:12] David Alpert: Speaking of Disney Magic, the guest on this episode bubbles over with it.

[18:16] David Alpert: He created the role of Bert in the stage production of Mary Poppins in the West End, and then brought his performance to Broadway, where he received a Tony Award nomination and a Drama Desk Award.

[18:26] David Alpert: He's also been seen on Broadway in Le Miz and as Squidward in Spongebob Squarepants and toured the country as Bert, as well as The Grinch in Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

[18:35] David Alpert: Get ready to step in time with Gavin Lee.

[18:46] David Alpert: Gavin, thank you so much for joining E-Ticket to Broadway.

[18:49] David Alpert: You are a bona fide Disney and Broadway star.

[18:51] David Alpert: So tell me, are you just as mad as I am that there isn't a Mary Poppins ride in any Disney park?

[18:57] Gavin Lee: I mean, that's just wrong, isn't it?

[18:59] Gavin Lee: It's just wrong.

[19:00] Gavin Lee: I mean, what that I mean, she she makes the briefest appearance with Bert in the parade, I think, in every day.

[19:06] David Alpert: Yes.

[19:06] Gavin Lee: Yes.

[19:07] Gavin Lee: And if you're lucky, Mary Poppins might be wandering around in her jolly holiday costume so that you can get a photo with her.

[19:13] Gavin Lee: But other than that, I mean, it was the first time Walt Disney had won an Oscar, I think.

[19:18] Gavin Lee: And so but but but um England, the UK in Epcot is about to get a Mary Poppins ride, isn't it?

[19:25] David Alpert: Yes, we hope so.

[19:26] Gavin Lee: In Epcot, we hope so.

[19:28] Gavin Lee: That would just be amazing.

[19:30] Gavin Lee: And I'm expecting, because I'm the Bert from Broadway, I'm expecting to get an invite and be one of the first people to get to ride that ride.

[19:38] David Alpert: It would be amazing.

[19:40] Gavin Lee: I think that'll have to happen.

[19:41] Gavin Lee: And don't forget, you know, when I was thinking about this, Mary and Bert used to appear in the great movie ride.

[19:46] David Alpert: Of course they did, yes.

[19:48] Gavin Lee: Oh my gosh.

[19:49] Gavin Lee: I remember going to that the first time I went to Disney.

[19:52] Gavin Lee: Um I went that great movie ride was a real uh memory for me.

[19:56] Gavin Lee: I I it really stuck in my brain as one of the highlights.

[20:01] Gavin Lee: And so when I found out that they'd got rid of that, they've got rid of it now, haven't they?

[20:04] David Alpert: They did.

[20:06] Gavin Lee: And I'm like, oh, I remember that.

[20:08] Gavin Lee: I remember all the different movies and the people jumping out at you, and and it was it was pretty cool.

[20:13] Gavin Lee: I'm talking this is back in 1990, which was the first time I went to Disney World.

[20:17] Gavin Lee: Um, but yes, there needs to be way more Mary Poppins in all the Disney locations.

[20:23] David Alpert: And did when you know, when you were doing Mary Poppins on Broadway, did you and Ashley ever think about just going to Florida and you know, like standing in on the great movie ride and then like coming to life?

[20:33] Gavin Lee: Can you imagine?

[20:33] Gavin Lee: That would have been so cool.

[20:35] Gavin Lee: No, but what did happen is um while we were I think we were two years into the Broadway run of Mary Poppins, and they invited Ashley and I to go down to um Disney World to take part in the Christmas Day parade.

[20:51] Gavin Lee: You know, the the Christmas Day special that um they always do.

[20:56] Gavin Lee: Um and it was me and her, obviously Mary and Bert, um, and we started off in like the candy shop, um, and then we started off doing supercalafagilistic, and all the ensemble that we would normally have in the show for SuperCal, they were actually dancers from the Disney parks, and they were dressed up like the candy store workers.

[21:18] Gavin Lee: And we started the song Supercal off, and then the cameras led us outside, and then we went up Main Street, and they had organized.

[21:29] Gavin Lee: I don't know if you know, but um in the Super Calafragilistic choreography from Broadway, uh, we spell out the word S-U-P-E-R-C-A-L-I, the whole word, and we do this brilliant Matthew Bourne Stephen Mir choreography to each letter, and they had got something like 500 local um dance schools to learn this choreography, and they were all in different color t-shirts in in groups, and we did the choreography at the top of Main Street, and Main Street was full of these 500 um local dancers doing the choreography behind us, and it was um obviously shown on the Christmas Day parade.

[22:10] Gavin Lee: I'm talking way back in I think 2010, and it was so amazing because the camera was like on a lift, so it could go really high and get a bird's eye view of all these people doing the supercow choreography, and it was one of the highlights of my career getting to dance on Main Street on Christmas Day for Disney and doing that fabulous choreography.

[22:30] Gavin Lee: It was a great memory.

[22:31] David Alpert: Yeah, I remember I remember seeing that and thinking how cool it was.

[22:35] David Alpert: I thought it was a great experience with it.

[22:37] Gavin Lee: It's really awesome.

[22:37] Gavin Lee: And of course, from there, we were given a couple of days um to then explore the parks, and I as I say, I wasn't the first time I went to the parks was in 1990, so this was 20 years later, and that and it was pretty amazing to go back and just try and recall what what I'd seen before and what was new, and it was just absolutely magical because this time round I had this um connection to Disney.

[23:02] Gavin Lee: I worked for Disney.

[23:04] Gavin Lee: So it was I I guess it just meant a lot more to me that I was part of that fantastic family.

[23:23] David Alpert: Gavin, growing up in England, what were what were your views on the Disney parks?

[23:28] David Alpert: You know, because you know, Disney Parks opened, you know, in the early 90s.

[23:31] David Alpert: So before that, what was I mean it was so far away for you?

[23:34] Gavin Lee: Yeah, it was just, you know, we obviously um I guess growing up, I I just knew there was somewhere somewhere called Disneyland, and I guess I knew it was in the US somewhere.

[23:44] Gavin Lee: And I doubt as a kid I even knew there was then a Disney World in Florida.

[23:49] Gavin Lee: I just it to me it was just a place called Disneyland, and certainly not a place that anytime soon I was going to get to go to living in England.

[23:58] Gavin Lee: Um so as I said earlier, in 1990, well, 1990, I got my first job out of college as a dancer, and I was on a cruise ship.

