Entertainment - Offstage WDW

Behind the Scenes with Nemo the Musical

offstagewdw — Mon, 24 Jan 2022 17:32:11 +0000

Let’s dive into the Big Blue World, to learn some fascinating details about the Broadway styled musical which was located at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Before it was “Finding Nemo” the Theater in the Wild was home to Journey into Jungle Book followed by Tarzan Rocks!

The musical’s soft opening began November 5, 2006 and its grand opening was January 24, 2007.

©Disney

All 14 songs are original music composed by husband-and-wife duo, Robert Lopez & Kristen Anderson-Lopez, the lyricists for Frozen, Coco, and more!

Photo Credit: Janet Susan R. Nepales/HFPA

The show was directed by award-winning Broadway director, Peter Brosius. and the puppet designer for The Lion King on Broadway. Michael Curry.

©Disney

Some of the puppets are the size of a standard car and requite multiple puppeteers.

©Disney

During the live performance, the actors sang, acted, and controlled the puppets; however, on the official musical soundtrack, the parts of Marling and Dory are sang by Robert and Kristen Lopez!

©Disney

The song, “Big Blue World” is also heard at the end of the attraction, The Seas with Nemo & Friends in Epcot.

©Disney

Closed since the Covid pandemic hit in March 2020, the beloved musical is getting a revamp. “Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!” is scheduled to open sometime this year with a new storyline. The show will center on the friends at The Marine Life Institute with a focus on Dory’s timeframe in Finding Dory. I cannot wait to see it! Stay tuned for more opening information = )

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The Mickey Mouse Club and The Original Mouseketeers!

offstagewdw — Tue, 23 Nov 2021 19:15:20 +0000

1955 brought the debut of The Mickey Mouse Club and the original Mouseketeers. The television variety show was created by Walt Disney & Hal Adelquist. It aired five nights a week on ABC for four initial seasons.

Hosted by three adult leaders, and 39 children, each day the show had different themes:

The show’s introduction was written by the main adult host, Jimmie Dodd.

Co-hosting with Dodd were Roy Williams and Bob Amsberry (seasons 1 & 2 only).

[See image gallery at offstagewdw.com]

Then came the adorable kiddos! While 39 children performed as cast throughout the years, only eight were present for all four seasons:

Sharon Baird, Bobby Burgess, Tommy Cole, Annette Funicello, Darlene Gillespie, Cubby O’Brien, Karen Pendleton, and Doreen Tracey

[See image gallery at offstagewdw.com]

The show was an instant hit full of dancing, music, and wholesome fun! Check out a clip of the insanely talented girls.

Born in the 80s, I never had the experience of watching the original Mouseketeers; however, I can easily envision myself crowding around the TV every weekday night to tune in. Just by watching some of these clips, it is clear to see why the show was simply adored!

Did you have a favorite Mouseketeer or themed day? Share your thoughts and memories of the show in our comment section below!

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The Evolution of Mickey Mouse

offstagewdw — Fri, 19 Nov 2021 02:34:12 +0000

In celebration of Mickey’s 94th Birthday, let’s take a look at how his design has evolved throughout the years.

Steamboat Willie

Mickey’s third short but the first to be released in theaters… and with synchronized sound!

The Cactus Kid

This is the last film to be animated by Ub Iwerks.

The Band Concert

Mickey’s first official cartoon in color.

Mickey’s Trailer

At this point, Walt still voiced Mickey.

Fantasia

One of Mickey’s most iconic roles, as The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Noticeable changes have been made to his design- his face is a flesh color and white has been added to his eyes.

The Simple Things

In this “modern” styled cartoon, (Mickey is given eyebrows) Mickey spends a day at the beach with Pluto. It is the last of 56 shorts that appear in the theaters.

Mickey’s Christmas Carol

Mickey’s first theatrical short since 1953 (no more eyebrows!). The popular short marked the debuted of Wayne Allwine, the voice of Mickey for 26 years, until his death in 2009.

The Prince and the Pauper

This was the start of the return of classic Disney characters to film and television.

Mickey Mouse Works

Considered Mickey’s comeback, the series of shorts featured Mickey with his closest pals.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

Meeska Mooska, Mickey Mouse! This popular show featured a heavily computer graphic styling of Mickey. It would run until 2016.

Mickey Mouse

The self-titled show brought a different animated style from creator Paul Rudish. Paul embraced the early designs of Mickey, inspired by Ub Iwerks. This styling can still be found on the Disney+ streaming show, The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse and in Mickey’s first attraction, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway.

