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View Full Version : Candlelight Processional 2010 News and Reviews and photos too



mre200200
12-05-2010, 01:07 AM
My friends and I went to see the 2010 showing of the Candlelight Processional this year. This year's event was narrated by Tom Skerrit.

We arrived at the park around noon. Already people had started to sit down on the sidewalks in front of the opera house. We had a seat and waited it out with everyone else for 5.5 hours before the show started.

There was some confusion regarding where people would be allowed to stand, how far back chairs would go, and where the handicapped section would be located, but everything was worked out with a half hour to go before showtime.

The cast members were pretty strict about not allowing people to stand outside of the ropes. Everyone was squeezed in tight, until 5 minutes right before the first show. There were lots of available seats that still hadn't been filled, so cast members started pulling people from our section to move up closer. I was actually in the same area for the second showing of Candlelight Processional but in the second show all the seats were filled and they didn't need any seat fillers.

We were actually there to watch ones of our friends sing in the cast choir. He's on the far left.
http://sites.google.com/site/2010disneylandcandlelight/home/Candlelight-11.jpg

Alright, on to more photos.
Here's conductor Nancy Sulahian leading the choir.
http://sites.google.com/site/2010disneylandcandlelight/home/Candlelight-12.jpg

Narrator Tom Skerrit
http://sites.google.com/site/2010disneylandcandlelight/home/Candlelight-13.jpg

The main part of the stage, including my second favorite part, the trumpeters! The cast choir is of course my favorite part.
http://sites.google.com/site/2010disneylandcandlelight/home/Candlelight-14.jpg

One of the soloists, with my friend just in the background
http://sites.google.com/site/2010disneylandcandlelight/home/Candlelight-16.jpg

http://sites.google.com/site/2010disneylandcandlelight/home/Candlelight-17.jpg

http://sites.google.com/site/2010disneylandcandlelight/home/Candlelight-19.jpg

We got to see the trumpeters on the way out. And they even posed.
http://sites.google.com/site/2010disneylandcandlelight/home/Candlelight-22.jpg

Great job!
http://sites.google.com/site/2010disneylandcandlelight/home/Candlelight-23.jpg

Oh, and the castle looks amazing!
http://sites.google.com/site/2010disneylandcandlelight/home/Candlelight-24.jpg


So, did anyone else here go? Any fun experiences or photos to share?

And finally, if you happened to be in the Candlelight Processional let me know where abouts you were standing. I tried to get photos all around the choir so I might just have a shot of you.

You can see the rest of my photos from the link in my signature. Enjoy!

Daddio
12-05-2010, 04:44 AM
Awesome! Thanks for sharing. We hope to see the CP with Whoopi Goldberg next week, but I don't think I want to wait in line for 5.5 hours.

David

Bytebear
12-05-2010, 11:43 AM
We were on the other side between the square and the fire tation. We were in the standing room so didn't get as close. Mr. Scerrit sounded like he had a few egg nogs before going out on stage, and he mispronounced every Biblical city, but otherwise it was great.

We got there around 3:30 having watched the parade beforehand from up Main Street near the Carnation Cafe. Getting a spot wasn't hard, and ti really didn't get really filled up until 4:30. So if you are ok being in the back of the crowd, you could have gotten there pretty late.

We had a good view of the stage, although a light pole was blocking the area between the conductor and the narrator. We also didn't get a good view of the soloists since they were on the other side of the stage.

1617

mre200200
12-05-2010, 01:57 PM
We were on the other side between the square and the fire tation. We were in the standing room so didn't get as close. Mr. Scerrit sounded like he had a few egg nogs before going out on stage, and he mispronounced every Biblical city, but otherwise it was great.
1617

We noticed the same thing. It was a little disappointing but the choir and everyone else made up for it. He did a little bit better in the second show.

ChrisGlass
12-05-2010, 06:01 PM
Yeah, Tom sounded drunk.

AVP
12-05-2010, 07:15 PM
Sadly both performances were canceled tonight due to rain.

AVP

Jodi
12-05-2010, 07:41 PM
We waited for 4 hours, only to be rained out! The rain stopped, and an announcement was made around 5:30 that there would be a delay, but the show would start shortly. A few minutes later, the orchestra started taking their places, then the rain started again, they left the stage, and the next announcement came on that the show would be cancelled. :crying::crying:

TowerofTerror
12-05-2010, 08:21 PM
wow that is sad both performances of the candle processional was canceled today. I WANTED TO SEE IT BUT OH well I see it next year. I TRIED yesterday but had no luck.

Drince88
12-05-2010, 09:59 PM
Do they use the same choir for all 4 scheduled performances? Or did some people do all the practice, and not get to perform?

Didn't this happen a couple of years ago, too?

AVP
12-05-2010, 10:50 PM
Do they use the same choir for all 4 scheduled performances? Or did some people do all the practice, and not get to perform?The guest choirs are different each night. They are local church and school groups, so they usually perform just one night. The cast members rotate, so they may only perform just one show.


Didn't this happen a couple of years ago, too? Yep, and I always feel for the performers who miss out on getting to sing. It kinda sucks to drive to practice night after night and never get to take the stage. It's one of the most compelling reasons, IMHO, for them to make the move to the Hyperion Theater. I KNOW the traditionalists will rant and rave and scream bloody murder, but it's that or risk having the show called for rain every year.

AVP

aidensdaddy
12-06-2010, 01:04 AM
Awesome! Thanks for sharing. We hope to see the CP with Whoopi Goldberg next week, but I don't think I want to wait in line for 5.5 hours.

David

Wait.....


There's another one with Whoopi Goldberg next week? I thought they only had it on one weekend a year, usually the first weekend of December? I remember one of the first I went to go see was supposed to have Louis Gosset Jr be the celebrity narrator. But he came down with a bout of food poisoning beforehand, and was unable to perform. Fortunately, Marie Osmand was on property for one of her doll signings and she took his place, then did it again the following year as the scheduled guest.

aidensdaddy
12-06-2010, 01:05 AM
Sadly both performances were canceled tonight due to rain.

AVP

I figured that was going to happen. Is it going to be rescheduled at all?

aidensdaddy
12-06-2010, 01:15 AM
Yep, and I always feel for the performers who miss out on getting to sing. It kinda sucks to drive to practice night after night and never get to take the stage. It's one of the most compelling reasons, IMHO, for them to make the move to the Hyperion Theater. I KNOW the traditionalists will rant and rave and scream bloody murder, but it's that or risk having the show called for rain every year.

AVP


AVP, I am one of those traditionalists, but I'm also a realist. I LOVE the show, it is phenomenal. I took my wife to see it last year with Jon Voight as the celeb. We waited only a few hours for the second one, it was all about timing. But anyways, it is a great show and the fact that it is outside, under the night sky and the stars in Main Street totally adds to the setting, especially with a huge Christmas Tree behind the audience.

But that was the traditionalist & the hardcore Disney fan side of me talking. Now for the realist. Despite the fact that being on Main Street totally adds to the experience of the show, I will honestly say that I can back you up that it should be in the Hyperion Theater. No weather complications whatsoever! No cancellations due to rain, and nobody would be freezing their butts off. And the biggest thing - no traffic nightmare!!! No Main Street bottleneck to deal with when going into Disneyland. It's the reason why we avoided it this year.

The only kicker that I see that would keep it in Main Street is the processional part of the whole show, walking down Main Street. It's been a tradition for years, and walking down Main Street again adds to the atmosphere. Walking to the Hyperion in DCA, that's all taken away.

Unless they walk from Main Street, across the Esplanade, to DCA and the Hyperion, but that could be a bit complicated beside letting some people get somewhat of a free show.

aidensdaddy
12-06-2010, 01:21 AM
We noticed the same thing. It was a little disappointing but the choir and everyone else made up for it. He did a little bit better in the second show.

So John Stamos did it in 2008.


"Can you read me the story of Christmas, Uncle Jessie?" :p

Drince88
12-06-2010, 04:34 AM
Wait.....


There's another one with Whoopi Goldberg next week? I thought they only had it on one weekend a year, usually the first weekend of December? t.

That post, I believe, was confusing the Disneyland event (which is one weekend, 2 shows per night) with the Walt Disney World event (which is every night from Thanksgiving to NYE, or close to it, with 3 shows per night).

Is the seating area for the Hyperion larger than the theater in Fantasyland? (The animation show was the last time I was in the Fantasyland theater, and I think that was the only time.) Because as long as there's a roof over the performers, I'd think they could go on, even if the audience got rained on. And then you could just run the processional part from Main Street back to the theater.

aidensdaddy
12-06-2010, 03:26 PM
That post, I believe, was confusing the Disneyland event (which is one weekend, 2 shows per night) with the Walt Disney World event (which is every night from Thanksgiving to NYE, or close to it, with 3 shows per night).

Is the seating area for the Hyperion larger than the theater in Fantasyland? (The animation show was the last time I was in the Fantasyland theater, and I think that was the only time.) Because as long as there's a roof over the performers, I'd think they could go on, even if the audience got rained on. And then you could just run the processional part from Main Street back to the theater.

Oh so Whoopi is in Florida.


The Hyperion is larger than the Fantasyland theater. Though that has been an option that has been suggested on here and other sites for some time, the HT is larger because it does have a balcony. I do believe it does seat more than FT.

Bytebear
12-06-2010, 05:58 PM
But that was the traditionalist & the hardcore Disney fan side of me talking. Now for the realist. Despite the fact that being on Main Street totally adds to the experience of the show, I will honestly say that I can back you up that it should be in the Hyperion Theater. No weather complications whatsoever! No cancellations due to rain, and nobody would be freezing their butts off. And the biggest thing - no traffic nightmare!!! No Main Street bottleneck to deal with when going into Disneyland. It's the reason why we avoided it this year.

The only kicker that I see that would keep it in Main Street is the processional part of the whole show, walking down Main Street. It's been a tradition for years, and walking down Main Street again adds to the atmosphere. Walking to the Hyperion in DCA, that's all taken away.

Unless they walk from Main Street, across the Esplanade, to DCA and the Hyperion, but that could be a bit complicated beside letting some people get somewhat of a free show.

I would rather they just reverse the parade and have them walk from Main Street to the Fantasyland Theater. Of course the Princess Fantasy Faire kind of messes it up, but I would so much rather have seating for everyone and avoid the cluster on Main Street.

karl
12-07-2010, 01:26 PM
I've seen the show several times from both the Town Square and Fantasyland locations.

The Fantasyland location is certainly better for admitted seating - and has better staging and acoustics. But you can be anywhere at that point.

The Town Square location is much more about Disneyland - from the moment the lights are dropped on Main Street. And it offers those willing to stand for several hours a certain view of the performance; there was no such "guarantee" back in Fantasyland Theatre. The one negative from being on the far sides - I got an amplified show being so close to the speakers.

Hyperion - probably more seating and a controlled environment. But you -really- could be anywhere nor would the music escape the building. And a processional through "Hollywood" - now ElecTRONica? I suppose one could route through Cars Land and Tower of Terror... heh.

Interesting thought - how about the area between the parks?

I tend to consider the viewing of Disneyland Candlelight a privilege. Its a thank-you to the community, using local choirs and regional performing arts. I have seen the Epcot show - its good - but knowing that its put on many many nights by professionals (not sure if there are some rotating community choirs) kinda dimmed it for me. The Disneyland Candlelight is special and remains mostly pure.

All that said, I have to acknowledge the weather impact. Many choir members were unable to sing and their families unable to enjoy the canceled Sunday performances after months of practice. In those cases it would be better to have a covered alternate location (even if minimally staged)

As to Tom Skeritt - that was a terribly dry reading on the first Saturday showing. He was a bit more animated the second show and he delivered commentary at the end. I was joking about "Not a real actor" (I can be very snarky). To be fair, I learned later he's 77 years old. So kudos Tom for getting out there.

Drince88
12-07-2010, 02:06 PM
karl, at Epcot I believe with the exception of the half dozen or so memebers of the Voices of Liberty at each performance, all the choir members are community/school choirs, or the CM choir. The CMs make up the "Christmas Tree" and the community choirs are along the sides. I talked to one CM once who had been in the choir, and it SOUNDED like, if you weren't working, you showed up and if they had a robe your length, you participated. So a LOT of CMs practice, but they aren't all in every show.

karl
12-07-2010, 02:40 PM
karl, at Epcot I believe with the exception of the half dozen or so memebers of the Voices of Liberty at each performance, all the choir members are community/school choirs, or the CM choir. The CMs make up the "Christmas Tree" and the community choirs are along the sides. I talked to one CM once who had been in the choir, and it SOUNDED like, if you weren't working, you showed up and if they had a robe your length, you participated. So a LOT of CMs practice, but they aren't all in every show.

Thank-you for the clarification. Must be lots of choirs then.

I know even for Disneyland there are CM's who only do Saturday or Sunday.

I dont know, there is still something about the Epcot show that makes it feel less special - though I am sure its special for every participant. Maybe its the many performances as a seasonal. Just me though.

danyoung
12-08-2010, 09:04 AM
Because as long as there's a roof over the performers, I'd think they could go on, even if the audience got rained on.

Unfortunately, orchestra instruments are extremely susceptible to both moisture and temperature. Unless they put big space heaters and de-humidifiers in the Fantasyland Theater stage area, it would still be awfully hard to do the show on a cold rainy California night.

Drince88
12-08-2010, 09:33 AM
Hmmm, with this cold snap in Florida, I wonder if they've had to cancel any shows.