This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:13] David Alpert: Welcome to E-Ticket to Broadway, where Broadway meets Main Street.

[0:19] David Alpert: Here's your host, my pal, David Alpert.

[0:25] David Alpert: Thanks for choosing to listen to E-Ticket to Broadway, the podcast which asks your favorite Broadway stars if they prefer Sleeping Beauty or Snow White. If this is your first time listening to the podcast, I hope you enjoy. And if this is your fifty-eighth time listening, welcome back. Now on the count of three, I want you to shout out the name of your favorite Disney character. Ready? Favorite Disney character on three. Okay. One, two, three. Did anyone else just scream Dopey in their office? Just me? Okay. In addition to these podcast episodes where the stars of Broadway share their love of Disney and memories of going to the parks, E-Ticket to Broadway has an official shop where there are many incredible designs available on t-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, notebooks, and more.

They're perfect for your next trip to the parks or to just show off your love of Broadway and Disney. This episode is coming out in June of 2023, and I'm so excited to share that for Pride Month, we have new designs available. Check everything out at www.eTicketPodcast.com and be sure you're following the podcast on both Instagram and TikTok at E-Ticket to Broadway.

[1:46] David Alpert: In addition to her philanthropic work, breaking down barriers and changing the world, she is an Emmy, Grammy, and Tony nominee, having starred on Broadway in Kiss of the Spider Woman, Into the Woods, Sondheim on Sondheim, After Midnight, and The Trip to Bountiful, where we met in 2013. Please welcome to E-Ticket to Broadway, the one and only Vanessa Williams.

[2:16] David Alpert: Vanessa, it is an honor to have you on E-Ticket to Broadway. I'm such a fan of yours, and I think you know how much I love Disney. Did you know that?

[2:24] Vanessa Williams: Uh, I do know how much you love Disney. When we started working together, you would always point out how often I would post about Disneyland, but only recently did we start chatting about your love of Disney.

[2:37] Vanessa Williams: Exactly. It goes way back. So yeah, let's go back in time. As a kid, did you enjoy watching the Disney movies?

[2:44] Vanessa Williams: Well, let's go back in time before I was born in utero. I used to be so squirming in my mom's belly that my nickname was Thumper from Bambi. So yeah, so I have a little porcelain rabbit with Thumper written on it, uh, that I got um or that we had like displayed on our bookshelf my entire life. So I knew Thumper was my, and that's that's my um avatar on the Disney Channel. I'm Thumper. So there you go. Uh that star so that was 1963. I've been named Thumper for a long, long time, 60 years ago.

[3:27] David Alpert: Do you remember seeing Disney movies as a kid?

[3:30] Vanessa Williams: Um, I remember going to the Arcadia Shopping Center for one of my first Disney films. I don't know whether it was Bambi or not, but um I also know that my mother, uh, her nickname, because she was so petite and so full of sparkle, her nickname was Tinkerbell. So they used to call her Tink at uh because she was a uh educ both my parents were educators. My mom was a music teacher in Austin at Claremont School. So her nickname was Tinkerbell.

[4:04] David Alpert: That's perfect.

[4:05] Vanessa Williams: So Tinkerbell gave birth to Thumper. That makes a lot of sense.

[4:08] Vanessa Williams: Exactly. Okay, so in addition to Bambi, what about those other classic Disney movies?

[4:15] Vanessa Williams: Uh I remember the Score of Fantasia again. I'm trying to think how I knew that because we didn't have VHS tapes when I was a kid. Um, but of course, you know, Peter Pan, uh, you know, Pinocchio, all those scores. Um, you know what? I know. Sunday nights was uh the magical world of Disney on Sundays. My parents used to sing in the Westchester borough choir. So they were at my Uncle Dee Dee's house, which was in Terrytown, New York, and he was the leader of the uh the maestro of the choir. My mom is a soprano, my dad was a tenor. So growing up, they used to bring my, I guess my pack and play to rehearsals, and I grew up listening to Baroque music. As I got older on Sunday nights, I got a chance to go upstairs with a TV tray, have snacks, and watch the wonderful world of Disney on Sunday nights.

And then my brother, uh, he was four years younger. We used to watch together. So we watched Old Yeller and all those classic uh Disney movies. But that's kind of how I saw Disney on a weekly basis, because that's what we had on Sunday night.

[5:31] Vanessa Williams: So there are so many Disney movies and references. And of course, I passed it on to my children. Um Halloween, they would definitely dress up as a Disney character. Speaking of which, this is Melanie when she was as Snow White back in the day. We were in California. So that's gotta be like she was, I think maybe five or so, four or five. Uh 1991 or two.

[6:02] Vanessa Williams: So sweet. Mm-hmm. We still I still have all the costumes too, by the way. Do you think they I could fit into them? Next time we go out, I'm gonna wear a Snow White costume for you. It'll go really well.

[6:16] David Alpert: Was there any as a kid besides Thumper? Were there any characters that you really related to that you loved?

[6:22] Vanessa Williams: Um, well, I mean, really young Snow White was uh probably one of the first ones, of course, Cinderella, but Snow White, I love um it was very scary when she's going through and the and the the branches are turning into um uh you know uh fingers, but you know, when she the wishing well, I'm wishing for the one I love to find me today. I'm hoping and I'm dreaming of the nice things you say. So I've done that incredible on every every set. My most famous favorite time of re-recreating that was I was shooting Don Quixote in uh in Spain, up in Ronda, Spain, and uh my my dear friend who's my makeup artist uh on that uh Kate Best, uh, I was sitting like in a little you like a little picturesque window, uh looking above in this old, you know, Spanish town, and uh I had to sing Ay Wishing.