Dancing With the Stars

While Rudish’s Mickey is still the mascot of Disney Television, this classically designed Mickey made a guest star appearance on the popular TV show, Dancing With the Stars.

Do you have a favorite animation style of the one and only Mickey? Share in the comment section below!

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The Evolution of Minnie Mouse

offstagewdw — Thu, 18 Nov 2021 20:45:59 +0000

In celebration of Minnie’s 94th Birthday, let’s take a look at how her design has evolved throughout the years.

Steamboat Willie

Considered Mickey and Minnie’s debut, Steamboat Will is actually their third short, but the first to be released in theaters.

On Ice

This marked Minnie’s first appearance in color.

Mickey’s Surprise Party

This introduced Minnie’s new animation design.

Bath Day

In the 40s, Minnie would appear in shorts starring the popular cat, Figaro.

Pluto’s Christmas Tree

Minnie appeared in a brief cameo at the end of the short, marking her last appearance in films for 31 years!

Mickey’s Christmas Carol

She’s backkkk!

Totally Minnie

This time, it is all about Minnie in her first television special! It would also be the debut of Russi Taylor, who voiced Minnie for 31 years, until her death in 2019.

Mickey Mouse Works

The cartoon series saw Minnie in a starring role alongside Mickey. The styling of the characters features the modern look we know today.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

The popular series brought an obviously computer generated look to the Sensational Six.

Minnie’s Bow Toons

Minnie and Daisy starred in the six season show, encompassing 55 short episodes. Minnie’s look appears to be a bit more fine tuned than in the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

Mickey Mouse

Created by Paul Rudish, this television series drew inspiration from the original Ub Iwerks design of Mickey and Minnie.

Positively Minnie

Rudish’s design continues to be the mascot styling of the duo in current animation as well as the new attraction, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway.

Do you have a favorite animation style of the beloved Minnie? Share in the comment section below!

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Disney’s Robin Hood- Oo-de-lally, Oo-de-lally, golly, what a day!

offstagewdw — Mon, 08 Nov 2021 14:36:02 +0000

In celebration of it’s 48th anniversary, we take a look at some of the coolest facts about the beloved film!

It has one of the best opening songs-

“Robin Hood and Little John, walking through the forest, laughing back and forth at what the other one has to say. Reminiscing this and that and having such a good time, oo-de-lally, oo-de-lally, golly, what a day.

Never ever thinking there was danger in the water, they were drinking, they just guzzled it down. Never dreaming that s scheming sheriff and his posse was a-watching them and gathering around.

Robin Hood and Little John, running through the forest, jumping fences, dodging trees and trying to get away. Contemplating nothing but escape and finally making it, oo-de-lally, oo-de-lally- golly, what a day.

Oo-de-lally, oo-de-lally, golly, what a day.”

Rooster Allan-a-Dale: the narrator of the story was voiced by Roger Miller, a country singer-songwriter. Not only did he sing all Allan-a-Dale’s songs, but he wrote them as well!

Robin Hood: the red fox was voiced by classically trained, Tony Award-winning stage actor Brian Bedford. Did you know- the type of hat Robin wears is called a bycocket.

Little John: Little John and Baloo are almost identical! They are even voiced by the same actor, Phil Harris.

Rotoscoping: an animation technique where animators reuse old frames by tracing over them and adding to a different background. This technique was used as a money saving strategy.

Check out rotoscoping footage used in the film!

Maid Marian: also a red fox, she was voiced by Monica Evans. The dance scene during “The Phony King of England” is rotoscoped from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Source: ©Disney

Love: the song was nominated for a 1974 Oscar! The song written by George Bruns and Floyd Huddleston, was song by Huddleston’s wife, Nancy Adams, awwwww!

Prince John: The main antagonist in the film, Prince John is portrayed as immature and greedy. His character was inspired by the real King John aka “The Fool” King of England.

Sir Hiss: Prince John’s right hand henchsnake was voiced by the legendary Terry-Thomas. Animators used Terry’s famous gap in Sir Hiss’ character design.

Friar Tuck: the sweet friar was originally designed as a pig. Speaking of redesigns, the Sheriff of Nottingham was first written as a…. goat, which is not as villainous as a wolf!

Lady Kluck: Maid Marian’s Lady in Waiting (personal assistant) has a hilarious scene when she takes on the rhino guards to the University of Wisconsin’s fight song. Forget Maid Marian, I want to be Lady Kluck!

Robin Hood was the second Disney movie to feature an all animal cast. The first being Bambi in 1942.

I hope you enjoyed this throwback to a Disney classic. Now please excuse me while I go watch it!

