Originally Posted By SIR at X-S Tech While the Gettysburg address is certainly something we can all learn from it's a very "specific" speech. It is relavant to war, and battles, and perhaps that's very apropos today, but the old speech was so much deeper and more profound. It was very philosophical and was about the very nature of freedom and democracy instead of about one particular situation like the Gettysburg address is. The fact that it was a composite of several speeches doesn't really matter.
Originally Posted By SIR at X-S Tech Every time I listen to the old speech I am in awe of how insightful it is- I always come away with something new. With the Gettysburg speech I think: "I have to remember this if I'm ever at a war memorial or battlefield site".
Originally Posted By SIR at X-S Tech I can't imagine that the Imagineers in teh 60's didn't consider just having Lincoln perform the Gettysburg speech. For some reason they decided not to, to have him do the composite speech. I'd be interested to hear their reasons.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 What's great about Lincoln (among other things) is that there's such an embarrassment of riches; they could have taken excerpts from 6 or 7 OTHER speeches and come up with something just as good; in fact, they could have done that multiple times. I'm currently reading "Team of Rivals" about Lincoln, Seward, Chase, and Bates, and how Lincoln skillfully incorporated his former rivals into his cabinet (imagine THAT happening today). Seems like there's something amazingly quotable and insightful every other time he sets words to paper, or to oratory. As I said, I also preferred the composite speech; I just don't see the G.A. as being in any way "PC." And, in fact, it's about more than just dedicating a battlefield, but you have to know some specific background about what was happening with the country at large and the various factions within (not just north and south) to understand some of the allusions, which are pretty subtle sometimes.
Originally Posted By cwade Great moments with Mr. Lincoln will reopen after the 50th (and I have a picture to prove that this sign was posted in front of the building just before taking it out).
Originally Posted By SIR at X-S Tech Oh yeah I saw those signs. That's proof positive! I guess we can all look forward to Liberty Street and Edison Square coming soon too! And Western River Expedition is right around the corner... after all they put up a sign that said so!
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA One of the elements of 'Mr. Lincoln' that was brilliant, was that pre-show. It began [with the always terrific Paul Frees] 'Here in his own words is what he once wrote about himself.' Then, you'd hear Royal Dano as Mr. Lincoln begin, 'I was born February 12th eighteen-hundred and nine, in Harden County Kentucky. My mother, who died in my 10th year, was of a family of the name of Hanks...' Then, after that entire pre-show of listening to Lincoln's voice, when the curtain opened, and Lincoln spoke to us, we were already conditioned to hear Lincoln's voice -- it sounded just like him! Brilliant.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA Okay, my comment about the changes in the 'Haunted Mansion' being too 'literal.' That's what happened to 'Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln' in my opinion. Maybe 'literal' is not the correct word for what I'm trying to articulate. Perhaps it's simply too much. In the old show, we got a short history of Abraham Lincoln, with Mr. Lincoln giving a speech, and ended with a beautiful version of 'The Battle Hymn of the Republic.' It was simple, concise, and beautifully presented. In the new show, we get a too-intricate story with a Civil War soldier, more characters, hair cutting, flies buzzing, matches burning, and then Abraham Lincoln delivering 'The Gettysburg Address.' Even the 'Mr. Lincoln' where they added 'Two Brothers' and the 'Spread Your Golden Wings' stuff, it was too much. In their attempt to make Mr. Lincoln better, it has become muddled and confusing.
Originally Posted By hopemax Well, when one of the Imagineers spoke at the NFFC, he said they needed the bees and the haircut because, "a lot of people don't like broccoli." See the old show was like eating broccoli.
Originally Posted By believe >>> Oh yeah I saw those signs. That's proof positive! I guess we can all look forward to Liberty Street and Edison Square coming soon too! And Western River Expedition is right around the corner... after all they put up a sign that said so! <<<< And don't forget, the Rocket Rods are coming back. And, there will be a new ride in the Sub lagoon within 5 years...
Originally Posted By sjdimon Actually - to me - it doesn't matter so much if they leave the 50th show; bring back Lincoln; or put in something new. The *WORST* thing that they could do would be to leave the venue empty. Don't get me wrong, I really like the Lincoln Show(s) - but I understand that this is a very underutilized facility. It does have the unfortunate privilege of being one of the first attractions (physical location) in the park - so most of the time people are rushing by to get into or out of the park. It is a great place to cool off in the heat of the afternoon for awhile (since there is a lot to see and do there - kind of like the Animation Attraction at DCA). Since it's never over-crowded, you can hang out, sit down, relax, and be entertained in true Disney fashion, away from the crowds that are just a few feet away from you. OK - I would actually like to see them bring back "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln" - it's a wonderful piece of Americana/Disneyana, and it's so unique to Disneyland. Rememeber, not everything has to spin you in three different directions enticing you to "lose your lunch" along the way. It's nice to have some classic attractions that really are suitable for the entire family.