[7:21] David Alpert: I love that.

[7:23] Vanessa Williams: Oh my gosh. That's everything I've always wanted to hear you sing that.

[7:26] Vanessa Williams: Thank you. I think that's all we need to do for today.

[7:38] Vanessa Williams: So I'm embarrassed that only yesterday did I learn that you hosted Dreams Come True in 2009, this documentary celebrating Disney animation. Um and I watched part of it, and it was so amazing to see you kind of talk about the animated movies from Snow White. At that point, it was about to promote Princess on the Frog. When it comes to like the more modern movies, starting with Little Mermaid, you know, I think that's kind of aligning with when your kids were born. Do you remember any of those more current movies that you liked?

[8:06] Vanessa Williams: Lion King was certainly one that we all loved. Um, and Little Mermaid was a classic. I mean, um, it just doesn't get any better. It was it hit songs, uh, you know, uh that we all uh can't stop singing. Um and again, that was old, old, old animation. It wasn't all the digital stuff. So it was beautiful. I love stuff under the sea. I just love that whole realm. Um, and you know, it's it's the classic uh uh hoping and dreaming and happily ever after. And I know politically, whatever, blah, blah, blah. It was a great movie. Um and then of course, I was lucky enough to be living in New York. So we got a chance to see Norm Lewis in and Little Mermaid on stage with Sierra. We went to see um uh um Belle in Beauty and the Beast on Broadway.

Mark Kutish was playing Gaston. So of course, we went backstage and got a chance to see all the magic. So my kids really have been lucky. They've seen the magic on stage, the magic behind the scenes, but you know, up on stage. But also when we go to the Disneyland and Disney World, we do the VIP thing and we get a chance to sneak through all the back doors and see kind of the magic behind the scenes too. So they are certainly Disney spoiled.

[9:31] David Alpert: I know. I love that, and I support that. I know Sasha, of course, her daughter, she and I are very similar. We love Disneyland and we always talk about it, which is great. You were growing up, you were a theatrical kid. You participated in, you know, theater. Did you ever pretend to be a Disney character and sing the songs?

[9:49] Vanessa Williams: I mean, besides Snow White. But did you ever dress up in for Halloween as one of the characters?

[9:56] Vanessa Williams: I did not dress up as a character, but I remember going to I my parents were music educators and they would be in charge of the music for whatever the musical was for their school. And I have a picture of me and my brother sitting in the pumpkin and the Cinderella pumpkin. I had to be like maybe seven or eight, and my brother was four. So that magic has always been a part of my life through my parents. And also I remember when Disney first opened Disney World. We actually drove down, took a road trip from New York down to Orlando to go to Disney World. I have a picture which I'll share with you. I'm wearing, I think, corduroys and you know, Orlando humanity. Yeah. Sweating. Uh, but I remember like, you know, my my parents didn't say, uh, forget about it.

It's it's it's not worth it. My parents believed in the magic. So that was really lucky for me. And I've been able to, I mean, I went to Disneyland when I was pregnant with my first just because it was my birthday, and I want to go to Disneyland. Uh, so I've got certainly pictures of that. I've always loved rides, I've always loved um production um and and fantasy.

[11:18] Vanessa Williams: And that's certainly I cannot I am so mad. I've known you for like 10 years. How have we never talked about the fact that you also love Disneyland?

[11:27] David Alpert: We were so quick to be like, oh, of course you're going to Disneyland, but you were keeping this secret from me. The first time I went was I was 10 years old and I went out with a friend. Um they had family friends out in California. So my parents let me go on a on a uh a trip with on a plane by myself with my girlfriend. We stayed at a friend's house, and they that was one of the trips we we took to Disneyland. So that was the first time that was back in 1973 or so.

[11:52] Vanessa Williams: So um, yeah. So I mean, like uh talking about the parks, I I love that you're sharing that. Your parents were kind of there for you. That first time you went was the was your first trip, it would have been Disneyland.

[12:04] David Alpert: Yes. What were your thoughts when you saw the castle for the first time or saw Mickey Mouse in the park? What was that like for you?

[12:11] Vanessa Williams: Well, for the first time, it was amazing because this is what you saw on television, you know, the the magical, the wonderful world of Disney, and every opening credit had the castle and the sparkles. And uh so your mom is Tinkerbell.

[12:24] Vanessa Williams: Yeah, exactly. So, you know, going through those gates and seeing the manicured um, you know, topiaries and seeing uh, you know, the Disneyland in the flowers, going down the main street, uh, the malt shop, all those old timey um uh effects were incredible because it always related to, you know, old western town was old yeller and and and the frontier, you know, um you know, frontier land. Um it was it was incredible. It's a small world after all, going through that, going to the auto land and being able to drive your own car, as that was at 10 years old.

[13:08] Vanessa Williams: Yes. Do you know that when I worked at Disneyland for the 50th, that was my ride. I worked on the Autopia. It was a different time, but I love that you went on Autopia. Of course. Of course, the teacups, uh, great. And I and again, I have no problem with motion sickness. So we try to do it as fast as we possibly could. Good. Um then, you know, Peter Pan flying, uh, and I've I've gone so many times as a parent that I know exactly what lines are what lines to go on, what's you know, what to do. And and when you need a rest and need to get cool, you go in, it's a small world, so you can uh you know, cool down and and kind of relax. Um pirates, pirates is amazing. Um as for a child, you know, you're in the water, it's dark, you go down the little um, you know, it's it's a tiny little slope of a hill in the water, but you end up in this, you know, this amazing story.

