Walt Disney links - Live Version of 'Fantasia' Coming. 

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About 75 years ago, a wizard\'s mischievous apprentice donned his master\'s magic hat and created all sorts of chaos, at the same time introducing an entire generation to the magical world of classical music.

On Nov. 13, 1940, the Disney animated film "Fantasia" opened at the Broadway Theatre in New York City, and Mickey Mouse, the young magician wannabe, became classical music\'s first multimedia outreach ambassador.

On Jan. 4 at the State Theatre in Easton, Mickey returns to the big screen, this time accompanied by a live, 80-piece symphony orchestra. "Disney Fantasia Live" is truly a multimedia spectacle, with the newly-formed Pennsylvania Philharmonic, under the baton of Michael Butterman, performing music from the iconic Disney film and its successor, "Fantasia 2000," while Disney\'s stunning footage is projected on a huge HD video screen above them.

Joining the orchestra, Mickey, and all his friends is acclaimed pianist Lura Johnson, the soloist in Gershwin\'s "Rhapsody in Blue." Johnson is principal pianist with the Delaware Symphony Orchestra. She\'s performed extensively as the pianist of choice for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra since 2007, and has collaborated in orchestral performances and recordings with Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Midori, Leila Josefowicz, and Jean-Yves Thibaudet.

The two-hour long production, a new version of Disney\'s animated feature-length film milestone, integrates eight classical musical compositions with imaginative, artistically choreographed animation.

The family-friendly program includes everything from bewitched broomsticks to flying horses and includes Dukas\' "Sorcerer\'s Apprentice," selections from Beethoven\'s symphonies No. 5 and 6, Stravinsky\'s "Firebird," Tchaikovsky\'s "Nutcracker Suite," and much more.

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"It\'s no mystery why \'Fantasia\' has impacted one generation after another all these years. Whether you are 5 or 85, how could you not marvel at the stunning humpback whale sequence in Respighi\'s \'Pines of Rome,\' or be awed by the lightning bolts tossed by Zeus and the grazing Centaurs in Beethoven\'s 6th symphony?" says Pa. Philharmonic CEO Scott Robinson. Donald Duck and friends are not left out either, with starring roles in Elgar\'s "Pomp and Circumstance."

The original film was not a financial success. World War II was cutting off the profitable European market, and the expensive installation of "Fantasound" sound reproduction equipment in theaters contributed to the film\'s high production costs. It was not until 1991, when "Fantasia" was re-released on video and laser disc, that it achieved the immense popularity it deserved. Six decades after the first film, Disney released "Fantasia 2000" as a widescreen IMAX attraction, the first feature-length animation released in the IMAX format.

"Disney Fantasia Live," the only live concert version of the animated classic, received its U.S. premiere in April, 2012 by the Lancaster Symphony at the American Music Theatre in Lancaster. Since then, many orchestras have taken it on, playing to audiences across the country to rave reviews. The concert in Easton marks the third time the Pa. Philharmonic has presented the work — the first was at the Pullo Center in York Dec. 28, followed by a performance at the Phoenixville Area Middle School Jan. 2.

Due to the work\'s complex logistics, the opportunity to attend a local performance makes for a special post-holiday treat.

"Most local symphonies pass on it due to the complex technical demands you have to address and the large size of the orchestra," says Robinson. "To bring it to three local communities, let alone just one, is a major accomplishment, especially for such a young orchestra. I think the timing of these concerts is just right, with everyone still in a holiday mood, it\'s something the whole family can enjoy together."

"Disney Fantasia Live" is especially challenging for the conductor, who must keep tempos in synch with the on-screen action. Butterman will be using a video playback tool similar to the Coolux Media System/Pandora\'s Box technology used by the Lancaster Philharmonic. The system offers optical "click tracks" to assist the conductor by providing a customized screen and headphones he can use to follow the beats, sound effects, beginning of each measure, and time of each piece. Only the conductor will be following the Pandora\'s Box, while the audience will enjoy the "Fantasia" scenes on the HD screen, which will be as large as the stage.

"What you have to do is synchronize your timing with the film," says Butterman, who has worked with click tracks before, including a presentation of "Wizard of Oz" accompanied by a live orchestra. "This is a little different, since these are all pieces everyone in the classical world knows, and ones I\'ve conducted in concert before. As a conductor I have my own ideas on how to handle the tempos, but in this case I have to set all that aside. Here I essentially have to reproduce what someone else has done, whether Leopold Stokowski in the 1940 film or James Levine in \'Fantasia 2000.\' It\'s definitely a challenge."

It\'s not easy for the musicians either, who have to be able to change tempos on the fly.

"In most concerts, the musicians know instinctively that the conductor is listening to them. But with a click track system, I\'m often making them speed up or slow down based on what I\'m hearing in the headphones, not from the live feedback I get from them," Butterman says.

Disney wanted its new "Fantasia" spectacle to be a "live" event from its conception. The animation has been brought up to date with modern HD to bring a new brilliance of color, and some new animated segments have been added. Those include the never-before seen animation to Debussy\'s "Claire de Lune," which was created for the 1940 original version but not included in the final release.

This production of "Fantasia" also brings with it a fair amount of Pennsylvania pride. Not only was the challenging work premiered in nearby Lancaster, but here it is being performed by an organization committed to outreach, drawing its musical talent from the rich local freelance pool. Even the artwork on the programs is homegrown. Michael Abel, a Lancaster graphic designer, got Disney approval to create the artwork that is being used on "Fantasia" concert programs throughout the U.S.

"It\'s a great introduction to this terrific music, not only for kids, but also for adults who might otherwise find themselves a little intimidated attending a classical concert. It\'s the iconic music of \'Fantasia\' brought to life in a very fresh and unique way," Butterman says.

Too bad Butterman doesn\'t get to shake Mickey\'s hand, as Stokowski famously did some 75 years ago in the original film.

•What: Live concert version of Disney\'s animated classic, featuring the 80-piece Pennsylvania Philharmonic performing music from the iconic film while Disney\'s stunning footage is projected on a huge HD video screen.

•Where: State Theatre, 453 Northampton St., Easton