News EPCOT's Harmonious to be replaced with new nighttime spectacular Luminous

[McMickeyWorld]

Looks like IP is def a big part of it:

"With the stage set, our symphony takes us to the tender love of parenthood, highlighting childhood moments where each of our journeys began and featuring a stirring, multilingual arrangement of “You’ll Be in My Heart.” The symphony then transitions to “Proud Corazón” as we find our voice in a movement dedicated to the bonds of family. Friendship follows, with classic songs like “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” and “Friend Like Me” taking us back to the days of recess and friendship bracelets."

Set to a sweeping arrangement of “So Close,” a personal favorite hidden gem from Disney’s “Enchanted,” the romance movement celebrates the moments when we find someone with whom our melody blends.

Inevitably in life, we experience the quiet loneliness of loss, but as “When She Loved Me” and “Remember Me” bring us “Into the Unknown,” the echoes of those around us remind us that we’re never truly alone. As we come out of the darkness, the music crescendos to “I See the Light” from “Tangled,” launching us into our finale – and our second original song, entitled “Beating of our Hearts” – where we all come together as one and find our place in the great symphony of life. "

the story reminds me of "momentous"

 

[Starship824]

So "Disney Songbook" songs are:

- "You'll Be in My Heart" - Tarzan
- "Proud Corazon" - Coco
- "You've Got a Friend in Me" - Toy Story
- "Friend Like Me" - Aladdin
- "So Close" - Enchanted
- "When She Loved Me"- Toy Story 2
- "Remember Me" - Coco
- "Into the Unknown" - Frozen 2
- "I See the Light" - Tangled


Nice to see some different options from other shows - interesting mutliple from Coco and Toy Story franchise

​

"Different options" half of those songs are already in HEA lol

 

[TheMaxRebo]

"Different options" half of those songs are already in HEA lol

well, slightly less than half ... but some new stuff at least

just felt like everything lately was heavy on Moana and using Out There and Go the Distance, so guess just glad to see those crutches not used

 

[OSUPhantom]

I guess my main question is are these song melodies the majority of the show with the original compositions acting as the bread of the sandwich or are they all smaller bits that are woven into a larger original score?

 

[trainplane3]

This is all pretty great. We all knew IP was going to still be central. I just hope the show feels complete instead of Harmonious being broken into segments every 2 minutes so it never really flowed.

 

[TDLFan]

I'll say it. The female vocalist doesn't sound like she's had grounded vocal training. She'll sound good to the general public, but lord, just that clip shows she either never took voice, or is completely disregarding technique. Wrong breathing, swooping for placement, and even basic things like disconnecting "and/I" but she sings, "an Die." She's not even pronouncing words correctly. Sym-fu-nee? Really? I'll go back under my bridge now.

 

[James Alucobond]

Surprised they didn’t pull in Dos Oruguitas based on the other songs in that list.

 

[Epcot82Guy]

Very similar reaction here. While I personally wish it was a little more stirring (like the fake one that launched), the instrumental has potential and certainly fits the Epcot idea, no doubt. I think the idea here can work. I also agree that my jury is very, very out on the singing. I think it really depends on how they use the central theme. If they have a central theme and narrative that starts the show, gets revisited throughout the show and then builds into the finale (with the singing) - I think this could work. If the "movements" just happen, I think the ending will feel a little forced.

One of the greatest things about I:ROE is that the score had continuous themes throughout (much like you would find in classical music or in the recurring themes of many Broadway shows). If the unique music and the theme is just an intro and exit (like HEA, for example), I'm not sure it will work as well as it could.

 

[monothingie]

Could it kill them to do something original?

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

Sounds like this is what Harmonious was supposed to have been, so if this is better, than hooray!

But Epcot doesn't need IP in its nighttime spectaculars—RoE proved that for twenty years. It's not like people stopped watching RoE because they didn't hear a Frozen song in it.

 

[Epcot82Guy]

I'll say it. The female vocalist doesn't sound like she's had grounded vocal training. She'll sound good to the general public, but lord, just that clip shows she either never took voice, or is completely disregarding technique. Wrong breathing, swooping for placement, and even basic things like disconnecting "and/I" but she sings, "an Die." She's not even pronouncing words correctly. Sym-fu-nee? Really? I'll go back under my bridge now.

I agree. It also doesn't grab at deeper emotional levels as a result. HEA's vocals suffer a bit from this too, but for different reasons. (It's amazing how much proper placement changes how our ears and emotions hear things!) I am hopeful with Katherine McPhee. While she has pop roots, her time on Broadway has really helped explore her vocal depth IMHO. (There are even some cool YouTube videos of her with vocal teachers.) We'll see what the final product sounds like.

 

[James Alucobond]

I'll say it. The female vocalist doesn't sound like she's had grounded vocal training. She'll sound good to the general public, but lord, just that clip shows she either never took voice, or is completely disregarding technique. Wrong breathing, swooping for placement, and even basic things like disconnecting "and/I" but she sings, "an Die." She's not even pronouncing words correctly. Sym-fu-nee? Really? I'll go back under my bridge now.

This is the case for a lot of things lately, and I find I just have to deal. People like that sound for whatever reason.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I guess my main question is are these song melodies the majority of the show with the original compositions acting as the bread of the sandwich or are they all smaller bits that are woven into a larger original score?

To me it reads like the full original songs are the "bread" with the IP in the middle, but then elements of Pinar Toprak's score connecting things/tying it into the larger EPCOT score

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

How many of these songs are still overlapping from HEA? Friend Like Me and You've Got a Friend in Me don't seem like they should be playing over the World Showcase Lagoon.

 

[monothingie]

Sounds like this is what Harmonious was supposed to have been, so if this is better, than hooray!

It’s not as bad as expected. Great job Disney!

 

[HauntedPirate]

Could it kill them to do something original?

Bob every time someone suggests doing something original and not tied to existing movie IP:

Then, after seeing what Bob did, Josh reacts to the same:

 

[HauntedPirate]

I agree. It also doesn't grab at deeper emotional levels as a result. HEA's vocals suffer a bit from this too, but for different reasons. (It's amazing how much proper placement changes how our ears and emotions hear things!) I am hopeful with Katherine McPhee. While she has pop roots, her time on Broadway has really helped explore her vocal depth IMHO. (There are even some cool YouTube videos of her with vocal teachers.) We'll see what the final product sounds like.

Apparently Floor Jansen wasn't available.

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

It’s not as bad as expected. Great job Disney!

Isn't it a shame that we must celebrate the exceeding of low expectations?

 

[HauntedPirate]

I'll say it. The female vocalist doesn't sound like she's had grounded vocal training. She'll sound good to the general public, but lord, just that clip shows she either never took voice, or is completely disregarding technique. Wrong breathing, swooping for placement, and even basic things like disconnecting "and/I" but she sings, "an Die." She's not even pronouncing words correctly. Sym-fu-nee? Really? I'll go back under my bridge now.

Just another untrained and/or talentless "voice" that floods airwaves/streaming services these days.

 

[stuart]

At the start of the show, World Showcase comes to life as we hear voices from each pavilion welcoming us to this great gathering.

All in for the IllumiNations: 25/98 intro homage...