And you see the the cannons go back and forth and you see the splashes and the young. And you see the the ladies getting chased, of course. None of this stuff. Which has been updated. They updated it, of course, but yes. Yes. Yes. Well, you're talking like what I love what you're talking about, and you said it earlier with your parents, like this idea of production. I like to think that for many of us, especially those of us that work in theater, the Disney Parks is kind of our entrance into theatrical production.

[14:39] David Alpert: Absolutely.

[14:40] Vanessa Williams: Yeah, look at look at the the um the parades. The parades are full-on choreography and singing and costumes and making sure that you're getting your, you know, hitting your marks and and doing it over and over again so it's consistent. That is, I mean, uh, and I'm sure many people have basically started out as Disney characters or auditioned to be part of the part of the show.

[15:04] David Alpert: Yeah. I mean, as a kid, did you ever go to the parks and think like, I want to work here. I want to be singing on the shows, I want to be in the parades. Did you ever have that thought?

[15:11] Vanessa Williams: Sure, of course. I mean, you know, it's singing, it's dancing, it's costumes. Uh again, growing up, you know, going to when I would go to, we would go to the Radio City, uh, you music show, the Easter show, and the Christmas show all the time. And my, you know, my I remember my mother, and I remember my mother saying, Wow, look at those rockettes. Wouldn't that be cool if you were one of the first black roquettes? So my mother always had this like, you could do that, you could be a, you know, not a you could be a star, but wouldn't that be fun? Wouldn't that because she knew that I was a dancer. She so that was like a that was a that was a you know, uh a tangible goal that I could do. So it was always like show business is not a fantasy. You can do this if you want. Yeah, you can draw it, you can do it. So that fantasy and that bridge to being an average kid to making that magic happen was always a possibility.

[16:05] David Alpert: I love your mom for that. That's awesome.

[16:09] Vanessa Williams: So, you know, it's I know we're talking Disney and all the upsides. One of the one of the interesting things, and I don't know whether I mentioned it in my book or not. Uh, you have no idea. But um one of the heartbreaks of Disney that I had was when I first moved out to California. I moved out in '85. Uh I got a call from my um agent saying that they wanted to bring me in to be one of the one of the voices for the Lion King to be Nala. And we're talking, you know, this is over 30 years ago when they were first, so they went down to the studio, they showed me the storyboards, really got excited. And then um I never heard back. And I got a call from my my man, my agent at the time, basically saying that one of the higher ups with whose whose uh whose initials are JK said that I would never be Disney Material.

Maybe I could do something for Hollywood uh films, but I would never be Disney Material. Cut to uh 1995 when um Pocahontas was uh being done. And um and my my manager at the time, he became my manager, Gruber told me uh that he had was on a plane and uh worked at a deal that I would be singing. And that at that time I had amassed a singing career and had number one hits, blah, blah, blah, sold millions of records. And then all of a sudden I was okay to do a Disney song, which I did Colors of the Wind, which won a Academy Award, uh, won it a Golden Globe, won a Grammy. Uh, luckily, you know, um Steven Schwartz, Alan Mencken wrote this amazing song and I got a chance to record it. But it's interesting how I was crushed because I love the brand so much, grew up with the brand, and I loved the idea of Lion King.

And then I was denied because somebody judged me as unfit to be part of the Disney family. And then eventually I was I was enough after all the success and all breaking down the walls and all of like, look at me for my talent and not what you assume I am, as a scandalized beauty queen, which is what they assumed.

[18:34] David Alpert: Right. I uh am with you in that journey, and I think you're incredible, and you could be any Disney queen you want to be. Come on.

[18:58] Vanessa Williams: Speaking of the Disney parks, you appeared in the Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parades. Um, and I watched you sing Hark the Herald Angel Sing at Cinderella Castle. What was it like growing up there and kind of you know seeing it? And then now you're you're singing in front of the castle to a bunch of people. What was that like for you?

[19:15] Vanessa Williams: So I think singing as an adult, now that I know the park so well, it all seems much smaller. Because when you're a child and you walk through those gates, it is it's Disney World. It, you know, of course, Epcot goes on and on and on, but it's overwhelming because it's huge and it is fantasy. And then when you come on after being having raised four kids and being there every year with the kids, uh, and then at that time I was on a TV show. I think I was doing uh, I might have been doing either Ugly Betty, which was ABC or Desperate Housewives, which was ABC, part of the Disney family. So it still had the magic, but it was much more technical and uh and kind of you know, a little out of my body, like, can you believe that now I'm on this side of the production?

[20:05] David Alpert: Yeah.

[20:05] Vanessa Williams: Mm-hmm. I can. I love that you did that. What's funny is I'm I'm sure I watched that as a kid. And and you know, I and I I still I still cannot believe it's taken us 10 years to kind of talk about this. Um and speaking of like bringing that, like I want to mention some of your on-screen Disney credits, and I'm sure I'm missing some, but you voiced characters in the Proud Family, Phineas and Furb, you appeared in the Hannah Montana movie. What's it like now being part of that content that brings so much joy to people?

[20:35] Vanessa Williams: It's it's amazing. Uh particularly to be part of Disney and also to have it as a as a big part of my life, but also being considered part of the Disney family, uh it is wonderful. Um, you know, I had seven amazing years on ABC with Ugly Betty for four seasons, and I did Desperate Housewives for two, and then I did 666 Park Avenue for one season. So, you know, those were Disney television ABC, but also to have the recording uh uh side where you know, Pocahontas, I mean, going to the opening of Pocahontas, there was a screening in Central Park, which was massive, and I got a chance to be a part of that and bring my children and hear my voice in New York, where I'm from, in this spectacular presentation of an amazing film. Uh, and I'm um I'm really good friends with Judy Kune, who also did the the voice of uh a Pocahontas as well. Uh and I did the the radio, you know, version.

