Ahead of the debut of the new Luminous The Symphony of Us at EPCOT, a special panel was held featuring the creative team behind the new nighttime spectacular, where they shared some interesting facts behind the production of the show.
Featured in the panel are:
- Tom Williams, Executive Producer
- Steven Davison, Executive Producer
- Stacey Simons, Producer
- Stef Fink, Music Producer
- Sheléa, Vocalist
Here are some interesting things we learned during this panel.
EPCOT and Walt Disney Milestones
The creative team shared that the debut of Luminous The Symphony of Us not only marks a significant step in the transformation of EPCOT, which is nearly complete as we get closer to the debut of Communicore Hall, but with the debut on December 5th, also celebrates the birthday of Walt Disney himself. A noble thought for sure, but the music in the show is made up of two original songs and a collection of classics from recent Disney hits – none of which Walt Disney himself was alive to see. The playlist includes:
- “You’ll Be in My Heart” (Tarzan)
- “Proud Corazón” (Coco)
- “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” (Toy Story)
- “Friend Like Me” (Aladdin)
- “So Close” (Enchanted)
- “When She Loved Me” (Toy Story 2)
- “Remember Me” (Coco)
- “Into the Unknown” (Frozen 2)
- “I See the Light” (Tangled)
Steve Davison
The executive creative director for the show is Steve Davison, who has a deep resume of nighttime spectaculars at the Disney Parks, including “Believe…There’s Magic in the Stars,” “Remember…Dreams Come True,” and “Wishes: A Magical Gathering of Disney Dreams,” as well as the game-changing “World of Color.” Luminous The Symphony of Us is the latest in his lengthy catalog, but fans of his work will surely notice some subtle touches in the show that are distinctly his own.
Music And Colors
We already talked about the music, and the team shared how those selections aim to create an emotional and personal experience for the audience. A slight narrative is told to show the sharing of the human experience, but unlike other latter day shows at the Disney Parks, this show focuses on color, textures, and light, in lieu of projection technology or staged imagery. This allows guests to create their own visuals, engaging their own imagination to create an emotional and personal experience for each viewer.
The music selections listed above were picked specifically to carry over these themes, allowing the guests to have that emotional connection at the right points in the show, all combined beautifully over the canvas that is the park’s World Showcase Lagoon.
The Symphony Of Us
Some (myself included), have been quick to point out that the majority of the music in Luminous The Symphony of Us is more lyrical than symphonic. However, the creative team shows that the idea of “The Symphony of Us” is purely metaphorical, with each human being playing a part in a collective story – dare we say – a…Harmonious…collective experience. Similar to Illuminations: Reflections of Earth, Luminous The Story of Us presents the idea of the world populous as a whole, but reminds us that we each have our own individual stories to tell.
Tech Specs
We’ve mentioned that the show uses fireworks, colors, and textures but no visual elements, like screens or projections. That doesn’t mean the show isn’t a technical marvel though. Numerous barges move in and out of the lagoon daily, a stark contrast to the always-there barges of the previous show, Harmonious. The barges are equipped with numerous launch points and dozens and dozens of fountains and mounted lighting that will be sure to captivate audiences and give them the emotional experience the creative team set out to achieve.
Luminous The Symphony of Us is now taking over the World Showcase Lagoon nightly at EPCOT at Walt Disney World.
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