Read the Asbury Park Press’s feature article on DCappella, Disney’s a cappella group! The show comes to MPAC Friday, February 15 for one night only.
Asbury Park Press: “DCappella Offers Fresh Twist on Magical Disney Classics”
By Ilana Keller
When Joe Santoni was 3, his father picked him up from his grandmother’s house covered in purple goo.
“I would go over there and I was like, ‘Beets, beets, beets!’ And she would be like, ‘You want beets?’ So she would feed me beets all day. My dad would come and pick me up and see purple all over my mouth and be like, ‘What were you doing, Mom?’ And she would be like, ‘Well, he kept asking for beets.’
“He was like, ‘No, he wants “Beauty and the Beast.” ‘ “
Despite the mega doses of veggies, Santoni’s love for Disney has endured to this day. A love of beets has, too.
Santoni sings bass in DCappella, Disney’s new seven-member a cappella group that recently released its self-titled debut album and is on a nationwide tour that’s hitting the area.
Other members include Sojourner Brown, Orlando Dixon, Antonio Fernandez, Morgan Keene, Shelley Regner and RJ Woessner.
The group launched last spring and has performed on “American Idol” and at the Hollywood Bowl.
“DCappella is an amazing experience,” Santoni said from the tour’s stop in Mobile, Alabama. “So amazing because we’re bringing a new, fresh take on all this music that people have listened to their entire lives. It’s music that people in their 60s and their 70s and the younger generation can also appreciate and enjoy. It’s super exciting to bring a fresh take on Disney classics.”
“DCappella Live” hits the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank at 7 p.m. on Feb. 14, the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown on Feb. 15 and the Met Philadelphia on Feb. 17.
The Basie show was postponed due to inclement weather on the original date, Feb. 12. All tickets will be honored.
DCappella’s co-creator, music director, arranger and producer is Deke Sharon (“Pitch Perfect,” Straight No Chaser).
The tour offers upward of 25 songs, Santoni says. Among his favorites is “When She Loved Me” from “Toy Story 2.”
“Maybe it’s a bias … the couple of numbers where I get to sing a little solo. I’m the bass, so I’m generally holding down the low notes,” he said. “Generally I’m like the root of the chord, which is fundamental towards the song, but sadly I don’t get to have my moment to shine.
“When I do, in ‘When She Loved Me’ from ‘Toy Story 2,’ which is a beautiful song, Jessie’s song where she’s singing about being given up by her original owner, and it’s just super sad. But I’m an emotional guy, so I relate to it.”
Among his other favorites are “You’ll Be In My Heart” from “Tarzan” and “Under the Sea” from “The Little Mermaid.”
“it’s just a jam, and everyone can get up and dance to that one,” he said.
Santoni loves putting an a cappella spin on some of Disney’s most beloved songs, but also recognizes the importance of the nostalgia the classics hold for so many.
“We never want to take away from the original magic that was in these songs. We never want to stray too far from it that it seems like a different piece of music. Bringing that a cappella twist on it is enough for it to stay true,” he said, while adding subtle nuances that give them flair and pizzazz.
The son of radio broadcasters, Santoni studied opera at Oakland University in Michigan, and moved to Los Angeles to pursue singing before earning a spot in DCappella after a nationwide search and intense audition process.
He is now living his dream.
“DCappella offers up a brand-new look and flavor to Disney classics that you know and love. It’s a show for everyone,” he said. “At the end of the day, it’s a spectacle. It’s a show full of music you know you love. There’s going to be lights and projections and 3D animation. What we offer is a fresh take on the magic that Disney gave us growing up.”
DCappella’s self-titled album includes songs like “The World Es Mi Familia” and “Remember Me” from “Coco,” “Friend Like Me” from “Aladdin,” “Let It Go/Do You Want to Build A Snowman” from “Frozen” and more. It is available from digital and physical retailers now.
For more information and tickets for DCappella Live, visit dcappellalive.com. Follow them at twitter.com/DCappellaMusic, facebook.com/DCappellaMusic and instagram.com/dcappellamusic.
Ilana Keller: Twitter: @ilanakeller; 732-643-4260; ikeller@gannettnj.com
