HAPPY FEET TAPS TO NUMBER ONE

Elijah Wood voices the Emperor penguin Mumble in the animated musical Happy Feet who wasn’t born with his signature heart song to attract a mate, but man can he dance. Elijah says he likes what the film has to say about being unique.

Mumble tries to use his happy feet to win the affections of Gloria voiced by Brittany Murphy. Brittany will happily surprise audiences with her soulful singing of Somebody to Love and Boogie Wonderland.

“Yeah I have this sort of oddity. It’s not odd to me, it’s odd to you but I’m OK with that and you have to come around not me. I think that’s such a strong message for everybody. I think that it’s particularly important to youths who are developing their sense of themselves. Sometimes those things that are individual to us that we feel that we have to compromise for other people, we shouldn’t you know. That’s what makes us who we are and that’s special.”

The tap dancing styles of Mumble are choreographed by Savion Glover who did all the tapping in a dance studio which was later matched to the animated penguin’s dancing feet. Happy Feet opens Friday in theaters.

“Gloria happens to be the most successful singer amongst the penguin community and Mumble even though he’s taking voice lessons and things like that throughout all the years. He tries to sing his whole entire life and he could never find his heart song. But one comes to discover is that his voice within which is what a heart song really is, listening to your true instincts inside happens to be communicated through his feet.”