BLUE FAIRY: When stars are born, they possess a gift or two. One of them is this. They have the power to make a wish come true.
CHILD: Star light, star bright
First star I see tonight
I wish I may, I wish I might
Have the wish I wish tonight
We’ll make a wish and do as dreamers doCHILDREN’S CHORUS: And do as dreamers do
CHILD: And all our wishes
CHILDREN’S CHORUS: All our wishes will come true.
At the start of Noel Coward’s play, “Private Lives,” one character remarks: “Strange how potent cheap music is.” Well, I’ve always found the music from Disney’s animated films to be particularly powerful. That just a snippet of a song from a particular animated motion picture can quickly bring a smile to my face or make me get a little misty.
Which is why (I guess) my emotions go all over the place whenever I’m listening to my “Wishes.” The soundtrack for Disney World’s brand new nighttime extravaganza. Which has been playing to standing-room-only crowds ever since this new fireworks show first debuted this past October in the Magic Kingdom.
Now I’m guessing that you wouldn’t automatically think that a recording of the score of a fireworks show would be all that entertaining. After all, what is a fireworks show without its visuals? That sky full of exploding stars. Not to mention that thunderous ka-BOOM! As each new shell detonates.
Well, even without the beautiful visuals or the thunderous ka-BOOMs, the “Wishes” soundtrack is plenty entertaining. For the show’s director — Walt Disney Entertainment wunderkind Steve Davison — and “Wishes” musical director Steve Skorija have stitched a score that would do Noel Coward proud. One that resonates with emotion as it seamlessly slides from “Pinocchio” ‘s “When You Wish Upon a Star” to “Cinderella” ‘s title tune to “Sleeping Beauty” ‘s “Once Upon a Dream” to “Beauty & the Beast” ‘s signature song.
Plus — along with “Wishes” ‘s wonderful score — you get to hear the amazing sound-alikes that Davison & Skorija rounded up. So that it sounds like the actors who originally did voices for characters in “Pinocchio,” “Snow White” et al are all on hand to handle this fireworks show’s dialogue sequences. Which go something like this:
CHORUS: When you wish upon a star,
Makes no difference who you are.
Anything your heart desires will come to youJIMINEY CRICKET: Pretty, huh? I’ll bet a lot of you folks don’t believe that. About a wish comin’ true. Do ya? Well, I didn’t either. Of course I’m just a cricket. But let me tell ya what made me change my mind. You see, the most fantastic, magical things can happen. And it all starts with a wish.
CHORUS: If your heart is in your dreams …
CINDERELLA: I wish … I could go to the ball.
SNOW WHITE: I’m wishing … someday my prince will come.
CHORUS: No request is too extreme …
ARIEL: I wish … Oh, I wish I could be part of that world.
PETER PAN: I wish … we’d never have to grow up. Off to Neverland! Ha ha!
CHORUS: When you wish upon a star as dreamers do …
PINOCCHIO: You know what, Jiminey? Someday, I wish I could be a real boy.
ALADDIN: Genie, I wish for your freedom.
CHORUS: Wishes …
JIMINEY CRICKET: Ya know, any wish is possible. All it takes is a little courage to set it free.
Okay. I know. The above sequence probably loses something in the translation. But — when you see it in person at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom and/or listen to the “Wishes” CD — that scene alone is enough to bring hardcore Disneyana fans to tears. To hear all of these storybook favorites all together in the same place, riffing on the same theme … It’s just like Coward said. Pretty potent stuff.
“Wishes: A Magical Gathering of Disney Dreams” really is a wonderful addition to WDW’s nighttime entertainment line-up. And the recording of this new Magic Kingdom show will also make a welcome addition to your Disney music collection.
Trust me, folks. You don’t wanna wait ’til you get down to Walt Disney World to pick up a copy of this CD. Go now to your favorite on-line Disneyana store — be it the LaughingPlace Store, MousePlanet’s MouseShoppe or the Main Street Megastore — and pick up a copy of the “Wishes” CD.
You can thank me later.