Hamlisch's "Disneyland"

[Bwaybaby109]

Posted: 4/7/06 at 12:35am

Hey! I'm singing this song from Hamlisch's "Smile" and I can't find a good synopsis of the show. I wanted to know what was going on in context of the show when Doria sings "Disneyland" Can anyone tell me or just send me a link with a good synopsis? Thanks!

[newsieboy23]

Posted: 4/7/06 at 12:42am

Well, the song was ultimately cut from the show... which is why you can find it on one of the Lost in Boston CDs, along with the title song. Though I adore the show, the point of the show that Disneyland would appear is pretty weak (as is much of the book). Robin and Dora are in their room at night (they are both Beauty pagent contestants and are bunking) and before Robin falls asleep, She and Dora are literally talking about Dora's obsession of Disney (in california... where the show takes place). Robin feeds her the like "its all paper mache" or whatever the line is... and falls asleep. Dora stay awake and dreams of Disneyland aloud, while clutching her Micky (or some character, i forget) doll. Great song... kind of awkwardly placed in the show.
Hope this helps!

[NCGuy]

Posted: 4/7/06 at 12:55am

Newsieboy23, I'm not that familiar with the score to Smile, but was it actually cut (it's on the Unsung Musicals CD, not the Lost in Boston CD)?

[Bwaybaby109]

Posted: 4/7/06 at 1:02am

wow that helps so much! thank u!

[newsieboy23]

Posted: 4/7/06 at 1:05am

You are correct! I must be honest.. i went to Amazon.com to search (of corse, KNOWING I was right) and apparently it is NOT on LIB, and is indeed on Unsung...
Feel free to to doubt me, but as far as I know, Disneyland and the male solo part of the title song (sung by the choreographer.. i forget his name) were cut at some point, either out of town or in previews. Samuel French does, however release the show with both song included. There is a script available to view at Lincoln center that i believe has many cuts and notes written in the margins. You can purchase the libretto through Sam French or any theatre book store. The current version is NOT what appeared on broadway, but a slight lever better then how it was shown in the 80's.
I lost my copy of the Demo CD, if anyone can help me out- that'd be FANTASTIC.

[emo_geek]

Posted: 4/7/06 at 1:27am

My theatre company was going to do a production of this but never did.

[best12bars]

Posted: 4/7/06 at 9:20am

The song WASN'T cut from the show! I saw it on Broadway, and Jodi Benson literally STOPPED THE SHOW with "Disneyland."

...And it isn't on the "Lost in Boston" CD. I think you're confused. It's on the "Unsung Musicals" CD, meaning that the songs & shows are somewhat forgotten today. But the number was never cut. It was one of the main highlights of "Smile."

As far as the context... it's been about 20 years since I saw it (only once)... but as I recall, Doria (Jodi) explains to her roommate why she likes pageants and all the "fakeness," and it leads into a number about herself and her past. Her "real life" wasn't so great... so she basically says, "Give me all the fakeness. I'll take that over reality any day. I'd rather go live in Disneyland." That's the gist of the song. It was a touching and powerful moment in the show, especially when Jodi sang that last section. She belted it right out of the theatre. The audience did NOT stop clapping for quite a long while. I remember my jaw dropping at the time when she finished.

EDIT: All three songs from SMILE on the "Unsung Musicals" CD were highlights of the Broadway production. None were cut.

Updated On: 4/7/06 at 09:20 AM

[Unknown User]

Posted: 4/7/06 at 9:22am

What happened to Jody Benson anyway?

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 4/7/06 at 10:25am

You could also rent the film it is based on for more character info.
This number was the highlight of the show, and Benson was stunning. It's a great audition piece, tho I imagine alot of girls do it...

There was a thread about Jodi not too long ago. She does alot of voiceover work and is married with kid(s). She also still works the Ariel thing...appearences and such...works with Disney alot.

[best12bars]

Posted: 4/7/06 at 10:33am

I always found this song to be an uncanny "prophecy" of sorts for Jodi. She sang the big song "Disneyland" in SMILE co-written and directed by Howard Ashman. Then two years later, she was hired for Ashman & Menken's (and DISNEY'S) "The Little Mermaid"...

And the last line of "Disneyland" (from SMILE) is, "And when I get to Disneyland, I'll stay!"

She sure did.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 4/7/06 at 10:49am

WHAT musical is this from??? "SMILE"??? YOU MEAN THE ONE THE BEACH BOY WROTE???

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 4/7/06 at 10:58am

Smile was written by Hamlish and Ashman from 1986 and was based on the 1975 film which starred Bruce Dern and Barbara Feldon (and a very young Melanie Griffith.) The film was witty satire of beauty pagaents. The musical, while having a great score, didnt capture the wit of the film..imo.

[Josh Freilich]

Posted: 4/7/06 at 11:46am

In other versions, the line
"Oh, I know you're gonna say the trees are paper mache
It's done with mirrors, the magic there
Each little bird's full of springs
You press a button music it sings
Recorded music in the air
They've had the mountain replaced
It's only plywood and paste-- go on, say it
I'll turn around and tell you I don't care"

is different: it goes like this:

"Cause when the world is too real,
it makes it better to feel
you got another place to go,
somewhere there's magic enough
to leave the ugly and rough,
to grab a dream and let it grow,
somewhere it's never too late
to leave it all at the gate
and just be there,
We are free there,
come with me there 'cause I know
we all need some Disneyland..."

Those are lyrics I can relate to.

[BrianWilsonFan]

Posted: 4/7/06 at 12:45pm

Ironic isn't it, two projects named Smile unreleased and lost in the space time continuum...

Hamlisch/Ashman's Smile 1986/7
Beach Boy's SMiLE 1966/7

Updated On: 4/8/06 at 12:45 PM

[CharlieBrown]

Posted: 4/7/06 at 12:50pm

The lyrics are strikingly reminiscent of Ashman's "Somewhere That's Green" from "Little Shop," no?