[21:38] David Alpert: Oh yeah.

[21:39] Vanessa Williams: So um, you know it's wonderful to have like success, you know, to not only be valued as a customer, but valued as an artist as part as part of the the family. So um, and I can't wait to bring my grandson who is a year in change. Um, you know, what once he starts walking around and and getting really curious, um, we certainly will he will be generation one, two, three, four now that uh that is gonna be enjoying Disney.

[22:11] David Alpert: If you had to give him a nickname, like a Disney nickname, would you have one for him yet?

[22:16] Vanessa Williams: Well, by the way, he listens, he watches Jungle Book every day. Oh wow. And Mowgli, he's a little mogley, he's always banging on stuff. And I'm the grandmother that when I see him, uh I I sing all Disney songs to him. But he um when I want him to uh even FaceTime, um, you know, because usually look for the bare necessities, the simple bare necessities. That's a given. Everybody can sing that, but when I go, I go do do do do do do do do do do do that's when she's by the water, la la see brother by the water, I am here I am. She's washing the clothes and all that stuff that's the very end, and he's he's mesmerized by so when I want him to settle down, I'll go do do do do do do and he's like he just stops good. And he's just makes him focus.

[23:27] David Alpert: Yeah.

[23:28] Vanessa Williams: The magic of Disney, the magic of Disney. He but he does love uh he he can listen to uh Fantasia, loves it, loves it all. He loves when the conductor comes up and taps his baton, he's in it. Um Bambi, he loves, and they don't get the gunshot and all that stuff. He just loves the the frolicking and you know, you know, look at look at the boy King, you know, and uh I think she's pretty, you know, just all those beautiful, lovely voices that just take me right back to uh memories of being a child.

[24:04] David Alpert: Now that Disney owns the Muppets, we can talk about this. But you did a commercial for Desperate Housewives with Kermit and Miss Piggy, which was incredible. I just think that's one of the coolest things you've done. I'm gonna make sure I'll post that on the Instagram. Um it's great.

[24:17] Vanessa Williams: And speaking of Disney movies, you shared that you love the movie Turning Red.

[24:23] David Alpert: You know what?

[24:23] Vanessa Williams: I have to admit, when I have flipped through everything and I have nothing else, not nothing else to watch, when I've thripped through everything, and I'm just like, I need something that I'm gonna that makes me feel good, I turn on turning red, and I think it's the combination of the spirit of these middle schoolers, you know, playing in the band. I played French horn, you know, having friends at all, like one was an upstart, one was you know, really dark, one was, you know, like the bestie, um, being obsessed with a band or or going to a concert. Um those um uh trying to really uh please your parents uh and doing the best. It reminds me of seventh grade. So sixth grade is easy, seventh grade.

You go in being popular and everything is great, and then you start your period. By the time you finish seventh grade, you are a maniac. You're on fire. You're like, what is happening with my hormones? Your parents are like, what has happened to our child? Where did she go? And I live through it three times with my kids, my daughters. And I get so much um, so much motherly like, oh my God, my my daughter's a nightmare. I said, don't take it personally. It's a phase. They can't help their bodies and they can't help themselves. And the easiest person to lash out to is mom because she's a safe place, and they'll know that she'll always love you, no matter if you say, I can't stand it, I hate you.

Get out, you know. So I tell everybody who's got young daughters going through this spirit of uh of age, don't take it personally, write it, be there for them. Obviously, set parameters, but you'll you'll get them on the other end.

[26:13] Vanessa Williams: So it's um, it's a great parental movie, but I just love the spirit of it. I love, you know, Devon at the the the um the easy mart, who the girls are trying to catch a look at, and she's like, Oh, what's the big deal? And then she goes back and her hand can't stop drawing, and she's like, What is happening to me? And her mom comes in and she's sweating, like, don't look down, look down. She looks down and you know, and her mother grabs her in humiliation and humiliates her and said, you know, how dare you. And I've had that happen with, you know, my mom humiliating me, you know, in front of your friends about something that you don't want to even discuss. Those things just hit home. And you know, I remember taking my girls to see and sing to see the spice girls, all those, please, please, mom, please, please, can we go? Oh my god, and listen to the music and dressing up. Um, all those memories just make me feel like I love that. That's my one of my favorite new movies of all time. I love that. That's great.

[27:25] David Alpert: Shifting a little bit to Disney and Broadway, if you could take a Disney character to the Broadway stage, who would you choose?

[27:34] Vanessa Williams: Like, say there's gonna be the Broadway version of Bambi, you know, which might not be successful, but is it turning I mean that's a I don't know, I don't know. Um, you know, one of my Broadway stories is uh seeing, of course, Beauty and the Beast and Markish, who I done Bye bye Birdie with, which was also ABC back in 1995. Um I loved her. I I was Rosie and he was Birdie. And um, so he was on Broadway, and I got a call from Tony Braxton, a singer. And she was like, uh, I got it. I got, and I done Broadway at the time, so she knew to call me for advice. And she said, uh, I've got some interest to do Bell uh to do Bell in Beauty and the Beast. What do you think? I said, okay, hon, it's eight shows a week.

