The Sherman Brothers get their own window Disneyland

 

Next time you’re walking down Disneyland’s Main Street, instead of focusing on the Castle in front of you or the art, t-shirts and gifts that fill shops, look up at the names on the second and third story windows.  There is a real person behind each one. A real Disney legend.  Having a Main Street window dedicated to you is Disney’s highest honor.

See list of names of honorees and what they did for the Magic Kingdom, here. 

Last week two men, brothers, were given their own window on Main Street and in Disneyland-style, there was a whole lot of hoopla that accompanied it.  The Sherman brothers, Robert and Richard, are responsible for a whole pant-load of your childhood memories.  Though you’ve probably never heard of them, their music has been a soundtrack to much of your childhood, and now your kids’ childhood.

Honestly, I didn’t know who they were when I was invited to the dedication of a window in “New Sounds for a New Century” window (right next to 20th Century Music Shop).  So the brilliance and magnitude of their contribution to not only Disneyland, but our lives, unfolded as the fanfare danced, sang and waved in front of me.

The Sherman Brothers were simply referred to as “The Boys” back in the days when Walt Disney was making films like Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and Aristocats and creating Disneyland rides like “it’s a small world” and “The Tiki Room.”  Why?  Because “The Boys” were the “go to guys” for Walt when he needed the perfect song, and they delivered–they wrote the songs for all these and more. Over 150 songs for Disney in total and winning two Academy Awards for songs from Mary Poppins.

 

In fact, The Sherman brothers wrote more motion picture scores than any other musical team in history, like ever! Plus the scores to some of your favorite rides.  Let me run some by you now: “it’s a small world,” “Chim Chim Cher-ee,” “Winnie the Pooh,” “The Wonderful Thing About Tigger,” ‘The Tiki Room (theme),” “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow,””Bear Necessities,” I Want to Be Like you,” “Spoonful of Sugar,” “Supercalafragalisticedpialadoshus,” Whew! All these songs (and more), from two men.

Tom Schumacher, Head of Disney Theatrical said during the ceremony, “They are part of our family…our collective family, but also our personal family. If you were born in the last half of the 20th Century, you were raised by The Sherman brothers.” Looking at the list of songs, there’s no question that is true.

One of the brothers, Richard Sherman, was at Disneyland for the window dedication, the other, Robert, was in London working on the stage adaptation of Mary Poppins. The mood on that unseasonably hot March morning was happy, optimistic and clever: just like a Sherman Brothers’ song. Every now and then a big gust of wind would toss up the confetti and sounds of the music, again adding whimsy, just like their music.

As Disney Big Cheese, followed by Disney Head Honcho, followed by Disney Suit-type got up to speak about The Sherman brothers, it became wonderfully clear that these men are truly Disney legends.  They deserve not only a window on Main Street, but also our heartfelt thanks for sharing their gift of song to us.

 

(The lettering on the door reads simply, “Two Brothers Tunemakers, 

Will write your tune for a song.” )

After Richard Sherman said his “thank you’s” and told his Walt Disney stories (“No one loved the park more than Walt.”) he concluded with a reference from the movie Mary Poppins, when George Banks is reflecting on his life he says this, “A man has dreams of walking with giants to carve his niche in the edifice of time.” Richard said, “I think Bob (Robert his brother) and I have now carved our niche.”  Well, yes, I think that is safe to say.

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Other Disney News:

Disney’s promotion for 2010 Give a Day. Get a Disney Day (see my video here), has been a huge success! It has already reached 1,000,000 volunteers! So if you haven’t signed up for it yet, you’ve missed your chance to get a free day at Disneyland this year.  But, on the bright side 1 million people have volunteered!  See, there’s always a bright side.