[24:08] Gavin Lee: Um, and one and the cruise ship was mainly going out of Florida, going Fort Lauderdale and doing the Caribbean for six months.

[24:15] Gavin Lee: That was my first job.

[24:17] Gavin Lee: And so, of course, when the contract ended, I was like, I'm in Florida, I have to go to Disney World.

[24:23] Gavin Lee: So my sister and a friend flew over from England and joined me.

[24:28] Gavin Lee: They flew into Orlando, and I got the Greyhound bus from Fort Lauderdale to Orlando.

[24:34] Gavin Lee: So because I just felt that's so American.

[24:36] Gavin Lee: You know, I could have easily got a flight from Fort Lauderdale to Orlando, it would have been about like an hour's flight.

[24:41] Gavin Lee: But I was like, no, I get I'm getting a greyhound bus to Orlando.

[24:45] Gavin Lee: I'm living the American dream, and I'm arriving at Disney World, and you know, we could only afford to stay in some kind of rubbish, you know, hot quality quality in on international drive.

[24:57] Gavin Lee: We certainly weren't staying in a Disney hotel.

[25:00] Gavin Lee: Um, but we had you know four or five days um in Disney World, and it it was just magical and wonderful, and I still have the photo albums.

[25:08] Gavin Lee: Um, because of course back then you actually had to take photos and get them developed and put them in an album, you know, unlike today where we've all we've all got 6,000 photos on our uh phones, very different back then.

[25:19] Gavin Lee: And but we had an amazing time, and it was 20 years later before I then went to Disney World again.

[25:27] David Alpert: Yeah.

[25:28] David Alpert: Did you remember any like specific rides or experiences from that first trip to Disney World?

[25:34] Gavin Lee: It's funny, you should say the great movie ride is one that really um stuck in my mind because I you know, I think the the thing that stuck in my mind most was the wizard of Oz when you came around a corner in that ride and you saw Dorothy and the her three friends and the Yellowbrick Road.

[25:49] Gavin Lee: I was like, oh, and then the witch, you saw the witch.

[25:51] Gavin Lee: That really stuck in my head, but also the ride I think that stuck out most for me was at back when then it was called the MGM Studios, um, and it was the Star Wars ride, which now seems weird, isn't it?

[26:06] Gavin Lee: Because we now have this whole brand new Star Wars um whole area with amazing rides, but back then there was just the one Disney uh what was it called Star Tours?

[26:17] David Alpert: That's right.

[26:18] Gavin Lee: Um and I just remember thinking that was brilliant, and that's that's the ride that stuck out most to me was the Star Tours ride, which is of course one of these simulation rides.

[26:26] Gavin Lee: You don't actually go anywhere, you're not actually going up and down on a roller coaster, you're just virtually sat still getting jerked around looking at a screen, believing that you're in space.

[26:35] Jeremy: Uh yes.

[26:36] Gavin Lee: So um that's the that's the ride I think I remember the most.

[26:41] David Alpert: I wonder if, you know, uh during that trip you happened to meet Bert and he was like, You don't know this yet, Gavin, but one day wouldn't that uh do you know what I'm pretty sure if I went back and looked at these photo albums, which are up in an attic somewhere, I bet there's a picture of me standing next to the Mary and the Bert and I've kind of forgotten about it.

[27:00] Gavin Lee: It's because in recent years, like when I've gone down to Epcot to um do the uh Festival of the Arts where I get to perform down there, like the usually the actors that c that play Mary and Bert in the parks, they tend to come to the show just because they know, oh Gavin Lee, he was Bert on Broadway, and so they have a affiliation and uh they normally come and say hi, and then I have a photo taken with them.

[27:26] Gavin Lee: And so I have that seared into my memory now, like the Bert and Mary that play those roles now, rather than the Bert and Mary that I'm sure played it back in 1991 when I first went to Disney.

[27:36] David Alpert: Well, I I I think I'm confused because it's always the same Mary and Bert.

[27:40] David Alpert: They're always the same.

[27:41] David Alpert: Whenever you're gonna do it.

[27:42] Gavin Lee: Well yes, of course they're always the same, and they don't age.

[27:47] Gavin Lee: They never age.

[27:48] Gavin Lee: It's the craziest thing.

[27:50] Gavin Lee: Sorry, I'm not I'm not breaking any uh any dreams here.

[27:53] Gavin Lee: Of course they've got that.

[27:55] Gavin Lee: Yeah, of course.

[27:56] Gavin Lee: But the friends of Mary and Bert, you know, they're the friends.

[27:59] Gavin Lee: Maybe that maybe they uh change occasionally.

[28:01] Gavin Lee: They might change.

[28:02] David Alpert: So did you, when Disneyland, or excuse me, Euro Disney opened in nineteen ninety two, I believe, did you go?

[28:09] Gavin Lee: No, because um by then um I was I was working, I'd left um, I'd left home. I'd gone to college. I'd had my first job in, you know, on the cruise ships, and I was by then I was in London working. Um I I did go to Paris a couple of times on the Eurostar during the 90s, but I never went to the Disney Parks. I I don't know. I kind of I guess I'd heard some stories, you know, when it first opened that it wasn't quite finished or it wasn't as big, or you know, and and I just had these memories of I'd just been to Disney World in Florida where it was brilliant weather and um such great memories that I guess I didn't feel the need to dash to the the new Paris uh Euro Disney. Euro Disney was called back then.

[28:59] David Alpert: Have you gone since?

[29:01] Gavin Lee: I haven't because um since 2006 I've lived here in the States, and whenever I go back that way to Europe, I literally just go back, fly back, fly into London and see family and friends. So I've never had a vacation in Europe since I've lived here in America, which is weird, you know, because uh I love I love France, I love Spain, I love Italy. I just living here whenever we go that way, as I say, it's just to go and see family and friends and then come back to America again.

[29:42] David Alpert: Gavin, as a kid, do you remember watching the Disney movies? And did you have a favorite?

[29:48] Gavin Lee: I um as a kid, um, I obviously remember uh I think movies like Jungle Book. I used to love Jungle Book. Um, that's the one that stuck out. And then I think in my teen years, I guess as a teenage boy, I wasn't that into Disney movies, so it wasn't like I was going to the cinema to see them all. But then in uh what would the year be? Like when the when they had that big um when Disney was back in fashion, like yeah, right. We really started with uh Little Mermaid. Um I remember I didn't go see that either, so I'd seen clips of it. But then a girl, our girlfriend at the time really wanted to go and see Beauty and the Beast. And I was like, oh, okay, you know, not that interested. Um, and I remember just being blown away at how brilliant that movie was, and so deserved that Oscar um nomination for best movie, um, which was the first time, wasn't it, that uh animation had been put in that category.