You're gonna have to love what you sing because you're gonna be doing it eight shows a week, and it's hard work. You can't be late. You gotta know your stuff. You can't say, oops, I'm sorry, let me start again. Once you start, you have to go all the way through. But if you do it, you will be changed forever. And that is one of the biggest accomplishments you can do. And she ended up doing, I went back to see Tony Braxton in uh Beauty and the Beast, and she went on to do, she jumped in for I think Hedda, uh Heather Hedley and Aida. Um, so that was her second Disney uh Disney um uh production on Broadway. So I I I'm happy to be able to be Mother Disney Broadway for any advice that anybody needs to jump into a show.

Um so uh one of my favorites, obviously, it's about to come out is Ursula because she's just I mean Carol, man. She talking about a voice, and you know, I knew her from my day just growing up in the 60s and 70s. I knew her voice and who she was, but um legendary. And who has that voice nowadays? Not too many, because you know, who knows the smoking, I assume, but that deep, deep is uh amazing. Um who would be good that hasn't been on Broadway? Um I mean, there's a lot, like I know a lot of the older movies would need to be, you know, re rethought a little bit. Like, as much as I love Snow White, we want to give that woman some agency, some integrity. Um, but like there could be like I think it, you know, like being the queen in Snow White could be super fun, you know, give her because she, I mean, to me, like that is her movie.

She, I mean, that snow and some dwarfs is the queen's movie. And that's also where I get a lot of my inspiration for all the the roles that I'm always kind of uh looked after as for a witch or a bitch or a boss woman who, you know, those two that that's the first thing I go to the the witch in in Snow White, because she was super powerful, she was uh glamorous, glamorous devious and scary, and also articulated everything. I love the sense of language that she had and the power uh uh of persuasion that that she had. So yeah. I think we could do it. You could play the queen, and when she transforms to the witch, then I will play the role. Then I can be the witch. But it's true. Like I literally um share with some friends a presentation actually on um why the queen is the best.

And it's like she's the only villain who also to get what she wants, will do the complete opposite by turning ugly. Like she is just the most powerful Disney villain, I think. Yeah. I mean, it's similar to what I did in Into the Woods, you know, playing the the witch and then the glamorous uh but maybe we do like a version of Wicked, but it's about the evil queen. Ooh. It like shows the backstory. Okay. You heard it here.

[31:38] David Alpert: So speaking of Broadway credits, who would you most like to go to Disneyland with? Aurora from Kiss of the Spider Woman, the witch from Into the Woods, or Will Amina Slater.

[31:48] Vanessa Williams: Not Broadway, but good character. Well, Will Amina for sure would have the VIP uh. She and she wouldn't wait on any line. She would probably, there's this, well, of course, you know, there's a secret restaurant that is above um, which I've been to. Club 33. Yes, yes, yes. So she would definitely be having her meals there with some champagne immediately to get out of all the all the the crowds. So she would probably be the most VIP.

[32:18] David Alpert: Um I'd go with Bullion. I think sure. I think, yeah, I'm with I'm with you there.

[32:22] Vanessa Williams: Uh and finally, if you could get a job at the parks today, what role would you choose? Would you want to be a you know a parade performer, a photographer, work on a ride, anything you want?

[32:34] Vanessa Williams: Ooh. Um I probably would go to Walt Disney World and I would be the safari driver. And then I get a chance to see live animals every day and see what they're doing. I mean, watching that is a lion gonna be up on the mount today? Can we find him? Um, I it would be like going on safari every day. And I love that whole uh the acres and acres of of wildlife that you can kind of drive through. Um, do you remember the first time you went on that for me? And I was like, these are real animals because it's Disney, so I expect them to be audio animatronics. But I was like, nope, that's a real giraffe. That is not real.

[33:20] David Alpert: Well, like it's it's like if when you go onto the uh the the river boat and you see the crocodiles and the the fake, yeah. So that's what you grow up with. But no, I I love the safari. And I love the hotels. Let's get let's a shout out to the hotels for sure, uh, at Epcot. Every theme is really cool. These suites are uh unbelievable, the service is fantastic. Of course, everyone has to ride the monorail at least once in their lifetime. And back in the day, watching the monorail go into the hotel of tomorrow, that was like so so cool. Um, so yeah, let's let's talk about even um uh the the Grand Floridian, which we usually stay at with when I have the kids and stuff with the huge, you know, the huge pools and you know, the theme breakfast. There is always something um to do that. I mean, if you get bored of Disney, something's wrong with you.

[34:14] Vanessa Williams: That's right.

[34:15] David Alpert: Yeah.

[34:17] Vanessa Williams: The quote of the episode.

[34:18] David Alpert: Besides Mother Disney Broadway, it's important.

[34:22] Vanessa Williams: Something's wrong with you. Love it.

[34:26] David Alpert: Oh, free. We'll be right back.

[34:29] Vanessa Williams: Oh, what's the bad game?

[34:32] David Alpert: It's commercial.

[34:43] David Alpert: Fast pass.

[34:49] David Alpert: Vanessa, this is fast pass answers. I'm gonna put 30 seconds on the clock for you to answer as many questions as possible. Here we go. Vanessa Williams, name any Disney princess.

[35:00] Vanessa Williams: Um Belle.

[35:02] David Alpert: Favorite snack in the parks.

[35:04] Vanessa Williams: Ooh, uh Churro.

[35:07] David Alpert: Name one of the animals mentioned in Colors of the Wind.

[35:11] Vanessa Williams: Heron.

[35:12] David Alpert: True or false, David loves Disneyland.

[35:15] Vanessa Williams: David adores Disneyland.

[35:17] David Alpert: Yeah. Name a song from The Little Mermaid.

[35:20] Vanessa Williams: Uh, part of this world.

[35:22] David Alpert: Favorite Sontai musical.

[35:25] Vanessa Williams: Into the woods.