*All clipart was colored and clipped by Disneyclips.com

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How Stop Motion Animation is Filmed

offstagewdw — Tue, 13 Jul 2021 17:06:16 +0000

What is Stop Motion Animation? Stop Motion is a film technique where static objects are moved in small increments one frame at a time while filming. It is like when viewing a flip book- each page has a slightly altered imagine but when viewed in quick succession, the image looks animated.

Did you know that stop motion is one of the oldest animation styles? The first documented film was The Humpty Dumpty Circus made back in 1898!

Walt Disney Productions and Disney subsidiary studios have released 11 stop motion films…which I thought was a lot until I learned how old this technique is. I wonder why they do not make more. It could be the stop motion process is extremely tedious. Let’s take a look at the Disney classic, The Nightmare Before Christmas to learn how it is done:

Each filmed is shot with frames- there are 24 frames per second. That means ONE second consists of 24 poses.

It takes an average of one week to create up to 5 seconds of footage.

The Nightmare Before Christmas had over 110,000 frames which took more than 3 years to film.

Quarter-scale model sets are created but they are brightly lit up as if they were a regular sound stage set.

Crews consist of animators, camera operators, puppet makers, set builders, and prop makers.

A film typically consists of 50 to 60 puppets. One character could have up to 4 duplicate puppets.

Each puppet has an armature, or framework, for flexible movement.

Since animators want to give their puppets emotions/expressions, they often create different model heads that can be easily interchanged onto the puppet’s body. Jack Skellington had 400 heads!

Sally had long red hair which would have been difficult to create duplicates of, so animators gave her interchangeable masks instead of heads.

Here are more behind the scene pictures to enjoy!

[See image gallery at offstagewdw.com]

The animation process takes a whole other level of patience and tenacity; but the end result is worth it!

Are you a fan of stop motion animation? Which film is your favorite? Share in the comment section below!

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The Fox and the Hound Fascinating Facts

offstagewdw — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 12:52:49 +0000

Disney’s 46th animated film, is often under appreciated but has many fascinating facts!

At the time of it’s 1981 release, it was the most expensive animation production to date, costing $12 million!

Does Tod seem like a strange name for a fox? In Middle English, the word for fox is “todde”.

Before working at Pixar, director (producer, animator, screenwriter, voice actor) John Lasseter worked for Walt Disney Productions. His first work with the company was as one of the animators of Copper. He also worked with animator Glean Keane on bringing in computer graphics into the bear/Tod battle scene.

To save on time and money, Walt Disney Animation sometimes recycles scenes or sound bits. During the fight scene, the bear’s snarl is the same guttural growl used by Shere Khan (1967 Jungle Book) and the alligators Brutus and Nero (1977 The Rescuers).

This was the last production to feature work from “Disney’s Nine Old Men”. Ollie Johnston worked as the supervising animator for young Tod and Copper, while Frank Thomas worked as supervising animator for grown Tod and Copper.

Frank Thomas (left) and Ollie Johnston

24 animators created approximately 360,000 drawings, 110,000 painted cells, and 1,100 backgrounds.

Animator Don Bluth left early on, taking 11 animators with him. This was a big blow as they made up 17% of animators from the studio.

Up and coming animators who stayed and worked on the film were, Brad Bird (Pixar), Tim Burton, and Ron Clements.

The film is not considered Disney’s best, but it holds a special place for many children who grew up in the 80s! Which fact did you find most surprising? Share your thoughts in our comment section below!

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Different Last Name, Pregnant Anita, Fashion Mogel, and Other Ways the Live Action Remake is Different From the Animated Film

offstagewdw — Thu, 27 May 2021 15:04:12 +0000

When it comes to live action remakes, sometimes there is only so much directors/writers can do to keep as close to the original as possible. In the end, changes always need to be made. Here are the main differences between the animated and live action films of One Hundred and One Dalmatians.

The Dogs Do Not Talk

In the 1996 live action film, real Dalmatian actors were used- 230 puppies and 40 adults! Disney could have implemented technology to give them the appearance of talking or just have their voices speak like in Homeward Bound, but instead viewers rely on body language and natural dog noises (like barks and whimpers) to infer their feelings.

Roger

Let’s first address the elephant in the room…in the live action remake, Roger is not British! He is not a struggling musician, but rather a struggling video game creator, AND his last name is Dearly (the last name of the characters in the book) not Radcliffe.

Fun Fact- Jeff had to rub raw hot dog on his face to get the puppies to lick him.