Um so that's the one that is I think still my all-time favorite, and then what links on to that was a few years later, as a Brit, uh working in the West End of London, I used to take a week's holiday, a week's vacation, and I would come with a friend um or a girlfriend, depending on where I was at at that stage of my life. But we've come to New York and basically to go and see, say, 12 shows in in a week. And one time when I went, and this would be 90, I'm gonna get the wrong year now. I'm gonna say 94, 95, um, I came and I saw my regular 12 shows, and one that was on my list was Beauty and the Beast, the Broadway show. And again, even though I'd loved the movie, I was like, I don't think I'm really gonna enjoy seeing Beauty and the Beast on stage, you know.

You know, I don't need to see a cartoon on stage. Cut to, I can honestly say that was my favorite show out of the 12 that I saw that year. Um, I was just thought it had been done so brilliantly because I had these great memories of when I first saw the cartoon, the animation, uh, and the way that they had then did that show at the Palace Theatre on Broadway, all the best bits of the movie, but then bringing it to life as a real, you know, live stage show, just did such a brilliant job. And so a few years later, when then I'm auditioning for a brand new Disney stage musical of Mary Poppins. I was just like, yes, please, because I know Disney can do such a brilliant job. And of course, Mary Poppins was such a beloved movie that I knew they had to get it right to not upset all these diehard Mary Poppins fans.

Um so yeah, I I was so grateful to get that job as Bert and after Mary Poppins to still be a big part of the the Disney organization and the Disney family and getting asked to do concerts and various um shows with Disney um since Mary Poppins, it's just it's just been wonderful. There it's a fantastic company to work for, and uh they've always looked after me really well, and I love it. I love everything about Disney.

[33:04] David Alpert: Were you had you seen the movie of Mary Poppins as a kid or or no?

[33:09] Gavin Lee: Yeah, I mean, I guess I'd seen it uh uh in England, you you kind of always found that um every Christmas, they'd either play um Wizard of Oz or Mary Poppins or Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. They'd play like one of those movies a year on like BBC. Because I'm talking about when I was a kid in the 70s, there were only there were only three channels on the TV. That's all you had. And they used to just rotate those kind of three iconic movies. And so I'd seen it at Christmas time. And loved it, just like I loved Wizard of Oz and Chitty Chu Bang Bang as well. And obviously, when I had my audition, I obviously got a DVD of the of the movie because I wanted to watch Big Van Dyke again and get the essence of what he was doing, because at that point, you don't know if you don't know if the creatives of this of the stage show want a carbon copy of what everyone knows, or whether they want you to bring something new and different to Bert.

And I'm very happy to say, you know, on day one of rehearsals, it was like we don't expect you to be Julie Andres and you to be but um uh Dick Van Dyke. This is you know, you we want Delora Michelle Kelly, who was the original Mary Poppins and myself to be new versions of these characters, which as an actor that's what you want. I didn't want to have to do a carbon copy of Dick Van Dyke because that's Dick Van Dyke, and he will always be Bert, the chimney sweep, because he created that role for the movie, even though I created the role for the stage, it's always gonna be Dick Van Dijk's role. Um, and I'm very glad that I didn't have to just do a carbon copy of him because he did it so well, and I would have just been second fiddle, I would have been second best.

So it's nice when you get to do a brand new production. Um, but there's all there's already a version of it somewhere else. It's nice when the director says, Oh, I don't want you to do the same as he did, do something new.

[35:14] David Alpert: Right. Is there anything within you that resembles Bert?

[35:21] Gavin Lee: Um I know that's certainly the type of character that I like to play and have in general played in my whole career, like happy, go lucky, cheeky kind of guys. Um he's just so lovable. There's just nothing, that's why it was such a joy to play him. There was nothing negative. He was in the moon, he was he was put into the story or into the movie or into the stage show to just be uh be a helpful hand for Mary and to cheer up the kids. That's why he's there to just bring sunshine to uh Jane and Michael Banks. Um there's only one point in the stage show where you could show anything other than utter happiness, and that's when near the end of the show, Mary Poppins says, Um, or I or Bert says, It's it's time, isn't it, Mary?

Meaning I know Bert knows that Mary's gonna fly away. She's done her job, she's brought this family back together and she's gonna fly away. And that was the only point in the show where I could go deep into my kind of emotions and get upset every night and show that Bert um did have a sad side, um, which was the fact that his the person he loved most in the world, um, was gonna fly away again, and he didn't know when she was gonna come back again. And uh, so that was one of my favorite parts in the show to do to act, only because the rest of the show I had very much enjoyed, but also I had to be the happiest person on stage.

[37:04] David Alpert: Yeah, exactly. So, Gavin, right after I graduated college, I I came to New York and I saw not 12, but I think I saw about eight shows on a trip to New York, and and one was Mary Poppins. And I remember seeing you, and you were so great, and especially the moment, you know. Of course, we love when you tap dance around the proscenium. Uh-huh. So this is my question. And I brought this up to Ashley as well. I love knowing at Wicked, they have kind of a no-fly contingency plan at the end of Act One. Like, what happens if you know we're not ready to fly? And I said to Ashley, what happens at the end of the show if the umbrella is not ready to fly? Was there a contingency plan for you if for some reason the wires weren't ready?

[37:44] Gavin Lee: Yes.

[37:45] David Alpert: What did you do?

[37:46] Gavin Lee: Mine was I hated it because anyone, anyone who's seen the stage show, um, or just listen to the soundtrack. If you listen to the cast album, um, I sing, oh, but the real oh no, I sing um what do I sing? Oh, whatever I sing. I I'd sing a can't remember it was too long ago now, but I basically I'd have my wires on. So I'm in a harness with two wires attached to my hips, and I'd be covered up by all the chimney sweeps, and I'd sing a note, and then the music went very dramatic and very slow-mo. It kind of went dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun. And it did this for about a minute. And it was slow and dramatic like that because I would walk up the side of the proscenium arch, up the side of the wall of the stage, and then at that same dun-dun-dun-dun-dun speed, I tap dance upside down across the top of the ceiling of the stage, the proscenium arch.