[35:26] David Alpert: Name one of the seven dwarfs.

[35:29] Vanessa Williams: Sleepy.

[35:30] David Alpert: Time.

[35:31] Vanessa Williams: Sleepy.

[35:32] David Alpert: I'm literally wearing a dopey shirt.

[35:35] Vanessa Williams: I couldn't see it.

[35:38] Vanessa Williams: Sleepy.

[35:40] David Alpert: That's okay.

[35:41] Vanessa Williams: I always feel bad for people.

[35:42] David Alpert: Like, who's your favorite Disney character?

[35:44] Vanessa Williams: It's bashful.

[35:45] David Alpert: It's like, okay, I can't find you any bashful merchandise.

[35:48] Vanessa Williams: That's good. What did you?

[35:49] David Alpert: You said Heron?

[35:50] Vanessa Williams: Yeah.

[35:51] David Alpert: Yeah, that's a great choice.

[35:53] Vanessa Williams: I love that.

[35:54] David Alpert: And churros.

[35:56] Vanessa Williams: Churros, yeah.

[35:57] David Alpert: Churros, yeah, yeah.

[35:58] Vanessa Williams: Yeah.

[35:59] David Alpert: Do you put do you like doll whips?

[36:01] Vanessa Williams: What is that?

[36:02] David Alpert: The Dole Whip is like the pineapple flavored. It's kind of like ice cream, but not really.

[36:07] Vanessa Williams: You've never had a doll whip.

[36:09] David Alpert: Iconic.

[36:10] Vanessa Williams: I've had some.

[36:11] David Alpert: I don't love them.

[36:12] Vanessa Williams: I'm much more team churro.

[36:13] David Alpert: Yeah.

[36:14] Vanessa Williams: Churros are good.

[36:15] David Alpert: They're not, they're not sticky.

[36:17] Vanessa Williams: Yeah.

[36:18] David Alpert: Yeah.

[36:18] Vanessa Williams: Have you ever had a turkey leg at the parks?

[36:21] Vanessa Williams: Yes. My kids have had a turkey leg.

[36:22] David Alpert: Yes.

[36:23] Vanessa Williams: All those kids walking around.

[36:25] David Alpert: It's like medieval times.

[36:27] Vanessa Williams: Yeah.

[36:29] David Alpert: Speaking of fast pass, every time I hear Arrow Smith, I imagine myself sitting in that rock and roller coaster ride, holding my stomach, getting ready for it to go.

[36:42] Vanessa Williams: And we do it over and over and over again. We're on VIP. It's the best. Though I will say I did VIP uh last summer in Florida, and we got to go in Everest back to back. And I was like, there's a reason why you have to wait in line because after the second time, my body hadn't recovered after that first time.

[37:00] David Alpert: But you're a brave person.

[37:02] Vanessa Williams: You're brave.

[37:09] David Alpert: Hold on, you're thinking ears. It's trivia time.

[37:11] Vanessa Williams: Oh boy.

[37:15] David Alpert: Trivia time. As we discussed, Thumper from Bambi was a wonderful character. Uh, and in the film, the adult Bambi was voiced by Sam Edwards. During World War II, Sam was inducted into the army and ended up serving as part of the morale building entertainment corps, spending much of the time traveling with Dwight D. Eisenhower and George S. Patton. Speaking of patriotism, Sam, the voice of Thumper, was part of the classic Disneyland attraction America Sings, giving voice to Ollie Owl. The attraction ran from 1974 to 1988. And when it closed, many of the audio animatronics from America Sings were moved to two different Disneyland attractions.

[38:05] Vanessa Williams: Close.

[38:05] David Alpert: It is a mountain.

[38:06] Vanessa Williams: It's very close.

[38:17] David Alpert: Oh, it's um Thunder.

[38:20] Vanessa Williams: No, no, no.

[38:21] David Alpert: Thunder, Thunder No.

[38:24] Vanessa Williams: Blah.

[38:25] David Alpert: Splash Mountain.

[38:26] Vanessa Williams: Jeez.

[38:26] David Alpert: Splash Mountain, yeah.

[38:27] Vanessa Williams: Okay.

[38:27] David Alpert: So so when America sings, all those audio animatronics were just recycled and used.

[38:32] Vanessa Williams: And you can see some of them in the Star Tours queue.

[38:35] David Alpert: Um, and I'm sure that when Splash Mountain has changed, they'll be taken out. But a little Disneyland history based on our friend Thumper.

[38:42] Vanessa Williams: Who knew?

[38:54] David Alpert: Vanessa, you have shared your beautiful voice to many incredible songs, but to me, two of them are truly iconic. The song of the year in 1992, Save the Best for Last, as well as the Oscar winning Colors of the Wind, which your version of the song became a top 10 hit. These two incredible songs both explore relationships and the state of the world. And the music videos for both songs begin the same way with you walking through trees, which I always love you walking and going into the woods.

[39:24] David Alpert: Thank you very much.

[39:25] Vanessa Williams: Yes.

[39:26] David Alpert: This very exciting game is called Save the Colors of the Wind. I'm going to read a lyric, and I need you to tell me if it's from Save the Best for Last or Colors of the Wind. Are you ready?

[39:37] Vanessa Williams: I'm ready.

[39:38] David Alpert: So the first one for Save the Colors of the Wind. Isn't this world a crazy place?

[39:43] Vanessa Williams: Save the best for last.

[39:44] David Alpert: That's right. That's right. Second one, how can there be so much that you don't know?

[39:50] Vanessa Williams: Colors of the Wind.

