Archive for the ‘Disney's Haunted Mansion: the Musical’ Category
Meghan’s Drawings Reposted
Friday, July 4th, 2008
I thought I’d go ahead and repost these drawings of some characters from Disney’s Haunted Mansion: the Musical, as they represent my very first receipt of “fan art.” Meghan Plott drew them, and you can read her blog here.
Old Haunted Mansion Midis
Saturday, June 21st, 2008
I found these sitting around my “My Documents” folder, so I thought I’d go ahead and repost them for all to listen and enjoy. These are concept midis I wrote for several different Haunted Mansion: the Musical songs, some of which are basically still the same and others have been jettisoned.
- the-ghostly-bride - The second song in Act One is almost entirely the same in my mind as this initial concept midi. The song is sung by Madame Leota to Jamison Philes, explaining the situation the Mansion is in and pleading with him for help. The only differences now are a new ending section and a cleaner bridge.
- i-want-to-be-close-to-you - The final love song of Act Two, sung by Sam to Caroline. No lyrics yet, but I like it enough to leave it largely the same I think.
- unnatural - I like this draft of “Simply Unnatural” still, but chord-structure-wise it’s too close to the opening number, so I didn’t want it to become repetitive.
- simply-unnatural - I also like this draft, but it doesn’t strike the quite right notes for what I think Caroline should be feeling at that point in the story. Also, the melody is really hard to write lyrics for.
- its-my-life - I’ve tried a number of variations of this theme for Caroline’s rebellious song at the beginning of Act Two, but I keep coming back to the original concept here. I play “the Ghostly Bride” on top of the second verse, but I think I was more poking fun at myself for all my songs sounding the same then suggesting that I actually intend to pair them in the musical, although it might be cool.
- the-way-that-it-used-to-be - an earlier midi-only version. One of the first songs I wrote, and it hasn’t changed much since this version.
A Quick MP3 of “Simply Unnatural”
Saturday, June 14th, 2008
News from the Haunted Mansion musical front:
I’ve finally found a melody for “Simply Unnatural” that I really like, and doesn’t seem to clash as much with “The Way That It Used To Be,” which comes after the following scene. “Simply Unnatural” is sung by Caroline after she awakens from her unconsciousness, having been scared to the point of fainting by ghosts who can’t help but scare people - good-naturedly, of course. Jamison is off on the other side of the darkened ballroom (at this point in the scene we don’t know where we are), having been told by Caroline that she needs to be left alone. The ghosts, of course, refuse to let her be uncomforted.
Here’s the sample mp3 (a few flubs, nothing too bad).
Lyrics:
CAROLINE
I don’t
Believe in
Ghosts or ghouls or myths that people fear.
(She takes a tissue from a floating box of Kleenex with a light “thank you”)
CAROLINE
And no ghost
Can make me.
So all you ghosts had better disappear.
(She tosses the used tissue into a floating wastebasket)
CAROLINE
It’s simply…
Simply unnatural.
It’s simply…
Simply unnatural.
That’s all, all it is.
That’s all it is.
Did you
Believe that
I would like to learn that I’ve been blind?
Or do you
Not know that
It’s impolite to blow somebody’s mind?
(The Hitchhiking Ghosts gently provide backup from the shadows)
CAROLINE (GHOSTS)
It’s simply…
Simply unnatural
(Don’t you love to go exploring?)
It’s simply…
Simply unnatural
(We know natural is boring)
That’s all, all it is
That’s all it is
Don’t you dare inform me how I ought to feel!
I’ll decide what I’ll believe is mythical or real!
It’s simply…
Simply unnatural
(Sorry for your perturbation)
It’s simply…
Simply unnatural
(Could not stand up to temptation)
That’s all, all it is
That’s all it is
Possible Line for Haunted Mansion
Friday, June 13th, 2008
I thought of this on the train coming home today - suppose we have Sam and Jamison racing through the Haunted Mansion to try and find Caroline, discussing, along the way, why Sam was so willing to let the relationship die when he clearly still cares mountains for the girl. Of course, among other things, there is the (sigh) fear of commitment issue, which is succinctly dismissed by Jamison as follows:
SAM
You know, forever is a long time!
JAMISON
Yeah, well, never is even longer.
Is this neat, silly, or just nonsense, do you think?
Rough Draft of “The Way That It Used to Be”
Sunday, June 1st, 2008
So I’ve been thinking about Disney’s Haunted Mansion: the Musical again - an idea that’s just too good to let die, even though there’s a behemoth corporation standing in the way of it ever being fully realized. I’ve now written a draft of lyrics for the song “The Way That It Used to Be,” sung by Jamison Philes to Caroline towards the end of Act One.
By this point in the story, the secret of the mansion (that is - it’s haunted!) has been revealed to Caroline, who is none too happy about having her world turned upside down. Jamison tries to coax her out of her chagrin, and at one point in the conversation, is asked why he thinks this place is so special anyway. Jamison replies, eventually, that there’s a history there - a story of generations and a past that’s been lost. Throughout the song, he sings more “at” Caroline than “to” Caroline, who never quite accepts what Jamison is telling her, making it, I think, more sad and more effective - especially as it provides tension to help the audience return to see Act Two!
Here’s an mp3 I made to help you follow along. It’s piano only, but you get the general idea.
The Way That It Used to Be
JAMISON
Can you not feel it?
Can you not sense it?
An older day
An older way
A diff’rent way…
A graying painting,
Decaying portrait,
A faded tint,
A shiny glint,
A tiny hint
Of something old
Or something very new…
An attic unexplored,
A dusty harpsichord -
Old things so long ignored! -
The way that it used to be, but -
If you will look, you’ll find something beautiful…
(The ballroom undergoes a transfiguration, restoring itself to its original late 17th-century state. Caroline continues to not look at him, even turning away. Jamison is joined by the spirits of two ballroom dancers, who re-enact his story for him.)
JAMISON
Across the ballroom
He meets her eyeline.
Feels like she’s flying
Beyond the skyline.
He takes her hand
To touch her hand,
To kiss her hand.
A courtly bow,
And ev’rything feels new…
(The spirits begin to dance. The three Hitchhiking Ghosts emerge from hiding to back Jamison up.)
JAMISON (HITCHHIKING GHOSTS)
A promise in each glance,
Each step within the dance
Is more than just romance…
The way that it used to be!
And though there’s highs and lows (highs and lows!)
That dance will last, she knows, (For she knows)
Because it’s what they chose - (It’s how they chose to be!)
The way that it used to be!
There’s hurt and joy for those who won’t hide, afraid.
To be alone is not why the heart was made!
(They are joined by many other pairs of dancing ghosts, who begin to twirl elegantly about in the air.)
JAMISON
One beautiful dance,
Then you can fly!
If you will try…
Then you could fly if you would only start to try…
Then you could fly!
(Caroline again refuses to take his hand, so he dances, by some magic, in the air by himself, amidst the ballroom dancers. Soon, the dance draws to a close, and the ballroom spirits fade away. The ballroom itself darkens and returns to its eerie, dilapidated original form.)
JAMISON
Your broken heart’s still sore,
So not again you swore.
You’d heard it all before.
The way that it used to be,
But…
If you will look, you’ll find something beautiful…