Anita

Instead of former classmates, soft spoken Anita worked for Cruella as a fashion designer. In fact, it is her design that inspires Cruella’s desire for a Dalmatian coat.

In the film Anita becomes pregnant (although you never see her with a pregnant belly) and she is the one who gives the final “the puppies are not for sale” line to Cruella.

Wedding

Roger and Anita have a grand wedding, very different from the elopement Roger and Anita have in the cartoon. Despite the difference in each, both films show Pongo and Perdita being married in their own right!

Cruella de Vil

Glenn Close does an incredible job portraying the narcissistic villain. The main difference between the two films is we are able to see more of Cruella’s backstory in the live action. Cruella is a fashion mogul with her own business called “House of DeVil”. I loved seeing this part of her story. It gives her more depth rather than the animated version where this fur obsessed lady pops up out of no where and is willing to murder dogs for a coat.

[See image gallery at offstagewdw.com]

Cruella’s car is also different. It took on the book’s description of a black and white car. Both films have Cruella driving herself rather than being driven by a chauffeur.

Fun fact the car is a 1974 Panther DeVille!

Puppies

In both films we never learn the names of all 15 pups! In the live action, the dogs are named Lucky, Jewel, Dipstick, Fidget, Two Tone and Whizzer while the animated film had: Penny, Lucky, Rolly, Patch, Pepper, and Freckles.

During one scene, the dogs are watching TV. Filmmakers changed the shows to something more modern that viewers would recognize- The Aristocats and Homeward Bound.

[See image gallery at offstagewdw.com]

Dognapping

Several changes were made for the climax of the film. First we find out that Jasper and Horace stole all the puppies and a man named Skinner would be doing, well…the skinning.

For fun, my favorite part of the movie! All I can think is “Moley, moley” from Austin Powers You had one job Horace!

Anita is the one who figures out it was Cruella who stole the puppies and calls the police. The police raid Cruella’s home and find the skin of a missing Siberian tiger. They find out she has another home in Suffolk and alert authorities.

Lucky gets left behind at Hell Hall while the other 98 puppies escape. Kipper, an Airedale Terrier saves him and brings him to the police.

The pups never have to cover themselves in soot to hide from Cruella, Jasper, and Horace. Cruella tracks them down to the barn they stayed the night in and basically gets the snot kicked out of her by all the barn animals.

Which is exactly where the police find her! In the animated version, Cruella goes absolutely feral and crashes her car. We never see her arrested and as far as we know, Anita & Roger never figure out who took the puppies.

In the live action, Cruella, Skinner, Jasper, and Horace get their dues! Ironically, after the night of torture Jasper and Horace have, they are relieved to be arrested. After they are all gathered up, Cruella goes off on them, telling them they all won the Gold, Bronze, and Silver for being morons. Dimwitted Horace wants to know who one the gold

In the end, both Rogers finally have a big break with their careers. Animated Roger Radcliffe’s writes the famous song we all know and love, while live action Roger Dearly finally sells his video game after he finds a proper villain, the queen of fur, Cruella. In the end we see the magnificent mansion Roger & Anita bought, whom they share with their daughter (and we learn another is on the way!), Pongo & Perdy’s children, their children’s children, and so on. As a kid, it looks amazing, as an adult, it is the situation that nightmares are made of: all the barking, all the POOP!

I have to say, I had a blast rewatching these movies. They are both amazing in their own way. Do you prefer the animated version or live action?

The post Different Last Name, Pregnant Anita, Fashion Mogel, and Other Ways the Live Action Remake is Different From the Animated Film first appeared on Offstage WDW.

The Little Mermaid- Easter Eggs

offstagewdw — Mon, 03 May 2021 18:15:57 +0000

When one thinks of Easter Egg’s, Pixar movies are typically the first to come to mind. The truth is Disney has been doing it for numerous years. Let’s dive in (pun intended) to a classic, the start of Disney’s Renaissance period…The Little Mermaid!

Ariel's Grotto

Ariel’s grotto is a treasure trove of human artifacts. We can assume that most were found among ship wrecks that Ariel investigated, which leads to a variety of items.

Abraham Lincoln: This one is pretty random, blink and you will miss it! During Ariel’s song, “Part of Your World”, a bust of the 16th President can be seen sitting on a shelf.

Mary Magdalene: Here we see a replica of Georges de La Tour “Magdalene with the Smoking Flame”. As Ariel literally wonders how fire works, she stares longingly at the flame in the painting. Just as Mary, Ariel is seen as an outcast wanting to be a part of something bigger.

