EPCOT Announced: Mary Poppins Attraction in UK Pavilion

[UNCgolf]

Because in a musical, you want to add to the song catalogue, not nearly rerun it (and if they had everyone would have said oh they are relying on old stuff). The songwriters are high regarded (They have won a Grammy, a Tony and an Emmy so far). I'm sure they came on the film with the expectation of writing all new material. (Some composers will actually have a no-interpolation waiver in their contract. Obviously not here).

I felt like the songs were a weak point, which was didn't really surprise me because I'm not a huge fan of Marc Shaiman's work despite his success. I think they would have been better if Lin-Manuel Miranda had been in charge of the music; it also seems a little strange to me to cast him and NOT take advantage of his songwriting abilities. Additionally, I felt like the movie wasn't as cohesive as the original.

With that said, I still enjoyed it. I didn't expect it to be as good as the original (and I don't know why anyone would have expected that) so I wasn't disappointed that it wasn't.

 

[Rich Brownn]

I felt like the songs were a weak point, which was didn't really surprise me because I'm not a huge fan of Marc Shaiman's work despite his success. I think they would have been better if Lin-Manuel Miranda had been in charge of the music; it also seems a little strange to me to cast him and NOT take advantage of his songwriting abilities. Additionally, I felt like the movie wasn't as cohesive as the original.

With that said, I still enjoyed it. I didn't expect it to be as good as the original (and I don't know why anyone would have expected that) so I wasn't disappointed that it wasn't.

Ive said this before... as a theatrical composer Shaiman tends to be more complex. The Sherman Bros, for all their talents, made the songs memorable by not using much lyrics. Take "Spoonful" ;

Just a spoonful or sugar helps the medicine go down
the medicine go down
the medicine go down
(repeat)
in the most delightful way.

Its why their songs are popular. They are actually very simple.

 

[UNCgolf]

Ive said this before... as a theatrical composer Shaiman tends to be more complex. The Sherman Bros, for all their talents, made the songs memorable by not using much lyrics. Take "Spoonful" ;

Just a spoonful or sugar helps the medicine go down
the medicine go down
the medicine go down
(repeat)
in the most delightful way.

Its why their songs are popular. They are actually very simple.

Their songs do tend to be quite simple. "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" is another example.

I don't think complexity is a problem, though -- I tend to prefer complex music (not exclusively, of course). But something about Shaiman's style just doesn't do it for me, though. I do like a few of the MPR songs, but I don't like much else that he's done. Between Hamilton and Moana, I think Lin-Manuel Miranda could have put together a stronger Disney/Broadway type soundtrack.

 

[General Mayhem]

Between Hamilton and Moana, I think Lin-Manuel Miranda could have put together a stronger Disney/Broadway type soundtrack.

 

[Rich Brownn]

Their songs do tend to be quite simple. "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" is another example.

I don't think complexity is a problem, though -- I tend to prefer complex music (not exclusively, of course). But something about Shaiman's style just doesn't do it for me, though. I do like a few of the MPR songs, but I don't like much else that he's done. Between Hamilton and Moana, I think Lin-Manuel Miranda could have put together a stronger Disney/Broadway type soundtrack.

I'm not ready for Mary Poppins to rap

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

^^ Yuck.

 

[Haymarket2008]

I may be in the minority here, but Shaiman did a really superb job. I think the team gave him specific moments/ideas for songs that were too close to the original film. But his contributions, in isolation, are really quite lovely and well written.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

I’m fine with adding new material, but they should have at least kept Spoonful around more in the score. The entire movie runs on nostalgia fuel, and they cut themselves off from the best stuff.

It seems to me that they had the choice to either remake the original or make a new film. Since they went with the latter option, I think it was smarter to go with all new songs as they would have undermined the whole premise by dropping in musical references to the iconic songs from the original. If people come out humming Spoonful of Sugar rather than, say, Can You Imagine That, then that's a pretty big fail for the movie. It would be a little like throwing in the towel and just making Let It Go the musical theme to Frozen 2.

 

[UNCgolf]

I'm not ready for Mary Poppins to rap

Most of Hamilton isn't rapping. And his Moana songs definitely aren't rapping.

I definitely don't want Mary Poppins to rap either!

And I'm not saying Lin-Manuel Miranda would have been the best choice overall (I only mentioned him because he's in the cast), but I think he would have done a better job than Shaiman.

 

[UNCgolf]

I may be in the minority here, but Shaiman did a really superb job. I think the team gave him specific moments/ideas for songs that were too close to the original film. But his contributions, in isolation, are really quite lovely and well written.

That's fair -- I've just never heard a Shaiman composition that I've really loved. Not in MPR, not in Hairspray, not in any of his other work. There are a lot of other Broadway writers who could have done significantly better IMO.

 

[britain]

It seems to me that they had the choice to either remake the original or make a new film. Since they went with the latter option, I think it was smarter to go with all new songs as they would have undermined the whole premise by dropping in musical references to the iconic songs from the original. If people come out humming Spoonful of Sugar rather than, say, Can You Imagine That, then that's a pretty big fail for the movie. It would be a little like throwing in the towel and just making Let It Go the musical theme to Frozen 2.

