When things went awry Sunday, the Imagination Movers were put to the test. The free show at the UNO Lakefront Arena was taped for a future Disney Channel special, but technical glitches forced the kids music band to work to keep their audience engaged.

The show was opened by special guest Joey Giordana, who played a baseball player on an episode of the band’s Disney Channel series. Those a little older recognized Giordana as Joey Fatone, the former ‘N SYNC band member, but it’s doubtful that anyone in the Movers’ target demographic was familiar with this former pop star.

The Movers wasted no time in immediately getting kids involved with their music. “Shakable You” had a full arena of children bouncing and bopping in the aisles. Cameras continuously flying through the air captured every joke, quirky dance move and audience reaction for the Disney Channel special. While the Movers are well-equipped to tackle child-boredom through their interactive songs, the challenges of performing for a live, televised special proved daunting.

The first obstacle occurred during neighbor Nina’s Hawaiian-inspired song when her microphone phased in and out. When the scene was re-performed, there was some confusion inthe audience. When a third take was needed, the Movers candidly explained the technical glitch was a microphone malfunction, and the scene needed to be reshot for TV. An unfazed audience of Nina-obsessed fans overlooked the technical hiccup and shouted, “We love you, Nina!” The Movers kept the audience engaged by singing “You Are My Sunshine.”

A similar mishap occurred when an overwhelming cloud of fog shadowed the Movers instead of a confetti explosion that was meant to be released from the ceiling. While working out the details, and planning to reshoot the entire scene they previously had performed, the Movers realized their youthful audience would soon become antsy if they didn’t keep up the pace.

The Movers improvised by asking the audience, “Who’s going to the Super Bowl this year?” The question worked as well with children as it does with adults, and  an obligatory “Who Dat” chant kept the kiddies entertained while the crew prepared to reshoot the scene.

The Imagination Movers overcame their target audience’s notoriously short attention spans throughout the afternoon. “No matter how strong we are, we work well because of our families and you guys here to support us,” Mover Rich Collins said.