Hakuna Matata. Let It Go. Be Our Guest. When You Wish Upon a Star.
Imagine hearing those songs in one room. Now imagine hearing them performed live by a cast of young South African performers who are discovering the power of their own dreams.
That is the magic coming to Johannesburg this spring.
The National Children’s Theatre (NCT) will present the South African premiere of Disney’s Dare to Dream JR. from 30 September to 11 October 2026 at NCT, 3 Junction Avenue, Parktown, Johannesburg.
Directed by Ivor Jones, the 60-minute musical revue brings together more than 20 beloved Disney songs spanning a century of Disney storytelling.
And at its heart are 15 young performers aged 13 to 18, stepping onto the stage to explore something every young person understands: the dream of becoming who you are meant to be.
A century of Disney songs. One stage.
For many audiences, the name Dare to Dream JR. may be new.
The songs certainly are not.
From the golden era of Snow White and Pinocchio to the modern worlds of Frozen, Encanto, Moana, Coco and The Lion King, the production brings together music that has travelled across generations.
The soundtrack includes:
- When You Wish Upon a Star
- Be Our Guest
- A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes
- Hakuna Matata
- The Bare Necessities
- Let It Go
- You’ve Got a Friend in Me
- Part of Your World
- How Far I’ll Go
- Friend Like Me
- Surface Pressure
- Try Everything
- Remember Me
- Go the Distance
- I Just Can’t Wait to Be King
- And more
It is a musical journey through 100 years of Disney storytelling, bringing familiar songs together in a fresh theatrical experience.
Welcome to the world of the Junior Imagineers
Written by Disney Theatrical Group to celebrate 100 years of Disney music, Dare to Dream JR. follows a group of young Junior Imagineers as they arrive for their first day at Walt Disney’s legendary Imagineering Studios.
As they begin their journey, they discover that dreams can inspire, connect and transform.
But this is not a traditional Disney story built around one hero, one villain or a fairytale romance.
Instead, the production centres on a group of young people finding their way.
That makes the stage feel less like a distant fantasy and more like a reflection of the audience watching from the seats.
The performers are learning. They are questioning. They are encouraging one another. Most importantly, they are discovering that their dreams do not have to look exactly the same.
When young performers see themselves on stage
For NCT, that message sits at the centre of the production.
Belinda Germeshuizen, COO of NCT, says the show reflects the organisation’s belief in the power of theatre to help young people see new possibilities for themselves.
“These are stories and songs that children across Gauteng already carry in their hearts, and when they hear them performed live, by young learners their own age, on a real stage, something shifts.”
That shift is important.
A familiar Disney song can be more than a nostalgic moment. On a live stage, performed by young people of a similar age, it can become an invitation.
An invitation to imagine.
An invitation to participate.
And perhaps even an invitation to believe that the stage could belong to them too.
More than a musical revue
While the songs provide the familiar soundtrack, Dare to Dream JR. goes deeper.
The production explores what it means to grow up, discover who you are, understand what you believe in and imagine who you might become.
Dreaming big
The show celebrates the idea that every dream is valid, regardless of its size or shape.
Through a century of Disney storytelling, imagination becomes the starting point for possibility.
Believing in yourself
One of the story’s central journeys follows a trainee who has not yet discovered her dream.
Through music and encouragement from her peers, she begins to develop confidence and courage.
The message is simple: the stage can belong to anyone brave enough to step onto it.
Collaboration and teamwork
The Junior Imagineers also discover that dreams can become stronger when people pursue them together.
The production reflects the collaborative nature of theatre itself, where every performer contributes to the whole.
Perseverance
Dreams rarely happen instantly.
Dare to Dream JR. acknowledges the effort behind ambition and celebrates hard work, resilience and a positive outlook.
The evolution of dreams
Perhaps one of the most relatable messages is that dreams can change.
Young people are allowed to grow.
They can change direction. They can discover something new. They can become someone they never expected to be.
Creativity and imagination
As Imagineers-in-Training, the performers embody the idea that imagination can create possibility.
The show celebrates the creative spirit within every child.
Together, these ideas transform Dare to Dream JR. from a collection of beloved Disney songs into a story about growing, discovering and daring to imagine what comes next.
NCT and Disney continue a creative partnership
The Johannesburg production also forms part of NCT’s ongoing partnership with Disney Theatrical Group.
That partnership previously brought The Lion King JR. to South African audiences in 2024–25, with the production set to return in 2026.
For NCT, Dare to Dream JR. continues its work of using theatre as both entertainment and a learning environment.
Andrea Katz, an NCT Trustee, describes theatre as a safe space and a potentially life-changing experience.
The organisation plans to take the Disney production beyond its public performances through its school programme outreach, giving thousands of Gauteng children the opportunity to encounter the music and messages of the show.
A new generation gets its Disney moment
There is something especially fitting about Dare to Dream JR. arriving on a Johannesburg stage.
Disney’s stories have spent generations asking audiences to believe in possibility.
Now, young performers in Johannesburg get to step into those songs themselves.
They will sing about dreams.
They will sing about friendship.
They will sing about courage, perseverance, imagination and possibility.
And they will do it in front of audiences who may already know every word.
That is what makes this production so intriguing.
You may arrive knowing Hakuna Matata. You may already have Let It Go somewhere in your memory. You may have grown up with When You Wish Upon a Star or watched The Lion King countless times.
But seeing those songs brought together on one stage, performed by 13- to 18-year-old performers, gives them a different energy.
This time, the dream belongs to a new generation.
Catch Disney’s Dare to Dream JR. in Johannesburg
The National Children’s Theatre’s production runs for 60 minutes with no interval, making it an accessible theatrical experience for audiences of all ages.
Whether you are introducing a young Disney fan to live theatre, returning to songs that have followed you through life, or simply looking for a family theatre experience in Johannesburg, Dare to Dream JR. promises a celebration of music, imagination and the courage to dream.
Show Information
Production: Disney’s Dare to Dream JR.
Presented by: National Children’s Theatre
Dates: 30 September – 11 October 2026
Venue: National Children’s Theatre, 3 Junction Avenue, Parktown 2193, Johannesburg
Director: Ivor Jones
Cast: Teen performers aged 13 to 18
Run time: 60 minutes, no interval
Ages: All
Tickets: Coming soon
School bookings: Nthabiseng Mmethi
Telephone: 011 484 1584
Email: nthabiseng@NCTheatreSa.org
Johannesburg, get ready to dream.
Because sometimes the songs we have known for years still have something new to tell us.
And sometimes, all it takes is a stage to remind us that the next dream could be ours.
