Harmonious (Epcot)

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Harmonious
EPCOT Harmonious Logo.png
Harmonious Opening Night (51537996565) (cropped).jpg
Harmonious on opening night
Epcot
AreaWorld Showcase
(World Showcase Lagoon)
StatusOperating
Soft opening dateSeptember 29, 2021
Opening dateOctober 1, 2021
ReplacedEpcot Forever
General statistics
Attraction typeFireworks, laser, water, and light show
DesignerWalt Disney Creative Entertainment
ThemeDisney music and films in an international context
MusicVarious Artists (Music)
Mark Hammond and Yaron Spiwak[1] (Arrangements)
Duration20 minutes
Disabled access Wheelchair accessible

Harmonious is a nighttime spectacular at Epcot at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. The long-term replacement of IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth, Harmonious showcases and celebrates the cultures and stories of the world that have inspired various Disney films and music.[2] The show utilizes pyrotechnics, choreographed water fountains, water curtains, lasers, searchlights, and LED screens to present a 360° audio-visual experience on the park's World Showcase Lagoon.[3][4] The primary show equipment is notably housed on a collective of floating barges that are permanently moored at the center of the lagoon.[5] Harmonious is described by Disney as the "one of the largest nighttime spectaculars ever created for a Disney theme park."[6]

Conceptualized by then-chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products and now-CEO of The Walt Disney Company, Bob Chapek, and developed further by Walt Disney Creative Entertainment under the direction of its Vice President of Parades and Spectaculars, Steve Davison, Harmonious is a celebration of the Disney stories and songs that have inspired and empowered the world, emphasizing its ability to unite people from all walks of life.[7] Told through reimagined and reinterpreted classic Disney visuals and music by 240 international artists, the show is divided into three chapters: "Gather", "Celebrate", and "Unite".[2][8]

The show was first announced at the biennial D23 Destination D event in 2018, and confirmed to be initially billed as "HarmonioUS" at the D23 Expo in 2019.[9][10][11][12] Originally set to premiere in 2020 after the limited run of its direct predecessor Epcot Forever, the show (now billed simply as "Harmonious") was delayed to October 1, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and premiered as part of Walt Disney World's 50th Anniversary celebration.[13]

Show summary[]

Act I: Gather[]

The lit torches around the World Showcase Lagoon are extinguished and the park's lighting is dimmed. The show begins with a female vocalising to the tune of the EPCOT Anthem. A female narrator begins speaking, as a clamor of voices vocalising Disney arias and chants are heard:

"All around us, the world is alive with music. Voices calling out in search of one another, we find each other in song."

The clamor of voices then melds into a single crescendo and stops, leading into a multi-lingual medley of "How Far I'll Go" from Moana and "Go the Distance" and Hercules. High-launch fireworks shells are used, while the fountains take on multiple colors. Abstract, colorful images cover the screens, before eventually transforming into an image of the morning sun and its rays at the end of the act.

Songs include:

Act II: Celebrate[]

Guests are taken on a musical, globe-trotting journey across many countries and regions through the prism of the Disney movies that take place in each one. The songs that represent each country or region are performed by local artists and partially in their respective mother tongues.

Act III: Unite[]

A vocalising reprise of the EPCOT Anthem leads into a soaring version of “Someday” from The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Select artists perform each verse, and another comet flies to the center the lagoon from the roof of the American Gardens Theater. The narrator intones:

“You raise your voice and it’s enough to lift the human spirit. Set the song inside you soaring, and the whole wide world will hear it.”

A laser heart is projected over the central platform, which slowly morphs into a bird; a globe appears on the water curtain and all the screens around it. All the artists join together as fireworks are launched in and around the lagoon. As the song crescendoes, it abruptly cuts to three seconds of darkness and silence before climaxing in a bright array of fireworks, voices and light.

Featured song: "Someday" from The Hunchback of Notre Dame (music by Menken and lyrics by Schwartz).

Post Show[]

The show ends with a farewell message from the narrator:

“Wherever the world leads you next, we hope you carry a song with you, and know that the promise of someday, begins inside of you today. Good night.”

An instrumental version of "Someday" then plays as guests exited from the park. This is then followed by an upbeat medley of song samples from the show, including "Circle of Life", the EPCOT Anthem, "Arabian Nights", "Saludos Amigos", and "The World Es Mi Familia". While the perimeter screens is covered with spinning stars, the central screen shows corresponding key visuals for each song sample.

