DISNEY LIFTS THE VEIL ON THE CLASSIC MARY POPPINS TALE

Disney has long offered opportunities for the viewer to lift the curtain and marvel at their creation of movie magic. Now that the magic of moviegoing will be strained for a while, the Disney – A Recorded History podcast will let audiences share in some of the most beloved and, until now, most obscure stories from the studio’s history. It starts with the songs from some of your favourite movies, created by the creative forces behind them. Most of all, it begins with the stories of the Sherman brothers, Richard and Robert, whose classic tunes have been belted out for generations.

BEHIND THE CLASSIC: THE SHERMAN BROTHERS' LEGACY

The Sherman brothers’ names are permanently written into the history of Disney via the anthems they wrote – in so many cases, the songs have become the brand. Mary Poppins in particular was a masterpiece of theirs; ‘Chim Chim Cher-ee’, ‘Feed the Birds’, and ‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’ are ineffably wonderful.

A PODCAST PREMIERE THAT PROMISES CLASSIC REVELATIONS

Disney – A Recorded History opens with the Sherman brothers. Listening to this first act is like a pure feast for the ears. Soundbites and interviews are all the more impactful in an audio show and, with such a focused framework, Disney: A Recorded History unearths songs and stories that would otherwise have been lost as mere artefacts to archiving. The Sherman brothers open the show with their innermost thoughts on their composition process, as we are invited into their creative minds to retell the stories and hardships of writing the soundtrack to Mary Poppins.

THE CLASSIC CRAFT OF STORYTELLING

But as a podcast, it is able to accomplish something pure and novel by incorporating that audio memory along with modern sound design into a living, multi-dimensional story – one that is intimate and expansive all at the same time. Like the Sherman brothers themselves, it brings the dissonance of the present and the past into harmony. It’s classic Disney in that it continues pioneering in media that we have not even conceived of yet.

CLASSIC INSIGHTS INTO THE MAKING OF MARY POPPINS

But what is striking about this podcast is the depth of detail in it: it’s less interested in familiar tales of the Sherman brothers’ life and more in the 10,000-foot view of their work, how they began to come up with ideas, how they worked with the Disney studio, and so on. It gives you a wonderful window into the composition of a great film score.

THE TIMELESS APPEAL OF DISNEY CLASSICS

But at its most basic, Disney – A Recorded History is a testament to the enduring power of the Disney classics – the stories, songs and characters remain fixed in collective memory, a testament to the power of creativity, imagination and hard work. In the segment on the Sherman brothers, there’s a telling segment related to the development of music as storytelling – music that expressed emotions, narratives and cultural values.

CELEBRATING CLASSIC DISNEY MAGIC THROUGH AUDIO

While telling the history of Disney’s musical contributions no doubt tickles the studio’s sense of its legacy, The Walt Disney Archive Podcast does more than note these milestones. Like any great show, it welcomes listeners to experience a familiar tale in a new way. If Disney is known for anything at all, it is for its role in stitching Americans together, to make us (and our culture) stronger. By welcoming listeners into Disney’s studio legacy, it’s reweaving those bonds yet again.

EXPLORING THE ESSENCE OF CLASSIC

The word ‘classic’ itself brings to mind ideas of endurance, excellence and generality, of having achieved the highest artistic summit and the most broad cultural relevance. The classics transcend the eras in which they were conceived for, remaining ‘alive’ across the generations, retelling stories and composing melodies that stay with us forever. This podcast beautifully shows that Disney’s magic lies in the fact that the company seamlessly combines the experiences that are truly unique to each one of us with the ones that are truly universal.

UNFOLDING THE LAYERS OF CLASSIC STORYTELLING

Imagine opening up a Disney classic for the first time or sitting down to watch a movie and song that you have known for years. The magic of animation captivates. The hooks of a memorable song are embedded in your memory – but that’s only the beginning. There is much more to be discovered when it comes to the stories and the songs. Disney – A Recorded History podcast invites you on that journey, with insights, stories and behind-the-scenes perspectives on not just the creative processes that went into some of the most beloved classics of cinematic and musical history, but also the individuals who shaped those creative processes.

Thanks to that all-access pass to the soul of Disney’s storytelling magic, every episode of Disney A Recorded History is a must-listen for those who love story, music and film.