If anyone knows how to throw a party, Disney-style, it鈥檚 Kenny Ortega.
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The Emmy Award-winning director-choreographer of High School Musical fame proved this during last year鈥檚 secrecy-cloaked shoot one summer night at Royal Roads University. Its historic landmark Hatley Castle became the fairy-tale centrepiece for the spectacular finale in Descendants, Ortega鈥檚 Disney extravaganza premi猫ring Friday at 8 p.m. on Family Channel.
鈥淵ou are at the party of parties, yah? Look at each other, look at the castle, look at the world 鈥� let鈥檚 do it!鈥� exclaimed Ortega, using a wireless microphone to inspire dozens of colourfully clad dancers. When someone yelled 鈥淧layback!鈥� a DJ wearing a porkpie hat spun Set It Off, a catchy electronic dance number that triggered another frenzy of inventive, high-energy dance moves on cue.
鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing more exciting for our audience than seeing you guys laughing and having a good time,鈥� said Ortega, whose co-choreographer is Victoria native Paul Becker. 鈥淟et鈥檚 have a safe and joyful evening.鈥�
It was the last night of the week-long Greater Victoria shoot for the Disney Channel movie that has generated hot buzz for its clever premise and cast of young Disney stars and screen veterans. Headlined by Dove Cameron (Liv and Maddie), it co-stars Booboo Stewart (Twilight), Cameron Boyce (Jesse) and Sofia Carson, with Kristin Chenoweth (Wicked) vamping it up as Maleficent and Kathy Najimy (Sister Act) as the Evil Queen.
Putting a witty, modern spin on Disney鈥檚 classic good vs. evil tales, the comic fantasy introduces a new generation of villains 鈥� Mal, Evie, Carlos and Jay, the teenage offspring of Maleficent, Evil Queen, Cruella De Vil and Jafar, respectively. They鈥檙e given a shot at redemption by Prince Ben (Mitchell Hope), the benevolent son of Beauty and the Beast, who now reign as Queen and King of Auradon.
Sequences set on Isle of the Lost, the slummy, desolate hell where the quartet has been exiled with their wicked parents, were filmed in Vancouver. Capital region locations, including Government House and the legislature, stood in for the pristine kingdom where the evil teens are challenged to make good choices while studying with the offspring of fairy-tale characters such as Sleeping Beauty at Auradon Prep boarding school.
The night鈥檚 fireworks-punctuated spectacle was magical, with the cotton-candy colours of the fairy-tale costumes, the castle鈥檚 rainbow-coloured lighting and giant flickering image of Beast, and two silver light towers illuminating stone-walled stages. A statue of the king that would digitally morph into the Beast was another reminder we鈥檙e not in Colwood anymore.
It was a nocturnal blizzard of colour, a setting akin to a giant outdoor nightclub each time the royal celebration erupted musically, whether Ortega and cinematographer Thomas Burstyn were going for close-ups or overhead or tracking shots of dancers clutching glowsticks.
鈥淭here鈥檚 just so much to do,鈥� explained featured dancer Jeff Mortensen, one of four assistant choreographers.
鈥淜enny and Paul are the ones with the vision, and we鈥檙e the ones with the bodies they get to play with.鈥�
While Ortega urged performers to 鈥渄rink some of that laughter juice鈥� to energize the scene, he also told them to 鈥渃onserve your energy鈥� and hydrate, reminding them 鈥渋t鈥檚 going to be a long night.鈥�
Cameron, whose purple hair matched her dragon-themed wardrobe of dark purple, magenta and poisonous green for her role as Mal, said it was impossible not to become spellbound by the movie magic.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just sort of filled with magic all the time,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his is probably the most fun project I鈥檝e ever done.鈥�
Sarah Jeffery (Wayward Pines), the Vancouver native who plays Audrey, the daughter of Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), agrees.
鈥淚t鈥檚 super fun,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got such a great cast, and Kenny is just the best. We鈥檝e lucked out. It鈥檚 insanely magical.鈥�
Most magical of all, said Ortega, was that they were able to pull off the spectacular finale without being drenched.
鈥淚t was fun but scary, too, because we were expecting a humongous storm,鈥� he recalled. 鈥淥ur line producer Tracey Jeffrey said: 鈥榊ou鈥檙e not going to believe this, but it went around us.鈥� 鈥�
There was another, more poignant reason the local dancers and background performers lucky enough to become part of the action wouldn鈥檛 soon forget this night.