For Walt Disney World's 50th Anniversary celebration, the medley is followed by a version of "The Magic Is Calling", the celebration's anthem.

Music[]

Harmonious: Globally Inspired Music from the EPCOT Nighttime Spectacular
EPCOT Harmonious Soundtrack.jpg
Soundtrack album by
Various Artists
ReleasedOctober 29, 2021 (2021-10-29)
Length23:10
LabelWalt Disney
ProducerMark Hammond and Yaron Spiwak

Soundtrack[]

Unique to the musical score of Harmonious is the involvement of over 240 musicians, composers, arrangers, vocalists and more from nine countries in its creation and development.[6] In addition, Disney worked with different cultural consultants to ensure that a more authentic sound will be achieved in the reinterpretation of various Disney songs. Featured songwriters in the Harmonious score include Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Elton John, Robert Lopez, Alan Menken, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Randy Newman, and Stephen Schwartz.

The entire soundtrack for the show, with selected extended musical sequences and without the show's narration, was released in a soundtrack album by Walt Disney Records on October 29, 2021.[14][15]

Track listing[]

No.TitleLyricsMusicPerformer(s)Length
1."Opening Chants" (Composed of the EPCOT Anthem, "Tulou Tagaloa" from Moana, "Circle of Life" from The Lion King, "The Bells of Notre Dame" from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and "Vuelie" from Frozen)Various Artists (Opetaia Foa'i, Frode Fjellheim, Lebo M., Tim Rice, and Stephen Schwartz)Various Artists (Christophe Beck, Fjellheim, Foa'i, Elton John, Alan Menken, and Pinar Toprak)Harmonious World Ensemble1:43
2."Awakening" (Composed of "How Far I'll Go" from Moana and "Go the Distance" from Hercules)Various Artists (Lin-Manuel Miranda and David Zippel)Various Artists (Lin-Manuel Miranda and Alan Menken)Harmonious World Ensemble, Danny Gokey, and Elisha Garrett2:54
3."Middle East" (Composed of "Arabian Nights" from Aladdin)Howard AshmanAlan MenkenHarmonious World Ensemble, Ninet Tayeb, Jorgie Shkara, and Sanaa Marahati1:24
4."India" (Composed of I Wan'na Be Like You from The Jungle Book)Robert and Richard ShermanRobert and Richard ShermanHarmonious World Ensemble, Aditya Rao, and Gaayatri Kaundinya1:27
5."China" (Composed of Reflection from Mulan)David ZippelMatthew WilderWang Liu Qi and Hollie Hammel2:38
6."Africa" (Composed of Hakuna Matata and Can You Feel the Love Tonight from The Lion King)Tim RiceElton JohnNdlovu Youth Choir2:16
7."Europe" (Composed of the Prologue from Beauty and the Beast, Out There from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Touch the Sky from Brave)Various Artists (Stephen Schwartz and Mark Andrews)Various Artists (Alan Menken and Alex Mandel)Harmonious World Ensemble, Carlos Santiago, Damien Sargue, Lindsey Stirling, and Máiréad Nesbitt2:27
8."Latin America" (Composed of Remember Me from Coco, Saludos Amigos from Saludos Amigos, and The World Es Mi Familia from Coco)Various Artists (Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez, Adrian Molina, and Ned Washington)Various Artists (Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Germaine Franco, Robert Lopez, and Charles Wolcott)Luis Fonsi and Joy2:33
9."U.S.A." (Composed of Dig A Little Deeper from The Princess and the Frog)Randy NewmanRandy NewmanKaren Clark Sheard, Kierra Sheard, Bryson Camper, and Harmonious Gospel Choir2:42
10."Finale" (Composed of Someday from The Hunchback of Notre Dame and the EPCOT Anthem)Stephen SchwartzAlan Menken and Pinar ToprakHarmonious World Ensemble3:06
Total length:23:10

Show elements[]

Harmonious shares similar show equipment with the former IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth show as well as its predecessors, including the usage of pyrotechnics, choreographed water fountains, lasers, searchlights, floating set pieces, and LED screens.[16]

Compass[]

