Let me be clear. I am not a fan of the "Disney Dance Party" premise for the show and I am glad that Harmonious is getting replaced with a new (and hopefully better) show after EPCOT Forever's interim stint. The barges being gone during the day will be a sight for sore eyes.
But, as Harmonious is in its final days, I want to give it some credit where credit is due.
The music itself is actually really solid. For me, when observed in isolation, Opening Chants, and especially Finale embody the optimistic futurism, mystery, and wonder that EPCOT Center presents/presented at its best. Consider these lyrics from Finale.
Someday
Life will be fairer
Need will be rarer
And greed will not pay
Godspeed
This bright millenium
Let it come
Someday
Someday
One day
Soon!
These lyrics, combined with the bright and mysterious vocal runs and rising orchestral swells surprisingly have powerful emotional resonance for me. I believe it is vastly under-appreciated in its time. (Thank you Alan Menken!)
As for the body of the show, there was an attempt made, with the admittedly cool multilingual-ness of the covers and the culturally representative choirs/artists preforming them. I like this music a lot actually, I just dont like that its in current EPCOT.
Enough has been said about the barges being there during the day, I agree with all of you.
As for the show, the center portal is not as optimal as the Illuminations Globe as its mainly only viewable from the front and back of World Showcase (plus the globe was a flower! how poetic is that!), but the portal is utilized in a few stunning ways such as the Mulan sword fighting bit and the water/lazer projections above. The pyro doesnt really start until about a 1/3 of the way through the show, but there are some truly incredible sequences that use the barges, water, pyro, and lighting capabilities in spectacular manner (here, here, here, and here).
Overall, this is a technically fantastic show, with flashes of genius. Theres evidently many very talented people that I believe did a great job with the task they were given, even if the task has flaw. I believe there is an alternate universe where this show, perhaps debuting with/after the update of EPCOT's thesis attractions to their "storytelling" theme (and barges that get out of the frickin way during the day!) that would have this show making much more sense, and thus becoming more appreciated by park goers and parks fans alike. Its an ambitious show that deserved a run longer than 18 months.
But alas, as of right now, EPCOT has two warring thesis statements in one park and Harmonious is perhaps its latest casualty.
R.I.P. Harmonious. You will be (partially) missed (by some).
But, as Harmonious is in its final days, I want to give it some credit where credit is due.
The music itself is actually really solid. For me, when observed in isolation, Opening Chants, and especially Finale embody the optimistic futurism, mystery, and wonder that EPCOT Center presents/presented at its best. Consider these lyrics from Finale.
Someday
Life will be fairer
Need will be rarer
And greed will not pay
Godspeed
This bright millenium
Let it come
Someday
Someday
One day
Soon!
These lyrics, combined with the bright and mysterious vocal runs and rising orchestral swells surprisingly have powerful emotional resonance for me. I believe it is vastly under-appreciated in its time. (Thank you Alan Menken!)
As for the body of the show, there was an attempt made, with the admittedly cool multilingual-ness of the covers and the culturally representative choirs/artists preforming them. I like this music a lot actually, I just dont like that its in current EPCOT.
Enough has been said about the barges being there during the day, I agree with all of you.
As for the show, the center portal is not as optimal as the Illuminations Globe as its mainly only viewable from the front and back of World Showcase (plus the globe was a flower! how poetic is that!), but the portal is utilized in a few stunning ways such as the Mulan sword fighting bit and the water/lazer projections above. The pyro doesnt really start until about a 1/3 of the way through the show, but there are some truly incredible sequences that use the barges, water, pyro, and lighting capabilities in spectacular manner (here, here, here, and here).
Overall, this is a technically fantastic show, with flashes of genius. Theres evidently many very talented people that I believe did a great job with the task they were given, even if the task has flaw. I believe there is an alternate universe where this show, perhaps debuting with/after the update of EPCOT's thesis attractions to their "storytelling" theme (and barges that get out of the frickin way during the day!) that would have this show making much more sense, and thus becoming more appreciated by park goers and parks fans alike. Its an ambitious show that deserved a run longer than 18 months.
But alas, as of right now, EPCOT has two warring thesis statements in one park and Harmonious is perhaps its latest casualty.
R.I.P. Harmonious. You will be (partially) missed (by some).
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