Um, it was spectacular. I was the lucky actor that got to do this fabulous trick, and quite often the audience would applaud halfway through it because it was just so you know that the lighting was so good that you couldn't really see the wires, and you were just like, Oh my gosh, this actor's tap dancing upside down. And I was I just loved it. I was so grateful that I was the one guy that got to invent this and do this. But if the for some reason the computer was like and they and you couldn't do it, um, I had to used to have to take the wires off my hips on stage, so all the audience could see something that had gone wrong, because they saw me come on stage, sing this high note, the music was really dramatic and slow, and then you'd be like, Oh, he's unclipping something off his hips, and then a stage hand's hand would come onto the stage, I'd hand them the wires, and then I would have to improvise a tap routine to dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun.

And I tell you, it's what's impressive about tap is how fast it is. So, do you know what's not impressive? Really, really, really slow tap dancing. Yeah, and also something that you're making up on the spot because the choreographer never made up a tap routine for me in case this ever happened, because it only happened, say five times in my eight years of playing that role. But all the other chimney sweeps, like another 20 chimney sweeps, used to be in a clump at the back of the stage, you looking up at me tap dancing upside down, and they would be in awe. But in this scenario, they would be in a clump staring at me at the front of the stage doing the worst grade one tap dance in the world. And I knew that 1600 people in the audience were looking at me, kind of going, huh?

This is like really slow and a bit boring, and his tap's not very good. And so I absolutely hated it when it happened. And when I feel uncomfortable in something like that, I sweat like a pig. So I would be so sweaty, I would be so angry that the wires hadn't worked. I mean, it was no one's fault, it would just be a computer error. But that's what I used to have to do. This really, really bad, slow improvised tap routine across the front of the stage with all the other chimney sweeps kind of giggling and looking at me like you poor sod.

[41:18] David Alpert: Yeah, exactly. You have to do that.

[41:20] Gavin Lee: Exactly. Um, but yeah, so it was just like improvise, improvise something, and I absolutely hated it.

[41:26] David Alpert: I'm so sorry. Recently, Gavin, you played Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast at Paper Mill. Did you have a favorite moment of performing in that Disney musical?

[41:36] Gavin Lee: Well, I mean, just like Step in Time in uh Mary Poppins, um, you know, the big production number, which is uh be our guest, it's it's kind of Lumiere's number. I'm kind of the MC of the number. Of course, everyone's in it, and everyone's working their butt off. But um, I kind of thought of as this is Lumier's moment to show off. And so, of course, that was my favorite part of the show. It's probably the most iconic song um in the show, apart from maybe you know, Angela Lansbury singing Beauty and the Beast.

[42:11] Gavin Lee: Be Our Guest is certainly one of the most iconic remembered songs in the movie, and it's the biggest production number in the stage show. So getting to sing that every night is just wonderful. And usually when Disney asks me to do a concert of some kind, it usually opens with Be Our Guest. So I've sung it with a French accent and without a French accent, and also when I sometimes I go and do my own concert on the Disney Cruises, and I'll generally open with that song as well because it's just so popular and well known, and it's a great song to sing.

[42:58] David Alpert: Gavin, when you go to the parks, do you have any traditions that you like to do with your family, or you know, any rides, any food, like a must do?

[43:06] Gavin Lee: Well, I have to admit, and most of the listeners are gonna go, oh, I hate you. Basically the last three times I've been to the park, it's been slightly work-related. The first time was I got to do the parade with Ashley. We had to perform on the ABC Disney Parade for Christmas, and then the last two times I've gone for the Festival of the Arts at Epcot, where we've done the Disney on Broadway concert series. So a perk of getting to go and perform there is we get given an ambassador. So for anyone, I'm sure everyone is listening to this podcast knows what the Disney ambassadors are and wish they could have one, because basically it means someone comes and picks you up at the Disney Hotel in a minivan with you, your family and your friends, and they say, Where do you want to go today?

And you can just you can say, take me wherever you think is the best place to go first, or you can have a whole list of rides you want to do, and you get driven kind of in the back entrance, and you get to kind of push to the front of every line because the ambassadors are meant for VIPs, and even though I don't class myself as a VIP, one of the perks of getting to do the Festival of the Arts concert series is they treat you like a VIP. And so the last three times I've gone, I've had this ambassador, and so we just get to do every single ride, and we don't have to get in a line, we don't have to cue. I'm sure everyone is cursing me and hating.

[44:50] David Alpert: No, no, no, no, it's very exciting.

[44:52] Gavin Lee: But it's amazing, and I'm not sure I ever want to go to Disney World again and have to get in a line because certainly my kids, I have a 10, 7, and three-year-old, they've never had to get in a line at Disney. I mean, they've been so spoiled, I've been so spoiled. So we get to go on every single ride. So we don't have to pick, oh, what do I really want to do in case we don't get to do everything? Because we're so lucky that we've got to do everything. It sounds like I'm showing off, and no, no. And I'm sure everyone's just like, I hate you, I hate you. We had to line up for four hours just to get on Avatar. But you know, we were able to go on Avatar straight away, and of course, the Pandora, the whole Pandora section is just mind-blowing at Animal Kingdom.

That Pandora ride, the Avatar ride is just the best thing I've ever been on. I do have to say, last February when I we did the Festival of the Arts, we weren't allowed with the ambassador to go on the new Star Wars ride. So that's one thing you can all go, ha ha ha, bad luck, Gavin, you didn't get to go on there. But it was so popular that even the VIPs couldn't push to the front, which rightly so. Everyone should wait their turn for that ride. So I haven't done the new Star Wars ride, but of course, the Avatar ride is just being on that animal and feeling the lungs of that flying animal like you know, pulsate between your thighs is and the ride is just phenomenal. What they can do with technology these days and make you believe that you're in a different world is just unbelievable.

[46:38] David Alpert: Yeah, the Disney magic. So you know, as this is a Disney Parks and Broadway mashup, I have to ask you, do you think that Squidward would enjoy any part of Walt Disney World?

[46:48] Gavin Lee: Squidward, uh Squidward, he would enjoy any of the rides that are under the sea. Of course. He'd enjoy the Little Mermaid Ride, of course. He'd enjoy Nemo, but that's not there anymore, is it? Well in California, you can go on the submarine.

[47:05] David Alpert: Oh, you can.

[47:06] Gavin Lee: Yes, it's still there in California, yes. And also then the Finding Nemo show, which I absolutely love. He'd like that as well. And also, if he was able to have an ambassador, he would feel like royalty and he would feel like he deserved it. He certainly would never get in a line and cue up for anything because he thinks he is far better than everyone else.