Coincidentally, it was being staged on the fifth anniversary of the death of Michael Jackson, Ortega鈥檚 longtime friend and creative collaborator.
鈥淚 felt his presence. We all did. It was magical,鈥� said Ortega, who paused briefly to share a heartfelt remembrance with his cast.
He said he was sure that 鈥渃elebrating in front of this castle with all these young people鈥� is where Jackson would have wanted to be that night.
鈥淚 think all of the kids are enormous fans, and Michael remains in my heart as strong as ever,鈥� he said later. 鈥淗is words and wisdom he shared with me in our years of collaboration still motivate and inspire my work.鈥�
Ortega, whose last collaboration with Jackson was directing his concert film This Is It, said he thought about Jackson鈥檚 鈥渉eart, compassion, his wit and his genius鈥� when he woke up that morning.
While the Fox series Gracepoint was the region鈥檚 biggest shoot here last year, Descendants, code-named Off the Island at the time, ran a close second.
鈥淭he direct spend was approximately $500,000,鈥� said Victoria film commissioner Kathleen Gilbert, adding the opportunity it offered locals was perhaps more important.
听鈥淗undreds of people were employed as both crew and background, and had the opportunity to be involved in a once-in-a-lifetime adventure of being in a Disney movie.鈥�
Nearly 400 dancers showed up for a rare open casting call at Kim Breiland鈥檚 Stages Performing Arts School Studio, hoping for a chance to work with the legendary director of Dirty Dancing fame.
鈥淭hese kids were so nervous,鈥� recalled Becker, who was once taught by Breiland at Stages. 鈥淚t was insane. Ninety per cent of them had never auditioned for anything professional.鈥�
A record-setting 1,500 locals also responded to an open call for background performers.
In the most high-profile scene shot here, locals gave Descendants the royal treatment amid much pageantry outside the legislature, which masqueraded as Auradon鈥檚 fairy-tale castle. Dozens of regally costumed locals cheered and waved flags in front of the legislature, adorned with a royal blue staircase carpet and yellow-and-blue banners, as Mal and Prince Ben pulled up in a white horse-drawn carriage for his coronation.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 realize that many people were going to turn out,鈥� laughed Cameron, referring to hundreds of onlookers, and some paparazzi, who gathered throughout the day.
As he demonstrated when he shot High School Musical in Utah, Ortega has a reputation for giving local performers a chance to shine.
鈥淚 like to give opportunity, and they鈥檙e an enthusiastic lot,鈥� he laughed. 鈥淚鈥檝e often found that by engaging locals you get incredible results. It鈥檚 often those background dancers and players that bring in a tremendous energy that really lifts a project.鈥�
He said he welcomed the chance to work with Becker on his home turf.
鈥淚 adore him. He鈥檚 an amazing kid,鈥� said Ortega. 鈥淗e鈥檚 really an imaginative person, conceptually strong and he has a great sense of humour. He brought on some amazing Canadian talent.鈥�
Local talent includes Victoria actor Dan Payne as King, and Spectrum grad Zachary Gibson, who wore a burgundy-coloured jacket and unleashed Pee Wee Herman-like moves as Dopey鈥檚 son Doug during the finale.
鈥淶ach was so full of life, putting out 110 per cent,鈥� said Breiland, who with associate Craig Hempstead facilitated the dancers鈥� casting call and worked on set.
鈥淗e said: 鈥業sn鈥檛 it amazing to have this opportunity here in Victoria?鈥� It was great how they鈥檝e used our kids, and to see the excitement on their faces. This has given our whole community a boost.鈥�
Making it happen took 12 months, said Jeffrey, the sa国际传媒 producer who brought Ortega here a year earlier to scout locations. He fell in love with Royal Roads.
鈥淚t was the perfect setting for everything we wanted the movie to be,鈥� said Jeffrey, adding they thought the legislature was the perfect place to stage the coronation arrival sequence.
鈥淓verybody from the Speaker of the House down were fantastic. They were so co-operative, and it was the same with Government House. The interest from the community has been just fantastic.鈥�
The icing on the cake was the six per cent distant-location tax credit implemented here last year.
鈥淚t made a difference, let me tell you,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a huge benefit having that in place.鈥�
Ortega went a step further, saying he鈥檇 return to this 鈥渟pectacular place鈥� in a heartbeat.
鈥淚 hope we have a Descendants 2 so we can come back.鈥�
Watch the trailer:
