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DisneyFreak2000
09-02-2001, 10:25 AM
This is a thread about Annimazement and Steps In Time. Share your comments (positive or negatvie) about them. I *REALLY* like Annimazement, it's a wonderful show and I enjoy watching all of the talented people who put it on. Steps In Time has a horrible script, but some of the dance numbers are very innovative and entertaining. It's not exactly a great show, but it is defintely not horrible. I most likely will see it again on my next visit to the park. Here's a question... do they lip sing in Annimazement? Some of the musical numbers in the shows seemed too perfect to be sung so well while they're all dancing so enegertically, but then again the animators in the beginning, Pocahontas and Hercules hit some lemon notes (VERY LEMON!!!). I know SIT isn't lip sung because the older brother couldn't sing AT ALL, and if they were lip singing... they would have made it sound good.

DisneylandBoy
09-02-2001, 03:24 PM
First off:

Animazment is very good - I enjoyed it a lot. Everyone sings (exept for Lumiere in Be Our Guest). I have a couple of friends who are in it, and they said it is all sung. The chorus numbers are tracked, but the ensemble performers have mics and are singing on top of that (it is just to get a fuller sound.)

Also: Steps In Time has good music - the numbers are really good. The big brother that I saw could sing but could not act. His performance was akward.

Kuzcotopia
09-02-2001, 05:04 PM
I hate both, but I hate Steps in Time more.

Animazement I call Anim-barrasment.

I don't like the animators with their beret's and their big brush waving dances.

I really hate when they mix up Disney tunes in ways that don't combine. When I saw that they were going to try and combine Hercules, Quasimodo and another character's song, I thought, "Wow, this will be amazing if they pull it off!"

No fault of the performers, they don't pull it off. Those are hard songs to interweave, and the composer didn't pull it off. It reminds me of the key change on "Someday My Prince Will Come" in Fantasmic. That key change doesn't work, and it makes me cringe every time.

Animazement seems like an excuse for more and more big plushy characters to run around onstage. Really boring.

It used to be that the work at Disneyland on stage was very exciting and different. My favorite was the Spirit of Pocahontas. In that show, there was no 6-foot-tall Flit-the-hummingbird, no Meeko the Raccon that is bigger than Pocahantas herself...

There was a native american storyteller telling a legend. The framing device of "A legend being retold" allowed a compression of the story without merely replaying scenes from the movie. The chorus of american indians played the animals (in ceremonial costumes, not big furry suits) and the white men (with sticks for guns). Heavily influenced by the style of the award-winning "Black Elk Speaks" that was playing at the Taper, this convention fit the story of Pocahontas beautifully.

The amazing coreography of "Just Around the River Bend" where her canoe is made of branches held aloft by dancers protraying the river, was beautiful enough to make audiences weep.

Of course leave it to Animazement to lift that effect and cheapen it within a much shallower and more bombastic show.

The Spirit of Pocahontas also made several improvements in its style that were much better than the film it was based on. The character of Rattigan, the most forgettable Disney villian since MacLeach, was omitted, as were all the English characters except for John Smith. Also omitted were Flit and Meeko, who weren't central to the storyline at all.

What was left strengthened the love story, and focused more on the beauty of the music and the dance of the Native American characters. I really felt like I was watching a legend being told, rather than an animated movie being acted out by people in fuzzy suits.

The Hunchback Festival of Fools attempted to do something much in this vein. It was performed in the round, and it was an attempt to tell the story of Hunchback in the form of a Rennaisance morality play. It succeded in places, but lacked some of the emotionality and simplicity of The Spirit of Pocahontas.

And now back we come to Animazement. This show is very much like the shows that used to be done in the Disney parks. It is very much like the Beauty and the Beast themepark show, or the shows from years past, with the notable exception of the Dick Tracy stage show. These shows are more of a kiddy affair, bearing closer resemblance to an episode of Barney than the Broadway production of The Lion King.


Steps in Time is jaw-dropping bad. Someone near me described it as a Disney show being performed by Britney Spears back-up dancers.

The worst part of it is the message. "I'm a slacker teen who got dragged to this Disney Park. Why should I give a flying leap about these dumb Disney cartoons? They're all about Princesses."

Up pops the (amazingly HIPPPPP GODMAMA *ugh*) Disney can be hip too! Then we do disney songs as if they were done by those Back-Synch-Boys-band, just like those kids watch on that there M.T.V. We'll tell them we're cool! YEAH! Since we're a big media-conglomerate, we can just say something's cool, and they will buy it! Then we just repeat our mantra over and over: "Believe in the Dream. Dream of the Magic. Believe in the Magic. Dream your Dream, and Believe in the Magic of your Dreams!" YES!!!! *pumps fist in air* "I CAN BELIEVE IN THE MAGIC OF MY MAGICAL MAGICAL DREAMS! Thank you, Hot-Fairy-Godmama! And thank YOU, WALT DISNEY COMPANY INCORPORATED, for giving my sullen teen life something to DREAM FOR!"

Hehhehehe!


-Kuzcotopia

Morrigoon
09-02-2001, 10:23 PM
Kuzco;

Haha, I'm terribly diverted!

How funny, I've been saying SIT is like a bad backstreet boys concert meets disney. Same thing almost.

I absolutely HATE steps in time. I can honestly say I've never wanted a show to end so badly in all my life - and I've seen Howard the Duck in theatres! ;) I wouldn't even know where to begin in breaking down what I dislike about the show, much easier to scrap the WHOLE CONCEPT and start anew.

Now, as far as Animazement;
I can see the arguments that say it's not as artistically impressive as, say, pocahontas; BUT, by the same token, I think it's completely appropriate to its target audience. There are plenty of good shows in the park, not all of them need to be targeted toward the adults. Animazement is a good example of a show that's specifically designed for kids' entertainment, but is enjoyable to adults too. Conversely, there's shows like the Golden Horseshoe Variety Show, or Billy Hill and the Hillbillies, which are amusing for kids, but best enjoyed by the adults.

Some things I like about animazement:
Colorful - good use of color throughout the show, nothing obnoxious or dull as with Steps.
Timing - kids have short attention spans, but the action keeps moving along and keeps them engaged (except perhaps the slow lion king part at the end)
Use of characters - kids coming to Disneyland have a high expectation of seeing characters in "real life". This offers a chance for them to see a great many of them in a short period of time.

I *like* the 3-part. I didn't at first, but the more I see the show, the more I like the way it comes together. It also gives you a chance to appreciate the performance of the 3 characters singing (by comparison). If you watch closely, each one of them stands completely differently. Pocahontas has the strongest stance, straight legged, with her toes slightly outward, and a good strong positioning of the arms. Hercules presents himself as more skinny and awkward, straight legs, somewhat pigeon toed. Arms positioned slightly less strong, but with great emphasis, as enthusiastic young men are wont to do. Quasimodo is obviously hindered by his physicality. He stands with his knees slightly bent, as well as his arms.
I accept Animazement for what it is: a happy, colorful show, aimed at the 5-9 mostly female demographic. And you know what? they love it. I enjoy it too, for its cuteness as much as anything. It doesn't even APPROACH the mangled train wreck that is Steps in Time. I pity the woman playing the godmother, because I know she's talented (remember the wicked queen from the divas event?), and she's being totally wasted in that show. They'd be better off doing an Animazement type show in that theatre, perhaps a Snow White revue, starring the same actress as the wicked queen. Or, if they want to give us a broadway style show... how about B&tB, or Aida?

DisneyFreak2000
09-03-2001, 11:13 AM
Really, in Hyperion they can put in any show and it will be better than SIT. Don't get me wrong the musical numbers are good, but not good enough to salvage the show. They should put in a show based on a Disney movie. Stop trying to combine all shows in the teenie-bopper type of way... but put in a classical Broadway style show based on one of the princess movies (Snow White, BATB, Cinderella) or something. Annimazement, I believe, is a really good show. It's like seeing a Broadway show in the park. I'm going to REALLY miss it. Also, is Aida pronounced A-duh, or Ah-E-dah?

Morrigoon
09-03-2001, 11:25 AM
Aieeeee-duh

What do you mean you're going to miss it? Is Animazement on the chopping block soon?

DisneyFreak2000
09-03-2001, 11:35 AM
Al said it was going to close down in Feb, I think.

Disney Princess
09-03-2001, 12:27 PM
Bummer.

One more empty spot in the park (esp. on the East Side) isn't a good thing. Unless there are plans to put something new in...which I haven't heard. Anyone else hear anything?

Disney Princess

SimpTwister
09-03-2001, 01:46 PM
Originally posted by Disney Princess
Bummer.

One more empty spot in the park (esp. on the East Side) isn't a good thing. Unless there are plans to put something new in...which I haven't heard. Anyone else hear anything?

Disney Princess


Something NEW in DL? HAW! That's a good one.

Especially the assumption that the (rumored) removal of something means that they will actually replace it with something else.

Funny stuff. (But soooo sad...)

zapppop
09-03-2001, 09:56 PM
There's a new musical scheduled to replace Animazement in spring 2002.

From what I've seen of Animazement, well, I'm not amazed.

As for Steps In Time, I was completely let down. With a name like Steps In Time, I was hoping that the fairy godmother would take the big brother on a trip through time and have some adventures. The plot was too thin. This show was just an excuse to dance to Disney songs.
I found it extremely weak and disappointing.

Darkbeer
09-03-2001, 11:58 PM
Based on the DCA today map/schedule, looks like Steps in Time are going to a weekend only schedule.......

Maybe this will cut down the Guest Relations work load:D

amynicole22
09-04-2001, 08:41 AM
I like Animazement - if for no other reason than I am a great fan of bubbles and crepe paper. I'm seriously thinking of employing one of those paper launchers at my wedding. Plus, it's always fun to do the Under the Sea jazz-hands dance if you happen to walk by the theater at the right time.

Never seen Steps in Time - but dear friend Tami has, and I quote: "I liked it, but the Hakuna Matata number had boys in halter tops - that frightened me."

hbquikcomjamesl
09-04-2001, 09:33 AM
. . . and a waste of a beautiful theatre. Personally, I find Waste of Time (I simply can no longer bear to use the official title of that "show") to be so horrible that if Statler and Waldorf were transplanted from MuppetVision 3D, they'd leave. I saw it once, and the only reason why I stayed was a forlorn hope that it might somehow get better (and the fact that I wasn't blaming the performers, and didn't want it to look like I was).

When I got in line for the "show," I had not a clue what it was about. I was expecting that it would be either (1) something that tied in with Mary Poppins, or (2) something that delved into the history of Disney studios, and/or a tribute to Walt. What I got was sort of like the "music video" segment of Captain EO, only many times longer, and performed by people with far less talent than Mr. Jackson & co.

And regarding my own rant about so much of the criticism of DCA being unrelentingly destructive, well,

Putting something else, anything else, in the Hyperion Theatre would be an improvement. Revive Beauty and the Beast Live. Revive The Spirit of Pocahontas. Do the Aladdin dinner show, without the food. Do a show based on Mary Poppins. Do an abridged version of the Broadway Lion King show. Do a tribute to Walt, or a show on Disney history. Do some of the WDW stage shows that have never appeared here.

Kuzcotopia
09-04-2001, 04:32 PM
Exactly, HBQUICKCOMPJAMESL, (What kind of name is THAT!??!)

You just mentioned several of my favorite shows.

In the days before Spirit of Pocahontas, Disney character stage shows were a joke. They were lame, pre-voiced, lip-synch pratfall-fest. Everyone over 6-years-old skipped them, because they really talked down to the audience.

Then Spirit happened. And all the shows that HBQUICKCOMPJAMESL mentioned. Shows got better. A lot better! Shows started looking more like Cirque Du Soliel
http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/
and less like The New Zoo Revue
http://www.newzoorevue.com/

The Jungle Book at Animal Kingdom uses wonderful puppetry and acrobatics. The Lion King parade was so good they sold tapes of it in the gift shop a year after they discontinued it.


But with Animazement we have gone back... way back. Not all the way to lip-synch, but close.

Anyone see some of the spectacular stage shows that Disney used to put on at the El Capitan? How about some of those instead of Steps in It?

GoldenEars
09-04-2001, 07:33 PM
OK, forget about *Animazement*, *Steps In Time*, *Pocahontas*, *Dick Tracy*, or any of the others that have been on the Disney stages. The ONLY musical stage show that can out do all of them is, *Show Biz Is...*

This awesome, highly charged, and very colorful stage show ran from 1981 until 1984 (spring/summer seasons), and came back for an encore performance in 1989! First, it was performed at the space stage (where *Honey, I Shrunk The Audience* is now). And then in 1989, it was performed where *Animazement* is currently running.