[47:27] David Alpert: Would he ever consider like playing the clarinet in the marching band down Main Street or no?

[47:32] Gavin Lee: Oh, if anyone asked him to play the clarinet, he would jump for joy because then he would be able to show the world the talent that he had because no one understands him. He's a completely misunderstood octopus, remember.

[47:45] David Alpert: That's right, that's right. I would love for you to release an album of Squidward singing Disney songs. I think that would just be incredible.

[47:54] Gavin Lee: Yes. Except he wouldn't sing Be Our Guest. You like, you know, I don't want you to be my guest.

[47:57] David Alpert: Yes, good for me, he'd say.

[48:01] Gavin Lee: Oh, Shilly. We'll be right back.

[48:05] David Alpert: Oh, what's the ball ball?

[48:20] Gavin Lee: Fast Pass. So Gavin, this is Fast Pass Answers. I'm gonna put 30 seconds on the clock after I ask the first question. Are you ready?

[48:32] Gavin Lee: I'm re I'm no, I'm not ready. I'm not ready. But do it anyway.

[48:36] David Alpert: Okay, here we go. Gavin, what is your favorite snack in the parks?

[48:41] Gavin Lee: Um Mickey Ice Cream.

[48:43] David Alpert: Name any song from Mary Poppins.

[48:46] Gavin Lee: Oh, Jim Timmitty.

[48:47] David Alpert: Favorite Disney movie.

[48:50] Gavin Lee: Beauty and the Beast.

[48:51] David Alpert: Favorite Disney character.

[48:54] Gavin Lee: Uh Lumiere, because I've played him.

[48:56] David Alpert: Name any character from Spongebob.

[48:59] Gavin Lee: Squidward, cute tentacles.

[49:01] David Alpert: Name a Disney song you like to sing.

[49:05] Gavin Lee: That I like to sing. Um I'd like to sing the song Home from the stage musical of Beauty and the Beast. I never have. It's a beautiful song.

[49:14] David Alpert: Yes. Yes, good. You did so well.

[49:16] Gavin Lee: Oh, boom.

[49:18] David Alpert: That was it.

[49:18] Gavin Lee: Oh, see, they see they were easy. I thought they were gonna be much worse than that.

[49:22] David Alpert: No, no, no. But it was great. I love that you liked Mickey ice cream. That's my favorite, too.

[49:26] Gavin Lee: The sandwiches is my that's my jam.

[49:28] David Alpert: Oh, yeah. The first time I now back um going back to 1991, the first time I went to Disney World. In England at that time, you didn't have sandwich ice cream sandwich cookies. They weren't a thing in England. So I was going up Main Street and I went into that ice cream parlor, and the fact that they put a big wedge of vanilla ice cream between two freshly baked cookies. Yeah, I was in heaven.

[49:53] Gavin Lee: Yeah, of course. But the Mickey ice cream on a stick that's like a chalk ice covered in chocolate, but the Mickey shape, um, they're just they're just Disney Disneyland to me.

[50:04] David Alpert: It's so good.

[50:05] Gavin Lee: It's so good. And also you can get those, you can get those a lot on the Disney cruises as well, which I've done a few times. So my kids would always have a Mickey ice cream at the end of dinner. So it's a nice memory for me.

[50:28] David Alpert: And it is, I think very specific for you. So here we go. There are over 25 Disney Resort hotels on property at Walt Disney World, but only one features a fountain that feature the wonderful penguin waiters from Mary Poppins. In which resort can you spend a jolly holiday with this fountain?

[50:50] Gavin Lee: Um I don't know the name of the resort, but um it is it the one that's got all the massive characters. It's got different sections, it's got a Lion King section, and yes, is it that one?

[51:09] David Alpert: It's not. It's actually the Grand Floridian.

[51:11] Gavin Lee: It's the Grand Floridian.

[51:13] David Alpert: It is?

[51:14] Gavin Lee: Yes.

[51:15] David Alpert: Oh my gosh, I've stayed there.

[51:17] Gavin Lee: I can't even remember seeing the go find it.

[51:22] David Alpert: Oh my gosh, how dare I not know that.

[51:24] Gavin Lee: I've stayed at that lovely resort. Well, next time you go you're gonna jump in the fountain, take a few photos.

[51:30] David Alpert: Oh, I'm sure I'll get told off. I'm sure there's signs that says, do not step in the fountain.

[51:34] Gavin Lee: You're like, but do you know who I am?

[51:36] David Alpert: Yeah.

[51:37] Gavin Lee: I can I'm bird, I can dance with penguins. Go, go, go.

[51:48] David Alpert: Gavin, so many wonderful Disney movies are actually set in the United Kingdom with wonderful tunes that have made its way into the Disney songbook. So in this game, British Invasion Disney edition, rather than songs by the Beatles, I'm going to name a couple songs from a Disney movie set in the UK, and it's your task to tell me which movie I'm referring to. So for instance, if I say feed the birds and the perfect nanny, you would say Mary Poppins.

[52:09] Gavin Lee: How funny?

[52:16] David Alpert: Yes, I know that one. That was great. So are you ready to play British Invasion Disney edition?

[52:23] Gavin Lee: Okay, let's do it. And I'm gonna tell you, some of these are hard, and I didn't even know. So special shout out to Nicole for helping me through this. So, number one, following the leader and your mother and mine.

[52:35] Gavin Lee: Following the leader, the leader is Peter Pan.

[52:39] David Alpert: That's right, that's right. Peter Pan takes place. I mean, first part in London, but then of course we go to Neverland. So well done. So number two for British Invasion Disney edition. Higgedus figatus, and that's what makes the world go round.

[52:48] Gavin Lee: That's what makes the world go round. Um I don't know if this is right. I'm gonna say bed knobs and broomsticks.

[53:04] David Alpert: It is not. So this is much more mythical, uh, old school. It's about a young Arthur and pulling a sword.

[53:15] Gavin Lee: That's from the Sword and the Stone.

[53:17] David Alpert: Sword and the Stone, the King Arthur story.

[53:20] Gavin Lee: Yeah, yeah. I do know what I don't think I've seen that.

[53:24] David Alpert: You know what? I'm not certain I've seen it all the way through.

[53:27] Gavin Lee: Right.

