Imagine being cast in a new Disneyland production with the most famous Disneyland character ever, entitled, Mickey and the Magical Map. Wouldn’t that be incredible? Dancer Filippo Calvagno doesn’t have to imagine it, however, because after landing the coveted role of the featured Mapmaker dancer in this new musical the land of happiness and fantasy is now Calvagno’s daily reality.
“I'm excited to
join the cast of Mickey and the Magical
Map and be a part of the Disneyland family,” said Calvagno. The audition
included some of the choreography that they are performing in the show he said,
adding that the group rehearsed for about four weeks before going live. “I love
that it has a Hip Hop & Jazz element. The Show is incredible because it's a
mix of different styles, and I get to use my dance training all round.”
Trained in
ballroom dancing since the age of eleven and many other disciplines in the
years following, the sultry Italian-born, German-raised dancer is right at home
hoofing his way across the Disneyland stage as the delightful production guides
the audience through multiple musical adventures at the helm of sorcerer Yen
Sid’s magical powers.
The production
is physically demanding as each dancer dances with props including giant
pencils since they are making maps, buckets, umbrellas and such. Calvagno and
the other show’s Mapmakers paint a huge map on the stage, while singing and
dancing to many familiar, loved tunes hailing from Disney classics.
“I'm
particularly excited to perform Under the
Sea and Jungle Book,” said
Calvagno. “I grew up watching those movies and listening to the songs,” he
shared. “I still can't believe that I get to call Disneyland my work place. It
is still magical walking around the park during my lunch break. It's been great
so far and I love performing to at the outdoor theater. We have some devoted
fans that come and see the show weekly,” he added.
Whether the
charismatic dancer is performing in commercials for brands such as Paul
Mitchell, L’Oreal, Mary Kay, and Puma … touring with A-list performers such as
Whitney Houston, Coldplay, Miley Cyrus and Paula Abdul, or, delighting families
as the main Mapmaker in the Magic Kingdom he turns it on for every performance.
When his busy schedule
allows him time off, Calvagno can be found sitting in a recliner … not. The perpetually
active, made-for-movement performer enjoys swimming, cycling, jogging, hiking,
jumping rope and roller blading. It is his love for dance, however, that fuels
his soul.
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