We had three days at sea during our cruise. Most people planned shopping, dining, swimming, watching shows, and doing activities on board. We did all of that, too, but, I also decided to watch a couple of the documentaries offered on the TV in my stateroom. (We had extra time after swimming to relax before dinner.) Anyway, one was about the Sherman Brothers who wrote songs for Disney movies and theme parks attractions during the 1960's. The other was about how after Walt Disney died in 1966, the animation studios kind of lost their rudder and floundered for more than a decade. (This was research as part of my working vacation.) They gave up on doing Musicals, too.
Anyway, I was fascinated by the people who made the Disney Magic happen in the past and how they built the foundation for those who followed.
Anyway, I was fascinated by the people who made the Disney Magic happen in the past and how they built the foundation for those who followed.
One thing that interested me about the Sherman Brothers is that they mostly just wrote the melodies and lyrics to their songs. Dick Sherman added chords on the piano when they sang the songs, but he didn't make the full orchestrated arrangements. That was left to specialists further along the supply chain.
In the other documentary, the narrator explained that the animation department really had a hard time coming up with hit movies until Jeffery Katzenberg contacted the song writing team of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken to work on "The Little Mermaid." Just like the Sherman Brothers did in the 1960's, by using songs to further the plots and develop the characters of earlier movies, Ashman and Menken took up the torch. Ashman thought that animation was the last best place to do traditional Musical Theater (which in 1989 was thought to be dying).
In the other documentary, the narrator explained that the animation department really had a hard time coming up with hit movies until Jeffery Katzenberg contacted the song writing team of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken to work on "The Little Mermaid." Just like the Sherman Brothers did in the 1960's, by using songs to further the plots and develop the characters of earlier movies, Ashman and Menken took up the torch. Ashman thought that animation was the last best place to do traditional Musical Theater (which in 1989 was thought to be dying).
But once again, Alan Menken and whoever he paired with for lyrics left the finished arrangements to orchestrators and music directors. Menken worked closely with them, but let them do their thing with the scores.
Through the songs and suggestions for script, character and plot changes, Ashman and Menken helped awaken the "Sleeping Beauty," in others words they helped revive the Disney Animation Studio machine. The studio started producing a stream of hits that continues to this day. And those hits boosted and revived live Musical Theater, too.
Once the stage play of "Beauty and the Beast" opened on Broadway in the newly-acquired and renovated Disney-owned theater, the Theater District changed. It suddenly had some family friendly shows that helped clean up the area.
Music helps everything! I'm just delighted when any of my songs are compared to those of the Sherman Brothers or Alan Menken. Enjoy!
"A View from the Highest Mountain" from Never Cry Wolf
"Off to Seek My Fortune" from The Adventures of Dick Whittington
"What Is It Like?" from The Country Mouse and the City Mouse
Through the songs and suggestions for script, character and plot changes, Ashman and Menken helped awaken the "Sleeping Beauty," in others words they helped revive the Disney Animation Studio machine. The studio started producing a stream of hits that continues to this day. And those hits boosted and revived live Musical Theater, too.
Once the stage play of "Beauty and the Beast" opened on Broadway in the newly-acquired and renovated Disney-owned theater, the Theater District changed. It suddenly had some family friendly shows that helped clean up the area.
Music helps everything! I'm just delighted when any of my songs are compared to those of the Sherman Brothers or Alan Menken. Enjoy!
"A View from the Highest Mountain" from Never Cry Wolf
"Off to Seek My Fortune" from The Adventures of Dick Whittington
"What Is It Like?" from The Country Mouse and the City Mouse
Vocals by Betsy Bailey and Rachel Orme
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