[53:28] David Alpert: It's got great characters. We've got Madame Mim and Merlin, great characters, but you know, the soundtrack maybe hasn't quite made it to Broadway yet. So here comes number three. In a world of my own, and I'm late.

[53:38] Gavin Lee: I'm late, I'm late, but a very important date must be Alice in Wonderland.

[53:48] David Alpert: That is right, it's Alice in Wonderland. Well done. Uh number four for British Invasion Disney edition, Udalali and The Phony King of England.

[54:04] Gavin Lee: I do not know this one. Um, but I'm just just because there's a king in it, I'm thinking maybe it's Robin Hood.

[54:13] David Alpert: It is Robin Hood.

[54:15] Gavin Lee: Well done.

[54:16] David Alpert: Boom!

[54:16] Gavin Lee: Boom, and isn't that weird? We watch that movie quite a lot. It's my wife's one of her favorite from growing up, and we make our kids watch it. We love Robin Hood, but I can't really remember those songs. They're the titles of those songs.

[54:32] David Alpert: Yeah, I'm sure if you sang them, I'd go, oh yeah.

[54:35] Gavin Lee: Yeah, that the Udalali one you would recognize. And because I'm a director and not a performer, I'm not going to sing for you.

[54:41] David Alpert: But I almost pulled a song out of you then.

[54:45] Gavin Lee: You almost did. You almost did. Uh here's number five. And I'm gonna tell you, this one is so obscure. So we're gonna share, and the listeners listening get to play along because I did not know this. So here we go. The songs are Let Me Be Good to You and World's Greatest Criminal Mind.

[55:03] Gavin Lee: Do you have any clue?

[55:05] David Alpert: Not a clue. What kind of uh Disney period are we talking?

[55:09] Gavin Lee: We're talking like before Mermaid. It was when Dr. Disney was slightly struggling with their you know their animated features.

[55:17] David Alpert: Oh, and then there was a br and there was a one set in England.

[55:20] Gavin Lee: Yeah, you're talking like in the 70s.

[55:23] David Alpert: Uh I think more 80s.

[55:26] Gavin Lee: Are they are they are they humans or are they animals?

[55:29] David Alpert: They're animals.

[55:31] Gavin Lee: No, I haven't got a clue.

[55:32] David Alpert: Are they mice?

[55:33] Gavin Lee: They are mice.

[55:35] David Alpert: Is it five or something like that?

[55:36] Gavin Lee: It's not five's actually not Disney, but it's very I know. I'll I'll beep that out. Uh it is it's the it's the great mouse detective.

[55:45] David Alpert: The great well, there you go. You said detective, but again, that's one that I haven't seen.

[55:51] Gavin Lee: Okay. I mean like I do remember seeing it. It wasn't as successful as the others, but we learned a little bit. There's a reason why that one's not made into a Broadway musical.

[56:00] David Alpert: Yeah, yet.

[56:02] Gavin Lee: We'll see.

[56:10] Gavin Lee: Well, duh.

[56:11] David Alpert: Yeah.

[56:12] Gavin Lee: There's a hundred and one of them.

[56:13] David Alpert: There are.

[56:14] Gavin Lee: You are you.

[56:16] David Alpert: That's right.

[56:17] Gavin Lee: That's right. Uh, so as easy as that one was, here's one that's more challenging.

[56:22] David Alpert: Number seven for British Invasion Disney edition.

[56:25] Gavin Lee: Touch the sky and into the open air.

[56:30] David Alpert: Touch the sky and into the open air.

[56:34] Gavin Lee: Neither of those are making any impression on me.

[56:40] David Alpert: That's okay. Uh so I'm a redhead, and this, you know, the star of this feature was a beautiful redhead, so I enjoyed that.

[56:48] Gavin Lee: But it's from Brave.

[56:51] David Alpert: Oh.

[56:53] Gavin Lee: There's no songs in Brave.

[56:56] David Alpert: There are.

[56:57] Gavin Lee: Believe it or not.

[56:58] David Alpert: I don't think it's quite the character singing, but there are songs.

[57:01] Gavin Lee: Oh, okay. That's what it's tricky.

[57:03] David Alpert: It'd be like an underscorey song.

[57:05] Gavin Lee: That's right. That's right. So we've got uh three more.

[57:08] David Alpert: I love Brave, by the way.

[57:10] Gavin Lee: Yeah. So here's number uh eight.

[57:12] David Alpert: Portobello Road and The Age of Not Believing.

[57:16] Gavin Lee: That is Bed Knobs and Brimsticks.

[57:19] David Alpert: That is right.

[57:20] Gavin Lee: Yes. Well done. And uh two more. And this one, part of this movie doesn't take place in the UK, but we'll we'll talk through it.

[57:28] David Alpert: The Merrilly Song and The Headless Horseman.

[57:39] Gavin Lee: The Merrilly song. I don't know.

[57:43] David Alpert: It's not like so. This attraction still exists in Disneyland, but it's no longer in Walt Disney World.

[57:50] Gavin Lee: Oh. I've only been to Disneyland once.

[57:54] David Alpert: And so I'm not gonna remember what this ride is, let alone the movie.

[57:58] Gavin Lee: So the movie is The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad.

[58:01] David Alpert: Oh barely even heard of that one.

[58:05] Gavin Lee: I know it's obscure.

[58:06] David Alpert: It's obscure. But Mr. Toad's Wild Ride is also obscure.

[58:10] Gavin Lee: But that's the attraction Fantasyland. So our final one.

[58:14] David Alpert: Yep.

[58:15] Gavin Lee: This one is uh this is from the 1977 film that featured the songs Heffalumps and Woozles and Little Black Rain Cloud.

[58:28] David Alpert: 1977.

[58:30] Gavin Lee: Yeah. I should know this, because I should know what the heffalums are.

[58:35] David Alpert: Yes, maybe.

[58:37] Gavin Lee: The only time someone will say that on a podcast. I should know what the heff. I shouldn't know what the heffalums are.

[58:43] David Alpert: Um, I don't know. I'm gonna have to go wah, David. I don't know this one.

[58:46] Gavin Lee: It's okay. We're gonna we're gonna help you out. It's the many adventures of Winnie the Pooh.

[58:52] David Alpert: Oh, but you know what? There's so many Winnie the Pooh movies there.

[58:56] Gavin Lee: There are.

[58:57] David Alpert: But of course that's what the heff. That's why the Heffalumps are from Winnie the Pooh.