Originally Posted By walt01 Hi everyone. I'm glad this is a topic, because I believe that Mr. Lincoln should definately come back, but not in its present form. While the old show was great( I have the cd of the original show, like alot of fans) I think that the new show still fails to bring the crowds in, partially because it fails to tell a compelling story. Also the technology is wasted. The new Lincoln Presidentail library in Springfield, was designed by a former imagineer, and features holographic images, an interactive presentation of a Civil war battle, where the seats shake, when cannon are fired, and smoke comes out of the front of the screen. By all accounts the library has been a great success. I've never believed that history is too boring for today's generation, but you have to grab them with not just digital headphones,but also computer imaging, and whatever else the Imagineers can dream up. As a kid, I was so fascinated with the original Lincoln show, that I became a lifetime student on the Civil War. I'm with most of you that the original Lincoln speech was more compelling, but the Gettysburg address is just as important. Disney just needs to put a better show around it...Best regards to all..Walt01..
Originally Posted By alexbook Am I really the only person who enjoys the Steve Martin/Donald Duck movie? And I love the pre-show area with the DL historical memorabilia. Jim in Merced CA: I really want to like the Main Street Cinema, but I find it next to impossible to relax and watch any one of the movies from start to finish. The music is out of synch, and the multiple movies on different screens are distracting.
Originally Posted By DisneyFreak96 As a fan of the cinema, I think Main Street needs another relaxing location. For goodness sakes, the porch is always busy when I'm there! However, this new Lincoln never cut it. I went on it once or twice. It feels "cheap" to me the second I had to wait to get a set of headphones. The screamed "old fashioned" to me. I felt like I was back in grade school waiting to listen to the educational tape and slide. The fact that Lincoln then goes on to speak the Gettysberg adds to that, I know that speech, had to memorize it for school. I go to Disneyland for something different, not my schoolbook. The old Lincoln was this. I was always crying by the time the Battle Hymn came on.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA <Jim in Merced CA: I really want to like the Main Street Cinema> It's certainly not one of my favorite places in the park. Still, I think Disneyland is moving further away from providing some of those easy going places to sit and enjoy.
Originally Posted By SIR at X-S Tech I like the Steve Martin film too, and I think Jim was referring to the Mickey shorts in the Cinema, not the Opera House.
Originally Posted By walt01 The holographic heads in the Lincoln library are used in a interesting way; as you walk around the exhibit, holographic talking heads debate the announcment of the emancipation proclamation. Not exactly Disneyland material perhaps, but it's very well done and gives the guests a feel for what was on people's' minds during our country's most trying moments. As for the old Lincoln show, it's still one of my favorite Disneyland attractions, and one of the most inspirational. The new show,was obviously built on a shoestring budget, with not enough care given to the story. That's a shame, because with the proper and resources Mr. Lincoln could be packing them in..Well, we can always hope...Best regards, Walt 01...
Originally Posted By ryanbalas I liked the original Lincoln show. It was a little more moving and patriotic. It told us of our dark period in our history where "brothers" fought each other and many died. The new show is okay. I really really hate the part where Lincoln tells the soldier "You must livvvvvvvvvvvwe." It feels like an attempt at an Oscar instead of heartfelt. Anywho, I think they should knock out the back wall, expand the whole area to add more items and information and put a "White House" style restaurant in the very back. Classy, simple and food. It will increase the traffic twentyfold and people will see the show because it is convenient - the reason people see many of the older attractions. They could put in a tunnel or crossbridge for the castmembers to get through to the backstage. On another note, I feel they should expand (spacewise) the Tiki Room into a Tropical Island restaurant and the birds would perform every 22 minutes. That way you would be guaranteed to see at least one show. It would also guarantee people would be in and out in a heartbeat. "OMG the show is starting!" "But, you haven't eaten!" "Just grab it and run! The Stereotypical foreign birds are about to speak!!!!"
Originally Posted By mrichmondj I think it's time to re-think the Mr. Lincoln show -- maybe time to consider telling a completely different story from our nation's history. I think one of the problems with the current show is that the story has essentially been told in the same format for 40 years. A great number of guests are overly familiar with Mr. Lincoln. Maybe we take the broad leap of telling a story from another chapter in American history? I think there are endless possibilities to adapt Mr. Lincoln's stage to incorporate an entirely different story and show.