[39:51] David Alpert: That's right. Number three for Save the Colors of the Wind. The sun goes round the moon.

[39:58] Vanessa Williams: Save the best for last.

[40:01] David Alpert: Okay. And speaking of moon, have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon?

[40:06] Vanessa Williams: Colors of the Wind.

[40:09] David Alpert: That's right. They're very similar. They're very similar. We got a few more. Okay, for Save the Colors of the Wind. And we are all connected to each other.

[40:12] Vanessa Williams: Colors of the Wind.

[40:18] David Alpert: That's right. Number six. And now we're standing face to face.

[40:26] Vanessa Williams: Save the best for last.

[40:26] David Alpert: Okay, number seven. I think you're gonna get this one. The snow comes down in June.

[40:35] Vanessa Williams: Save the best for last.

[40:35] David Alpert: Yeah, that's also Colors of the Wind, I'm sure. Like it sounds like it could be. Number eight. Sometimes the very thing you're looking for is the one thing you can't see.

[40:47] Vanessa Williams: Save the best for last.

[40:49] David Alpert: Yeah, but see, it also sounds like Colors of the Wind. Number nine, you'll learn things you never knew you never knew.

[40:49] Vanessa Williams: Colors of the Wind.

[40:58] David Alpert: That's right. And number 10, this one's really tricky. Number 10. Or ask the grinning bobcat why he grinned.

[41:05] Vanessa Williams: Colors of the Wind.

[41:07] David Alpert: Yeah. You did it. That was so successful. But as I was looking at it, I was like, these songs are there's some overlap.

[41:14] Vanessa Williams: Yeah, yeah, yeah. So again, we love a music video of you walking through trees. In the action in the beginning of Colors of the Wind, we did do a take with my kids in the amongst the kids. We did like a kids' take. They didn't end up using it, but I've got it on video somewhere.

[41:31] David Alpert: So sweet.

[41:35] Vanessa Williams: It's time for some tough choices. Let's play Tweedledee or Tweedledum.

[41:42] David Alpert: This is Tweedledeer, Tweedledum. I'm gonna give you two choices. Let me know which one you prefer. First one, Tweedledeer, tweeted on Snow White or Sleeping Beauty.

[41:51] Vanessa Williams: Um let's go Sleeping Beauty.

[41:56] David Alpert: Gasp. Okay. Someone said Sleeping.

[42:02] Vanessa Williams: That's fine. That's fair. Tweedleteer, tweetedledum. The Haunted Mansion or Pirates of the Caribbean.

[42:07] Vanessa Williams: Um, they're both so classic. I guess Haunted Mansion.

[42:19] David Alpert: Okay. I will say the Haunted Mansion in Florida, I almost like better, but the Pirates in California wins. And also eating. Eating upstairs and watching the boats go down when you're at the blue bire.

[42:32] Vanessa Williams: Yeah. Yeah. They just added a shooting star like every 11 seconds, which is very exciting at Disneyland. These are things that excite me.

[42:40] David Alpert: And hopefully everyone listening. Okay, Tweedledeer, Tweedledum, watching a parade down Main Street or watching the fireworks over the castle.

[42:48] Vanessa Williams: I like the parades. It's interactive. You never know what you're gonna see. Uh and we always get the VIP bench in the middle.

[42:56] David Alpert: Yep, yep. You love a bench.

[42:58] Vanessa Williams: I love it. Okay. Disneyland or Walt Disney World.

[43:05] Vanessa Williams: I would have to say world. It's bigger. I love EPCOT. I love to eat at EPCOT. And we're like, where are we gonna go? We usually go to Morocco.

[43:14] Vanessa Williams: We have the Pestilla. We watch the um belly dancers. And like we were going so much that like the staff knew us there. So we usually go like ask the kids where do you want to go to Japan? Or are we going to Morocco? Uh we do it in Norway. So I would have to say that gives us the best of both worlds.

[43:35] David Alpert: Okay. I'm I'm fierce Teamland, but I support everyone.

[43:42] Vanessa Williams: We love it. Now let's hear from some of you. Vanessa, we put it on our Instagram account. Uh many of your fans are ready to ask you some Disney questions. Let's kick it off with Broadway Lover29. Stacey Lynn asks, what ride would you rope drop for? Meaning, right in the morning, what ride are you running towards to go on first?

[44:10] Vanessa Williams: Ooh, maybe uh Space Mountain.

[44:13] David Alpert: Oh nice. Okay, Space Mountain in Florida, terrifying. Space Mountain, California. Delightful.

[44:21] Mark D asks, if you were to record an album of only Disney songs, which ones would you include?

[44:28] Vanessa Williams: Ooh. Um, I would have to do uh um I guess I'm wishing Snow White. Um I would love to do something from I guess you can't really um let's see. Um probably something from Little Mermaid, you know.

[44:49] Vanessa Williams: Um I mean, you could go, you could go part of your world, or you could go poor and fortunate souls.

[44:57] David Alpert: Ooh, yes.

[44:58] Vanessa Williams: Okay. So obviously, zippity do dah is supposedly not uh in favor, but it was one of those songs that my parents sang to me uh growing up. And you know what? That's okay. So zippity do dah, uh Br'er Rabbit, my mother loved that. That reminded her of her childhood. So that's nostalgic. Um uh I'm wishing um from Snow White. Um Jiminy Cricket. Um You Wish Upon a Shapon Star is beautiful.

[45:36] David Alpert: Yeah, it is.

[45:37] Vanessa Williams: Um something from Peter Pan. Um you should do um your mother. It's Wendy's song. It's beautiful. It's called Your Mother and Mine.

[45:46] David Alpert: Yeah.