Mr. Limpet

If you do not know who Mr. Limpet is…you are not alone! While ‘The Incredible Mr. Limpet’ is not a Disney movie, the main character, Henry Limpet, is the complete opposite of Ariel as he wants to live his life as a fish in the sea. The fish version of him can be found at the very end of Sebastian’s song, ‘Under the Sea.’

Cinderella

While the beloved Princess does not make an appearance in the movie, there is striking resemblance between her servant outfit and the attire worn by Eric’s maid.

But that isn’t the only reference to the 1950’s movie Cinderella. During Eric’s and Vanessa’s (Ursula) wedding, both the King and Grand Duke are spotted among the guests.

Directors

Director’s John Musker and Ron Clements are the masterminds behind Disney classics, The Great Mouse Detective, Aladdin, Hercules, Treasure Planet, The Princess and the Frog, Moana, and of course, The Little Mermaid. Their likeness can be seen for a brief moment in each of their films. You can find this duo towards the end of the film as guests of Eric’s and Vanessa’s (Ursula) wedding.

Hans Christian Andersen

The film, based off the classic written by Hans Christian Andersen, has a tribute to the author.

At the end of the movie, Ariel is seen sitting on a rock longingly looking at Eric laying on the beach. Her posture mimics the famous “The Little Mermaid” statue which is found in Copenhagen, Denmark, where Andersen once lived.

Hidden Mickeys

Just like in the theme parks, Hidden Mickeys are found in Disney films.

[See image gallery at offstagewdw.com]

Pals

Then there is Mickey, Donald, and Goofy present for the concert in the beginning scene!

Kermit is there too!

Which Easter Egg is your favorite? Even though I have never seen ‘The Incredible Mr. Limpet’ I love the idea of two creatures desiring opposite lives. Kudos to whoever figured that one out! Share your favorite one in the chat!

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Toy Story Easter Eggs

offstagewdw — Mon, 26 Apr 2021 14:02:26 +0000

Scavenger Hunt- for those interested we made up a Scavenger hunt to keep track of the Easter Eggs as you watch the film or just skip ahead to the post. Either way, we hope you enjoy learning about the Easter Eggs = )

Click here to print: Scavenger hunt

There are soooo many Easter Eggs throughout the Pixar movies. Here are some found in Toy Story, the movie that started it all!

Mickey Watch Clock

Even though Disney did not purchase Pixar until 2006, Pixar honored their partners with a nod to the mouse that started it all.

[See image gallery at offstagewdw.com]

Pixar Shorts

Check out the bookshelf behind Woody. There are three books that share the same title from three Pixar shorts in the 80’s. One of the authors names on the book ‘Tin Toy’ shares the last name with director John Lasseter. You can also see a Grimm’s Fairy Tale book. Disney has made many animated films based off of the popular fairy tales!

[See image gallery at offstagewdw.com]

Luxo Ball

The Pixar or Luxo Ball made it’s first appearance in the shorts: Luxo Jr. and Red’s Dream. It has made many other appearances throughout Pixar’s films, most famously in the Toy Story movies.

[See image gallery at offstagewdw.com]

A113

A113 may seem like an unimportant series of numbers but they are in reference to the classroom number at the California Institute of Arts, where many of the Pixar animators studied.

[See image gallery at offstagewdw.com]

Dinoco

During the film, Andy’s mom stops at Dinoco for gas. You may recognize Dinoco later in the Cars movie as the sponsor for one of the race cars, “The King”.

[See image gallery at offstagewdw.com]

Pizza Planet Delivery Truck

Toy Story was the start of a tradition! Some appearances are obvious while others you have to really work to find. To be honest, I do not know how people have found some of the ones they did like Inside Out and The Good Dinosaur. The Pizza Planet Delivery Truck has been confirmed by Pixar to be found in all of their movies except The Incredibles. We are unsure as to why it was not put into that film.

[See image gallery at offstagewdw.com]

The Shining Carpet

Well this is an odd one but has a simple explanation… one of the animators is a huge fan of The Shining. Sid’s house was the perfect place for it as we all know Sid is a tad off his rocker.

[See image gallery at offstagewdw.com]

Tool Time

For 8 seasons, Tim Allen was the star of the sitcom Home Improvement. His character, Tim “The Toolman” Taylor, was the host of a home improvement TV show; Binford Tools was the show’s sponsor!

[See image gallery at offstagewdw.com]

I love the Easter Eggs that they sneak into the movie. My favorite is the Pizza Planet Delivery Truck. I love how it has now become a tradition to put it in the other films. I am always on the lookout for it! Which one is your favorite? Let us know in the comment section!

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