I hear you, but I don’t think it’s a fail that the Raiders march showed up in the subsequent Indy movies, the Back to the Future theme showed up in its sequels, etc, etc. Why give us an inferior new theme for Mary Poppins?

And it would have been nice to hear Let it Go return with new lyrics in Frozen 2. There, I’ve said it!

 

[bhmclaurin]

I wish they would have saved the money and used it towards the imagination pavillion, or spend it on a Coco overlay

 

[nickys]

I wish they would have saved the money and used it towards the imagination pavillion, or spend it on a Coco overlay

Saved the money for the attraction or the movie? Since we’ve veered off topic - again!

 

[bhmclaurin]

Saved the money for the attraction or the movie? Since we’ve veered off topic -
My post is clear enough

 

[nickys]

Okay. Except the discussion for at least three pages has been about the movie.

I’ll assume you mean the pavilion. In which case, is this because you don’t think what we will end up getting will be worth the money spent on it? Or is it because you aren’t interested in Mary Poppins? Or would have prioritised the other options over the U.K. pavilion getting an attraction?

All three of which are perfectly valid opinions to hold.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

Okay. Except the discussion for at least three pages has been about the movie.

I’ll assume you mean the pavilion. In which case, is this because you don’t think what we will end up getting will be worth the money spent on it? Or is it because you aren’t interested in Mary Poppins? Or would have prioritised the other options over the U.K. pavilion getting an attraction?

All three of which are perfectly valid opinions to hold.

If I may intrude, I agree with @bhmclaurin because all the indications are that this is going to be a very expensive but mediocre attraction whereas a new Imagination or Coco ride could be great. I think either of those things also have greater potential to be in keeping with the (original) spirit of EPCOT.

Personally, I liked both MPR and the original, so I have no issue with the IP. If we were talking about something more on the scale of, say, Ratatouille in France, that would be a different matter. But a souped-up flat ride with movie set facades in WS is hard for me to get too excited about.

 

[Rich Brownn]

That's fair -- I've just never heard a Shaiman composition that I've really loved. Not in MPR, not in Hairspray, not in any of his other work. There are a lot of other Broadway writers who could have done significantly better IMO.

See, I was the opposite. When on saw "Hairspray" on stage, I bought the CD during intermission because I already loved the score.

 

[Rich Brownn]

I hear you, but I don’t think it’s a fail that the Raiders march showed up in the subsequent Indy movies, the Back to the Future theme showed up in its sequels, etc, etc. Why give us an inferior new theme for Mary Poppins?

And it would have been nice to hear Let it Go return with new lyrics in Frozen 2. There, I’ve said it!

You're confusing a song with a theme. They are two different concepts for different reasons. A theme is usually to identify a character (such as 'Leia's theme'). A song is used to express an emotion, idea or plot point. So the Raiders march is associated with the character of Indy. They wouldn't just throw in the theme from Star Wars cause its from the same composer. With MPR, the songs match the expressions or emotions of the characters.

 

[britain]

You're confusing a song with a theme. They are two different concepts for different reasons. A theme is usually to identify a character (such as 'Leia's theme'). A song is used to express an emotion, idea or plot point. So the Raiders march is associated with the character of Indy. They wouldn't just throw in the theme from Star Wars cause its from the same composer. With MPR, the songs match the expressions or emotions of the characters.

That’s why I said they should have kept SoS in the score as Mary’s theme, just as it was in the original film. Add all the new songs you want, just don’t dismantle what’s been established in the score.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

That’s why I said they should have kept SoS in the score as Mary’s theme, just as it was in the original film. Add all the new songs you want, just don’t dismantle what’s been established in the score.

Keep in mind that Mary's job was very different this time around - life had already provided the young Banks children with enough medicine and they didn't get any sugar to go with it. They needed a reminder of how to be children after being made to grow up so quickly, so it makes sense that Mary would come in with a different sort of catchphrase. Not that I necessarily think "Can You Imagine That?" was 100% the right song for the sentiment, but it makes a lot of sense that she needed to do something totally new.

The other thing too is that you have to spend most of your time trying to give people reasons to love the new movie instead of simply reminding them why they already love the original . . . otherwise they'll wonder why they're watching this when they could just be watching the original. I'm glad they sprinkled Spoonful of Sugar here and there as a little cookie for the audience, but I think they put their effort in the right place by focusing on generating a lot of new content with some delightful nods to the things we walked in loving already.

I will also say that I think it's arguable that Spoonful of Sugar is "Mary's Theme" - she has a few songs in the first film that for various reasons could be argued are more centrally aligned with the character as a musical representation. They do play it a few times in the background while she's up to something, but they play other things too - it doesn't necessarily sum up Mary thematically, and it's not as if "Spoonful of Sugar" is meant to be the musical takeaway of the film. This is especially true in the context of the sequel where she's navigating the family through a very different sort of landscape - it need not come back as more than a wink, and you risk undermining your new movie if you use it more than that.