[45:49] Vanessa Williams: I I think we I think we should just make this recording happen. Let's do it. And then we can premiere it at Disneyland in front of the castle.

[46:00] David Alpert: These are good choices. I think I think there's something there. Uh Katie asks, would you rather play a good queen or an evil one?

[46:08] Vanessa Williams: Oh, Katie. It's always fun. It's more fun playing the evil one because there are no limits to anything. You can be as loud, as quiet, as sinister, as robust. Um, you can laugh, you can sneer. The range uh of being evil is so much broader than when you have to be nice.

[46:32] David Alpert: That's right. That's right. Thomas wants to know what is your favorite Disney memory, if you can choose one.

[46:39] Vanessa Williams: Oh, Thomas, I would have to say probably my favorite is when I was on the carousel, um, pregnant with my second child, and Melanie, my first, was on the on the on the um on the horse, going round and round, you know, with the magic castle behind us at Disneyland. Um, it reminded me of being the next generation just to provide such wonder to my daughter at the time. And then after she got down off the carousel, one of the parades went by, and I have video of her going up and down with her pigtails and her overalls and dancing to the music.

[47:21] David Alpert: That's a great memory.

[47:23] Vanessa Williams: Craig wants to know what was it like to work with the Alan Mencken?

[47:27] Vanessa Williams: Oh, Craig. Alan is a neighbor. I live uh we live in Westchester, so he's a couple towns north of me. He's wonderful. He's so accomplished. Um, but a really down-to-earth person who uh wanted me to be on the album and um is is you know always happy about our collaboration.

[47:51] David Alpert: And finally, Anna asks, what is a character that reminds you of childhood?

[47:56] Vanessa Williams: Anna, I would have to say Bambi. It's the first kind of uh correlation between me and my nickname and seeing it up on the screen. Uh and I just love the animals frolicking during springtime and you know, young prince, young prince, see the prince, and all those. My dad would do, you know, great voices and stuff. And my dad also read to me at night uh my entire childhood until I was probably 12. So those stories, and I have all the Disney books, the hardcover, the original ones with the metallic binder. So I have all those Disney books.

[48:36] Vanessa Williams: So um I know those characters, and they just reminded me of of being home in my little bed with my dad reading to me and and dreaming.

[48:45] David Alpert: That's perfect. I I just gave, I just gave Sunny Bambi for Easter for one and in his Easter basket.

[48:52] Vanessa Williams: Yeah.

[48:53] David Alpert: Oh I hadn't seen Bambi until like maybe 15 years ago. Like I hadn't seen it as a girl.

[48:59] Vanessa Williams: Okay.

[49:00] David Alpert: Because I was I was fiercely like Snow White. I would watch Snow White all the time. I love it. I would not be able to Snow White was Snow White, the color scheme is beautiful, but I speaking of like I couldn't watch Fantasia because of night on Ball Mountain.

[49:12] Vanessa Williams: Not on Ball Mountain, yeah.

[49:13] David Alpert: Terrifying.

[49:14] Vanessa Williams: Yeah, it is. And even like in Sorcerer's Apprentice, which I love Yensid, the he's a little creepy.

[49:20] David Alpert: Mm-hmm. Yep. We love it.

[49:37] Vanessa Williams: David, if you could describe the feelings that you feel when you look down Main Street and see the castle, what would you say?

[49:45] David Alpert: I would describe looking at that iconic castle as fantasy royalty. My youngest daughter wants to get married at Disney and she wants to do the coach and do the whole nine. And I know that there's a secret uh suite that you can spend the night in in the castle. Uh so you know, being growing up in the states, that castle was iconic because there we don't have castles like that growing up here. Uh so that was our royalty.

[50:20] Vanessa Williams: That's great. And Vanessa, what's the first thing you're going to do the next time you go to a Disney park?

[50:25] Vanessa Williams: The next time I go to a Disney park will definitely be with my grandson. So we will start out probably. Um I think the Peter Pan ride is a nice, you're cruising up, there's you're you're in this you're in the ships with the sail, and it's lovely, and you're just cruising all over uh the city. Um, uh, I think we'll start with with Peter Pan and uh and see where it takes us. Of course, we'll do the carousel. Uh teacups might be a little too fast for him because he's not quite two yet. Uh, but of course, we'll do um a small world and um and watch the parades.

[51:07] David Alpert: I love that. And when you and I go, I'm gonna take you right to the Autopia. I'm gonna show you all it. I'll be like, this is where I used to work and how fun it is.

[51:15] Vanessa Williams: See, that's a real rite of passage. That's a rite of passage. When you can get tall enough to, you know, I can't wait to have my my grandson do that.

[51:22] David Alpert: Ride his own.

[51:23] Vanessa Williams: Yeah, I remember that's a position on the ride. You're working as a greeter, and you got to be the ones to measure the kid. And there were, you know, heartbreaks when, oh, you know, not quite, but when the kid got to be tall enough, it was really cool.

[51:36] David Alpert: It was really great. So, Vanessa, thank you for joining me on E-Ticket to Broadway for sharing your love of Turning Red and Thumper and the Fantasia score, Snow White, The Lion King, Animal Kingdom, the hotels, the monorail, and sharing the Disney magic with your kids. You've been a perfect guest. I'm so glad that we finally chatted all things Disney.

[51:54] Vanessa Williams: Well, I love you, David. You know that uh we share our love for Disney together, and uh let's do it together.

[52:02] David Alpert: That would be a lot of fun. We have to, we have to. Well, we will see you at the parks.

[52:21] David Alpert: Oh boy, thanks for listening.