The show's primary show equipment is housed on a collective of floating barges known as the "compass", named as such due to its positioning on the World Showcase Lagoon.[5][6] Four of these barges holds the arc-shaped and double-sided LED screens that measures 25 feet (7.62 m) high and 88 feet (26.82 m) long. These barges form the perimeter of the barge collective and are positioned in the ordinal directions. Each barge is named after the nearest intersecting World Showcase pavilion: Mexico (pointing northeast), Germany (southeast), Canada (northwest), and France (southwest).[17] The centerpiece platform, positioned at the center of the collective, holds a six-story tall ring structure where a high-density water curtain, moving lights, and several water fountains are installed.[18] In addition, 8 moving arms that measures 54 feet (16.46 m) long are placed either between (for the LED screen barges) or in front and behind (for the central barge) to support more show equipment and are choreographed to move along as the show progresses.

As the collective of barges is too large to store in the backstage marina behind the China and Germany pavilions, they remain permanently moored at the center of the lagoon.[5] At daytime, the perimeter screens are turned on to show the undersea imagery from Act I with the Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary logo periodically appearing and disappearing.[19] Initially, the plan was to simply turn on the fountains to add to the ambiance of World Showcase.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Slater, Shawn (August 13, 2021). "'Harmonious' Brings to EPCOT a Global Ensemble of Musical Artists from Around the World". Disney Parks Blog. Retrieved September 28, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ a b Slater, Shawn (July 27, 2021). "'Harmonious' Will Tell a Story of Global Connection When it Debuts October 1 at EPCOT as Part of 'The World's Most Magical Celebration'". Disney Parks Blog. Retrieved September 9, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ Riddley, Zach (February 27, 2021). "The World Is Coming Together As Work Continues on 'Harmonious' at EPCOT". Disney Parks Blog. Retrieved September 9, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ^ "Harmonious to Debut October 1st at EPCOT". BlogMickey.com - Disney World News, Photos, and Info. June 22, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c "Harmonious Barges Will Be Permanently Installed on World Showcase Lagoon, Daytime Fountains". BlogMickey.com - Disney World News, Photos, and Info. November 19, 2020. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  6. ^ a b c "'Harmonious' Brings Global Voices Together at EPCOT to Celebrate the Magic of Disney Music". Walt Disney World News. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  7. ^ "Disney CEO Bob Chapek Came Up With Concept for EPCOT's "Harmonious" Nighttime Show". BlogMickey.com - Disney World News, Photos, and Info. October 11, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  8. ^ Carter, Ashley (July 27, 2021). "Disney World shares more details about Epcot's 'Harmonious' show". www.mynews13.com. Retrieved September 9, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ Fickley-Baker, Jennifer (November 17, 2018). "New Nighttime Spectaculars & 'Beauty & The Beast' Sing-Along Announced for Epcot". Disney Parks Blog. Retrieved October 4, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ^ Schoolfield, Jeremy (August 25, 2019). "New Details Revealed for the Historic Transformation of Epcot Underway at Walt Disney World Resort". Disney Parks Blog. Retrieved October 4, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ^ Deitchman, Beth (August 26, 2019). "Every Incredible Announcement from Disney Parks, Experiences and Products at D23 Expo 2019". D23. Retrieved September 9, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ Bevil, Dewayne (August 25, 2019). "Disney unveils more changes at Epcot, including Mary Poppins attraction". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved September 9, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ^ Slater, Shawn (February 10, 2020). "Sharing an Update on 'Harmonious' Coming to EPCOT Later This Year". Disney Parks Blog. Retrieved September 9, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ^ "Harmonious: Globally Inspired Music from the EPCOT Nighttime Spectacular performed by Various - Disney Music Licensing". www.disneymusiclicensing.com. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
  15. ^ "Harmonious Soundtrack and "You Are the Magic" Single to be Released This Friday". LaughingPlace.com. October 27, 2021. Retrieved October 29, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. ^ "Major changes, new attractions coming to Epcot, Disney announces". fox12news.com. August 25, 2019. Archived from the original on August 27, 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  17. ^ "Closer look at the Harmonious barges with names". chipandco.com. March 30, 2021. Retrieved September 27, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  18. ^ "EPCOT Harmonious". Sciens Building Solutions. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  19. ^ "Disney World 50th Anniversary logo on Epcot Harmonious barges | Chip and Company". chipandco.com. September 29, 2021. Retrieved October 4, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

External links[]

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