[59:03] Gavin Lee: I should have known that. My three-year-old watches the uh watches the Winnie Pooh movies all the time.

[59:08] David Alpert: Well, there you have it. Well, you did very well. We're very excited for the British invasion.

[59:14] Gavin Lee: We love we love when things come from the UK to the States, such as Gavin Lee.

[59:19] David Alpert: We love it. Who knew there were so many Disney movies set in England?

[59:25] Gavin Lee: I I mean obviously that's the few that you really know, but like you just found ten.

[59:29] David Alpert: Amazing. Now let's hear from some of you.

[59:34] Gavin Lee: Uh huh.

[59:41] David Alpert: Gavin, we put on social media and your fans are here ready to ask Disney questions for you. So here's the first one.

[59:47] Gavin Lee: Anna wants to know which Disney cat do you identify with Disney cat.

[59:53] David Alpert: Yeah, that's specific.

[59:55] Gavin Lee: Well, do you know what? Um maybe I've said this in an interview before, but a role I would love to play is Scar in The Lion King on Broadway.

[1:00:07] David Alpert: Uh so I'm not saying I identify with Scar because he's evil.

[1:00:13] Gavin Lee: But what a delicious cat to play.

[1:00:17] David Alpert: Yes. Great.

[1:00:19] Gavin Lee: Uh Craig asks, what was it like meeting Dick Van Dyke for the first time?

[1:00:23] Gavin Lee: Oh my gosh, meeting Dick Van Dyke. It was so amazing. And what made it even more amazing is I had had, I'd been doing Mary Poppins for six years before he came to see the show.

[1:00:35] Gavin Lee: And every single interviewer, every interview I ever did, they said, Have you met Dick Van Dyke? And I always had to say, No, he hasn't seen the show yet.

[1:00:42] Gavin Lee: And so when we finally took the show to Los Angeles, he obviously was invited to opening night because he lives in Malibu and he doesn't fly very much.

[1:00:51] Gavin Lee: That's why he'd never come to New York, he never came to London. And so on opening night, he's sitting there in about the fifth row, smack in the middle of the auditorium.

[1:01:01] Gavin Lee: And you know, there's the real Bert sitting there. And I've been playing Bert for six years, but there's the real Bert.

[1:01:08] David Alpert: So of course that night I had major nerves, and I got to um invite him up onto stage after the bows.

[1:01:16] Gavin Lee: Um he'd been sort of led into the wings, and I kind of put my hand up to the audience while they were applauding, you know, throughout the night as to say, wait a minute, we have a surprise.

[1:01:25] Gavin Lee: And there's someone took a fabulous snapshot of me. Everyone is everyone's on stage clapping.

[1:01:31] Gavin Lee: Um, and I'm walking across the stage with the widest mouth. Like, look who I'm look who I'm dragging on stage, and Dick Van dragging Dee Van Dyke on, and he just kind of turned to the audience and was doing this weird little curtsy Dick Van Dyke style.

[1:01:48] Gavin Lee: And the joy in my face that I'm getting to bring Dick Van Dyke onto the stage and him pulling his you know, silly Dick Van Dyke face.

[1:01:56] Gavin Lee: Um it's just a great photo, one of my favorite photos. And so it was amazing.

[1:02:01] Gavin Lee: I after that day, I then got to go and have lunch with him a few days later at the Walt Disney Studios.

[1:02:07] Gavin Lee: Um, and so we sat and talked about well, we didn't talk much. He basically talked about the making of the movie and his whole career, and I just sat agog and just in awe of this wonderful man that had given an hour of his day up to come and sit and have lunch with me.

[1:02:24] David Alpert: It's pretty amazing. Alana and Lauren both want to know which is trickier, tap dancing up and around the proscenium in Mary Poppins or tapping with two extra legs in SpongeBob.

[1:02:35] Gavin Lee: I feel very lucky that I've got to originate two roles that had a pretty cool um gimmick attached to it, as in for Bert, the gimmick was getting to tap dance upside down, and then for Squidward in SpongeBob getting to tap dance with four tattoos on and four legs.

[1:02:55] Gavin Lee: Um but both of them had their challenges. Um, but you know, it was very scary learning how to flip yourself upside down that high at the top of the theater and to tap dance and have trust in the wires and your harness and the computer, trust that you weren't gonna fall to your deck.

[1:03:16] Gavin Lee: But obviously, after a while, after a few months, you get used to anything.

[1:03:22] Gavin Lee: So then, you know, so then I wouldn't think about it, and it would just be a brilliant trick that I knew I got to do.

[1:03:28] Gavin Lee: With SpongeBob and Squidward and those extra legs, I fell over a lot because you know, you can't really walk backwards.

[1:03:36] Gavin Lee: You trip over your own fake feet. Um, I forgot that you can't walk downstairs.

[1:03:41] Gavin Lee: The only way you can go down stairs is to turn round and walk backwards, like you're going down a ladder.

[1:03:46] Gavin Lee: Because if you try and go forward, your back feet don't go down the step, they stay on the top step, and it just pivots you forward and you just go flying head for us down the stairs.

[1:03:56] Gavin Lee: That happened two or three times to me before I before my subconscious realized always turn round.

[1:04:02] Gavin Lee: Um but tap dancing, also tap dancing with four legs is just really hard.

[1:04:07] Gavin Lee: Um just the extra weight and trying and manipulating your your real feet so that the back feet make a noise as well.

[1:04:15] David Alpert: So what was harder?

[1:04:17] Gavin Lee: Um I think in the end, Squidward with four legs was harder, as in physically harder, but Bert was harder at the beginning because it was so scary.

[1:04:27] David Alpert: Right, yeah. Well, speaking of tap dancing, Taylor is curious.

[1:04:32] Gavin Lee: Have you ever thought about playing a tap dancing Gaston?

[1:04:37] Gavin Lee: Um that would be nice, but you know what? I'm never gonna get cast as Gaston.

[1:04:40] Gavin Lee: I'm I'm like, I'm not built for Gaston.

[1:04:45] Gavin Lee: But um I've always thought tap dancing candlestick as Lumiere would be an amazing idea.

[1:04:52] Gavin Lee: I mean, I think even though the original choreography by Matt West um in the Broadway musical of Beauty and the Beast is brilliant for be our guest, it's crying out for Lumiere.

[1:05:05] Gavin Lee: You know, he's made of metal, so it's crying out for Lumiere to have a big tap um solo, and then perhaps everyone else comes on, and that whole number finishes as a massive kind of ode to 42nd Street.

