NYS Music 202​0

Tag: Disney

  • Disney+ to release “Soul” on Christmas Day

    The release of Disney/Pixar’s Soul has been announced as a Christmas Day release on Disney+. The move comes as movie theaters continue to remain closed in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, thus preventing Soul from opening on November 20, as originally planned.

    disney soul

    Not only will the release of Soul only be delayed a month – where other features, such as Black Widow and WonderWoman: 1984 have been pushed into 2021 – but the movie will stream for free for all Disney+ subscribers, similar to the way Hamilton was released in July.

    Written and directed by Pete Docter, who co-wrote notable movies like Up, Inside Out and Monsters, Inc., Soul centers around Joe Gardner (voiced by Jamie Foxx), who gets a chance to perform at a famous jazz club, but instead falls into a sinkhole, where his soul leaves his body. He must then has to find his way back to his body, with the help of 22, a soul voiced by Tina Fey.

    We are thrilled to share Pixar’s spectacular and moving Soul with audiences direct to Disney+ in December. A new original Pixar film is always a special occasion, and this truly heartwarming and humorous story about human connection and finding one’s place in the world will be a treat for families to enjoy together this holiday season.

    Bob Chapek, CEO, The Walt Disney Company

    Although the score for the film was composed by Oscar winners Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, both trailers feature neo-soul musician Cody Chesnutt with the song, “Parting Ways,” and pop rock band AJR with the song, “Overture.”

    When Soul is released, it will be accompanied by Burrow, from the Pixar SparkShorts program. The official description of Burrow says:

    In Disney and Pixar’s new short film Burrow, a young rabbit embarks on a journey to dig the burrow of her dreams, despite not having a clue what she’s doing. Rather than reveal to her neighbors her imperfections, she digs herself deeper and deeper into trouble. After hitting (bed)rock bottom, she learns there is no shame in asking for help. Directed by Madeline Sharafian and produced by Mike Capbarat as part of Pixar’s SparkShorts program, Burrow opens in theaters on Nov. 20, 2020, in front of Disney and Pixar’s Soul.

    burrow

  • Disney Renaissance Composer Alan Menken Celebrates 71st Birthday

    Renowned composer and New Rochelle High School graduate Alan Menken turns 71 today. Born in 1949 at the French Hospital in Manhattan and raised in New York City, Menken grew up to be one of the world’s most recognizable musicians by ear.

    Before being the composer behind the beloved Disney Renaissance, Menken was a playwright and musical composer starting with works such as God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater after being recruited to organize the music by playwright Howard Ashman’s 1979 adaptation of a novel written of the same name by Kurt Vonnegut. 

    Alan Menken later worked with Ashman again in the early ’80s co-writing Little Shop of Horrors which first opened in 1982 at WPA theatre to a warm reception by the audience. Little Shop of Horrors then moved to the off Broadway Orpheum Theater where it ran for five years, and later became a successful movie and found a new life on Broadway in recent years.

    Following the success of Little Shop of Horrors, both Menken and Ashman were hired by Walt Disney Studios to write music for The Little Mermaid and later Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Pocohontas, among others, a major part of the Disney Renaissance. 

    Menken went on to compose music for several animated Disney films that earned him eight Oscar wins for the Best Score and/or Song (in a span of eight years) as well as 11 additional nominations.  

    Alan Menken is true New Yorker who has made his name as a composer, making an impact on both the film and music worlds.

  • Watch the new trailer for the upcoming Pixar Movie “Soul”

    Pixar this weekend debuted an inspirational new trailer for their upcoming movie, Soul.

    The first trailer depicted the soul of the musician Joe Garner, voiced by Jamie Foxx, struggling to find himself in ‘The Great Before,’ a place where souls gain personality traits before they are born into the world.

    The new trailer depicts Joe as a middle school band teacher, sharing his passion for music that he finds everywhere in his neighborhood in New York City.

    Soul will arrive in movie theaters in November 2020.

    “Music moves people,” says Joe, “Music is life, you just need to know where to look.”

    Written and directed by Pete Docter, who co-wrote notable movies like Up, Inside Out and Monsters, Inc., Soul centers around Joe Gardner (voiced by Jamie Foxx), who gets a chance to perform at a famous jazz club, but instead falls into a sinkhole, where his soul leaves his body. He must then has to find his way back to his body, with the help of 22, a soul voiced by Tina Fey.

    Soul promotes passion and to go for what you love. In Joe’s case, it is his love for music.

    Although the score for the film was composed by Oscar winners Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, both trailers feature neo-soul musician Cody Chesnutt with the song, “Parting Ways,” and pop rock band AJR with the song, “Overture.”

    This marks Pixar’s twenty-third film and will release in theaters on November 20 of this year.

    When Soul is released, it will be accompanied by Burrow, from the Pixar SparkShorts program. The official description of Burrow says:

    In Disney and Pixar’s new short film Burrow, a young rabbit embarks on a journey to dig the burrow of her dreams, despite not having a clue what she’s doing. Rather than reveal to her neighbors her imperfections, she digs herself deeper and deeper into trouble. After hitting (bed)rock bottom, she learns there is no shame in asking for help. Directed by Madeline Sharafian and produced by Mike Capbarat as part of Pixar’s SparkShorts program, Burrow opens in theaters on Nov. 20, 2020, in front of Disney and Pixar’s Soul.

    burrow

  • Disney+ Releases Trailer for Hamilton

    Disney + has just released their trailer for Hamilton: An American Musical which will be available for streaming on July 3.

    hamilton trailer

    First produced Off-Broadway at the Public Theater in 2015, Hamilton then moved to the Richard Rogers Theater on Broadway later that year. The show’s music, lyrics, and book were written by the musical’s star, Lin Manuel-Miranda based off of Ron Chernow’s biography of Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton is most famous for presenting America as it was in the 1700s, but in today’s light. Every character save King George is played by a BIPOC to highlight the diversity of America today.

    Hamilton took Broadway by storm and the hype has not yet let down. Due to the show’s popularity, tickets continue to be expensive: at one point, a premium seat went for $1,150. However, the show is famous for their memorable lottery, the #Ham4Ham, when lucky winners are given front row tickets for only $10, or one Hamilton. Fans have been anticipating the release of this recording for years, as Lin Manuel-Miranda confirmed that the show would be recorded in a tweet in 2016. The release of this high-quality recording makes Broadway more accessible to people who cannot experience it live for themselves.

    Hamilton was nominated for a record-breaking 16 Tony awards, and won 11 in total, including best musical, best book, and best score, as well as Leslie Odom Jr. (Aaron Burr) winning best actor, Daveed Diggs (Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson) awarded best featured actor, and Renée Elise Goldsberry (Angelica Schuyler) receiving the Tony for best featured actress. Many other members of the cast were nominated for Tonys, and they can all be seen in the original Broadway cast recording on July 3. 

    This is Lin Manuel-Miranda’s second Broadway show. In The Heights, a story about a predominately Hispanic neighborhood community living in Washington Heights, had its Broadway debut in 2008 also at the Richard Rogers Theater and was nominated for 13 Tonys and won 4, including best musical. In the Heights has just been adapted into a feature film as well, with Anthony Ramos (who plays John Laurens/Philip Hamilton in Hamilton), playing the lead role of Usnavi. In the Height, previously scheduled for release June 2020, will now be released on June 18, 2021.

    Hamilton will be available to stream on Disney+ on July 3.

Built in Breakdance