Step back to EPCOT's old American Gardens Theatre
Following the theme park home movies that I shared with you last week, I have another view into the past today. And this time, it's from Walt Disney World.
Today's video comes from EPCOT and features the 1989 Disney All-American College Orchestra. Long-time Theme Park Insider readers might remember that ensemble included the future Mrs. Theme Park Insider in the violin section. This video, linked below, captures a show with special guest Rosemary Clooney, a legendary singer whose fame these days has been eclipsed by her nephew, Academy Award-winner George Clooney.
Back in 1989, Disney had not yet built the shell that now covers the stage at the American Gardens Theatre and obscures the World Showcase Lagoon views. I understand the logistical considerations that prompted Disney to build the shell. Inclement weather cost too many showtimes, and guest artists began demanding more sophisticated lighting controls that were not possible on the open-air stage.
But that stage delivered an aesthetic that I miss - a visual connection with the rest of the park. I miss not seeing Spaceship Earth and the rest of the World Showcase as the background when watching a show in this theater. That was a unique visual environment that Disney has replaced with a generic and claustrophobic back wall that could be anywhere.
Disney also no longer has an All-American College Orchestra. Guest musical artists now populate EPCOT's spring and fall food festival events. The summer, when college musicians are available to relocate to Orlando, is no longer the high season at the resort. And too few musical acts anymore have shows prepared to perform with live orchestras, anyway. Still, watching those that do play the Hollywood Bowl here in Los Angeles, it's easy to miss the even more intimate experience that EPCOT once offered.
For a brief trip back in time to a night like that, please enjoy this video: Summer Orchestra Rosemary Clooney Concert 1989.
You can see the future Mrs. Laurie Niles sitting at the far left in the front row of the violins, starting at the 0:59 mark. This also happens to be the one College Orchestra performance from that summer attended by my parents, even though I had not met Laurie yet. My mother grew up in Covington, Kentucky, which also was the Clooneys' home town. (I was probably wrapping up a shift at Tom Sawyer Island over in the Magic Kingdom as this show started, so I am not here.) Adding to the serendipity, the daughter of the videographer who captured this performance ended up in the same high school cinematic arts program in Los Angeles as my son.
Clearly, Walt Disney World was the place to be in the summer of 1989!
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I certainly understand Robert's sentiments. Recounting my comment tucked beneath Laurie Niles' 2014 blog post, in the summer of 1986 (40 years ago!!!), on the Fourth of July, a group of us had exceptional seats to see the Epcot All-American College Orchestra backing Johnny Mann and the Johnny Mann Singers -- with a special appearance by the Radio City Rockettes. At the end of the amazing performance the stage was cleared affording us the perfect seats for the park's holiday fireworks.
EPCOT Center in the 1980s was an amazing place.