This show had it all, and even with the *Fab 5*, the show was a HUGE success with kids and adults alike! It played tribute to all sorts of musical styles...from the Big Bands to the Circus, to Vaudville, Hollywood, and Broadway! The singing was live, the dancing was incredible (and very energetic), and it was so fast paced from beginning to end. I used to get tired just watching them...especially with all their costume changes!!

Anyone who has seen this show knows exactly what I'm talking about and will probably agree with me that *Show Biz Is...* was by far, the BEST entertainment Disney has produced on stage! And nothing has come close since then! I personally think this stage show would be perfect for the Hyperion Theatre at DCA! What better show to put in that theatre than a musical show about, well, everything!

Anyway, in all fairness to what's going on now. I do enjoy seeing *Animazement*and *Steps In Time*. I think both shows have some great singing and dancing in them, and in spite of some flaws *here and there*, they are over all really good. However, it's time to bring something NEW to the Fantasyland Theatre. We need something fresh and perhaps more up-beat. Let's hope it's soon and something we can look forward to for 2002! And altho I enjoy *Steps In Time* alot, I like to see something better, something that will really compliment that whole theatre/stage. Hey, I got it...*Show Biz Is...*, that would be perfect! :D

hbquikcomjamesl
09-05-2001, 08:04 AM
Exactly, HBQUICKCOMPJAMESL, (What kind of name is THAT!??!)


Actually, it's "hbquikcomjamesl." My ISP is Quik Internet of Huntington Beach (www.hb.quik.com), and my User ID is jamesl, giving an email address of jamesl@hb.quik.com, and a web site address of http://www.hb.quik.com/jamesl, so combining the domain and the User ID without punctuation gives something easy to remember (so long as you remember that "Quik" is spelled like the flavored milk product), and unlikey to collide with anybody else's user ID anywhere.

hbquikcomjamesl
09-05-2001, 12:49 PM
The character of Rattigan, the most forgettable Disney villian since MacLeach, was omitted, . . .


Maybe because Ratigan was a character (and hardly a forgettable one) in The Great Mouse Detective?
:) ;) :) ;) :) ;) :p

Or could you be thinking of "Gov. Ratcliffe"?

(I still haven't gotten around to seeing Pocahontas, but I bought the video of GMD)

Kuzcotopia
09-05-2001, 04:26 PM
Oh! You're right!

See! Really forgettable!






Originally posted by hbquikcomjamesl


Maybe because Ratigan was a character (and hardly a forgettable one) in The Great Mouse Detective?
:) ;) :) ;) :) ;) :p

Or could you be thinking of "Gov. Ratcliffe"?

(I still haven't gotten around to seeing Pocahontas, but I bought the video of GMD)

Kevin Yee
09-06-2001, 07:43 AM
Originally posted by DisneyFreak2000
Here's a question... do they lip sing in Annimazement? Some of the musical numbers in the shows seemed too perfect to be sung so well while they're all dancing so enegertically, but then again the animators in the beginning, Pocahontas and Hercules hit some lemon notes (VERY LEMON!!!). I know SIT isn't lip sung because the older brother couldn't sing AT ALL, and if they were lip singing... they would have made it sound good.

As mentioned originally, the leads all sing their own parts. However, every single song in the show is also available on tape, so that if a performer is sick and an unapproved understudy has to leap in, they will lip-sync (just that one song - the rest of the show is live). It happens more often than you'd think, actually. And you wouldn't necessarily notice it, since the tape is actually live-on-tape, performed by the original Animazement Ariel performer (or Poca, or Quasi, etc) while going through the stage motions - so it shouldn't sound too perfect.

I used to hate Ani!, but it does grow on you. I shall miss it once it's gone.

bandboy1985
09-28-2001, 04:21 PM
The ONLY musical stage show that can out do all of them is, *Show Biz Is...*
This show had it all, and even with the *Fab 5*, the show was a HUGE success with kids and adults alike! It played tribute to all sorts of musical styles...from the Big Bands to the Circus, to Vaudville, Hollywood, and Broadway! The singing was live, the dancing was incredible (and very energetic), and it was so fast paced from beginning to end. I used to get tired just watching them...especially with all their costume changes!!

yup- my favorite choreographer was in that revue from 1982-1984, and she even danced in the '84 olympic opening and closing ceremonies! as cool as i think it would be to see "showbiz is" return, and maybe even get a chance to be cast in it, i'd much
rather see 'blast' in dca come and make a cameo at the DLR. it'd be awesome! check it out!