[1:05:19] Gavin Lee: I just like a massive, you know, um tap dance would be amazing.

[1:05:24] David Alpert: So would I like to tap dance as Lumiere sometime in my life? Yes, but tap dancing as Gaston.

[1:05:27] Gavin Lee: That's not gonna happen.

[1:05:31] David Alpert: Maybe not in the most intimidating style of dance, you know, in France.

[1:05:35] Gavin Lee: Oh, he'd be angry.

[1:05:36] David Alpert: He'd be real angry, wouldn't he?

[1:05:37] Gavin Lee: An angry tapper with that Gaston. You'd break his hatches, it's so strong.

[1:05:41] David Alpert: That's right. Um so my nephew Benjamin, who's three, loves step in time.

[1:05:47] Gavin Lee: For Halloween, he went as a step in time guy.

[1:05:50] David Alpert: You know, uh for Hanukkah, I just gave him a little step-in-time thing, he loves it.

[1:05:53] Gavin Lee: And I told him that I was gonna interview a very famous step in time guy.

[1:05:57] David Alpert: So Benjamin asks, what is your favorite food?

[1:06:03] Gavin Lee: I love that. Nothing to do with it.

[1:06:05] Gavin Lee: And also like the fact that you called you called him a step in time guy.

[1:06:09] David Alpert: That's that's from his a step in time guy.

[1:06:12] Gavin Lee: That is his point of view, and we're we're sticking with it.

[1:06:15] David Alpert: I like that.

[1:06:16] Gavin Lee: I like that. What is my favorite food?

[1:06:19] Gavin Lee: Well, you see, if I was uh if I was still in character and I was Bert the Chimney Sweeper, it'd have to be fish and chips or toad in the hole or shepherd's pie, um, or jelly deels.

[1:06:31] Gavin Lee: They're all things that you eat in London.

[1:06:34] David Alpert: But um, me as Gavin Lee, that's my favorite food.

[1:06:38] Gavin Lee: I do love um Cadbury's chocolate, and I do love eating a bag of chips.

[1:06:44] David Alpert: That's good.

[1:06:45] Gavin Lee: My poor sister is gonna have to make all these food dishes for.

[1:06:48] David Alpert: Well, yeah, but I mean they're not hard.

[1:06:50] Gavin Lee: They're just you know, it's just crappy food that you buy that snacks, really.

[1:06:55] David Alpert: It's time for some tough choices. Let's play Tweedledee or Tweedledum.

[1:07:02] Gavin Lee: So, Gavin, this is everyone's favorite Tweedledeeer Tweedledum.

[1:07:05] David Alpert: I'm gonna give you two choices, and you let me know which one you prefer.

[1:07:08] Gavin Lee: Oh, do I have do I have to give a reason or just pick it and get moving?

[1:07:12] David Alpert: You don't have to. You really don't have to.

[1:07:13] Gavin Lee: Use picking.

[1:07:14] David Alpert: So I'm gonna start off with a hard one. This is bikini bottom or 17 Cherry Tree Lane.

[1:07:19] Gavin Lee: Oh, that's too hard.

[1:07:23] David Alpert: Okay, you can pass. You can say both of them.

[1:07:24] Gavin Lee: Oh, I'm not gonna pass.

[1:07:26] Gavin Lee: Um well, because this is a Disney podcast, I'm gonna say 17 Cherry Tree Lane.

[1:07:30] David Alpert: Yeah, good.

[1:07:31] Gavin Lee: Had it been in Nickelodeon one, I would have picked the other.

[1:07:33] David Alpert: Exactly. Good, good. Very wise, very wise.

[1:07:36] Gavin Lee: Tweedledeeer, Tweedledum, churros or dole whips.

[1:07:40] David Alpert: I don't know what dole whips are.

[1:07:42] Gavin Lee: So I'm making churros.

[1:07:44] David Alpert: Okay.

[1:07:45] Gavin Lee: Okay, doorwhips are like a pineapple flavored, you know, sorbet, but it's very particular to the Disney parks.

[1:07:52] Gavin Lee: Oh, oh wow, how come I've never had one of those?

[1:07:54] David Alpert: But no, the churros are great, and I do love a churro, so I would have picked that anyway.

[1:07:58] Gavin Lee: Great.

[1:07:59] David Alpert: Tweedledear, Tweedledum, Step in Time or Jolly Holiday.

[1:08:04] Gavin Lee: Uh Step in Time.

[1:08:06] David Alpert: Yeah, totally.

[1:08:07] Gavin Lee: And final Tweedledeer, Tweedledum, The Magic Kingdom or Epcot.

[1:08:13] Gavin Lee: Um before I had my kids, I would have said Epcot.

[1:08:19] Gavin Lee: But now I have three kids. It's got to be the Magic Kingdom.

[1:08:36] David Alpert: So, Gavin, the next time you go to a Disney park, what's the first thing you want to do?

[1:08:43] Gavin Lee: Wow. It's gonna be amazing.

[1:08:47] Gavin Lee: And just to walk into the entrance of Magic Kingdom and see a hustling, bustling Main Street, and then see that beautiful, beautiful castle in the distance.

[1:08:59] Gavin Lee: And just to walk up Main Street. It's so magical, it's so genius that Walt Disney designed the parks like that.

[1:09:08] Gavin Lee: The minute you walk in and you see that beautiful castle ahead of you, and all the shops and all the busyness.

[1:09:14] Gavin Lee: It's just it makes me tingle.

[1:09:16] Gavin Lee: I love it, and then when the tram goes past, um, and all the street vendors and the street performers that are in Main Street, I just love it.

[1:09:25] Gavin Lee: It's not even a ride, it's just being there and feeling the atmosphere.

[1:09:30] Gavin Lee: I love it.

[1:09:31] David Alpert: That's my favorite part as well. I love seeing that castle.

[1:09:34] David Alpert: Well, Gavin, thank you so much for joining me on this episode for sharing about your stories of Mary Poppins and your love of the parks.

[1:09:40] Gavin Lee: It's been so much fun chatting Disney with you.

[1:09:43] David Alpert: This has been great, David. Thank you so much.

[1:09:45] Gavin Lee: Of course.

[1:09:46] David Alpert: And we'll see you at the parks.

[1:09:47] Gavin Lee: Yeshat's the big idea?

[1:10:03] Gavin Lee: Why am I not on Broadway?