A Disneyphile's View of the New Walt Disney Family Museum

Ok. I realize that at 44 I am a little old to be quite so obsessed with everything Disney. Since I have no children of my own, the annual journeys to Disneyland may seem a little excessive to the casual observer. Also, I have always held Walt Disney to be a role model for me as a theatre artist. Whenever I am stuck with a problem of budget versus design criteria, I always ask myself, "What would Walt Disney Do?" Never was there a better example of a perfectionist with a budget problem then when Walt was building Disneyland.

So imagine my joy in learning that the Disney family had selected a location for the new Walt Disney Family Museum so close to my home town. The new facility in the Presidio of San Francisco opened on October 1st, 2009. But since Musson was awarded the drapery package installation for the theatre portion of the project, I got to have a little sneak peak of the museum before the general public. The following are my observations of the facility, keeping in mind that they made us wear cocktail attire, and I had to traverse all 19,000 square feet and nine galleries in high heels. Also, they wouldn't let us take any pictures, so, except for what I was able to borrow from the internet, I don't have much visual reinforcement. (Thanks SFGate!)

The museum takes you on the journey of Walt's life. It begins in the lobby, which is filled with awards, certificates, and honorary degrees. This truly sets the tone for what will be a somewhat one-sided journey through Walt's sometimes controversial life. But as a Walt fan, I don't really mind. The next few galleries are filled with photos and memorabilia beginning with his ancestors and gives you a good sense of what life was like for young Walter. You follow Walt through his teen years and his dubious beginnings as an animator. Next you wind through Walt's career in Hollywood and the development of Walt Disney Studios. As you leave this gallery, you are ushered down a hallway made of glass that overlooks the San Francisco bay. When you emerge, you begin a descent down a circular ramp that surrounds a simply gorgeous model of Disneyland circa about 1965. On the outside of the circle is the track and cars from the Lillybelle, the working train Walt had installed in his back yard. As you exit this area, you enter into a display of the Disney Corporation's contribution to the the 1965 world's fair. And finally, as you exit, you are surrounded with the media's response to Walt's death in 1966. There was not a dry eye in the house as we passed through to the final room, which is a video montage of people today still enjoying the Walt Disney legacy.

The most striking thing about the museum, in my opinion, is the use of innovative exhibit design. Sadly for us here at Musson, there is little, if any, theatrical equipment used in the facility. What is striking is the use of video projection, and its associated ambient light, to create the atmosphere in many of the exhibits. Early in the museum is a wall entirely of sketches. It takes a few moments to realize that some of the "papers" are not papers at all, but video screens with the images animated.

The installation of the glass hallway between the motion picture portion of the museum and the Disneyland portion of the museum is a nifty trick in misdirection. It takes you momentarily back to the real world before submerging you the glory that is Disneyland. It is rather like sitting in the submarine on 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea or Finding Nemo (depending on how old you are) just before you are "submerged" into the world under the surface of the sea. In my opinion, they use this trick to direct your attention from the fact that little is said about the struggle to get Disneyland built, or the contribution of time and energy by Walt's brother, Roy, without which there would have been no Disneyland. While they can't fool a Disneyphile like me, they will most effectively put one over on the rest of the "normal" populous. I, for one, was disappointed to leave the final exhibit area next to the gift shop, and not directly INTO the gift shop. But then it's not the Michael Eisner Family Museum, is it?

Entertainment technology professionals of all ages will enjoy this experience immensely, even if they are not huge Disney fans. There is some terrific technology to observe and ponder. I do not recommend this experience the little one's however. There is only one truly interactive exhibit that I could find. The rest is walking and looking and reading and under no circumstances touching. The museum is most like Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. Relax and enjoy, but don't look too closely or you'll ruin the illusion.

USITT Update - Sort Of

I have recently returned from USITT. For those of you not in the know, that is the national conference for the United States Institute of Theatre Technology. This year, it was held in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Each year, I complain bitterly about the location of the conference. It is always some town I have no real desire to see - Louisville, Phoenix, Houston, Wichita (seriously), and now Cincinnati. Why can't we have USITT Hawaii or USITT Virgin Islands? This year was not different. I whined and complained right up until I stepped in to the Cincinnati Hilton Netherlands Plaza Hotel. And then I shut up!

The conference itself was fine. My USITT chapter meeting involved an interesting discussion on how the economy is impacting education. My ESTA meetings were centered around strategic planning for the association and offered in-depth analysis of the importance of ESTA and its programs. The exhibits were great and I got a chance to spend some time learning about wireless DMX from Andrew at City Theatrical and playing with the long-awaited new Element Control Console from ETC. A typical USITT.

A typical report from a USITT would include a detailed description of the new equipment offerings and how they can better your facilities. This will not be a typical report. You don't need me to tell you all about the new Element Control Console, you have already seen 9 press releases about it and visited the ETC website. Instead, I am going to tell you about the hotel.

As artists, we all want to be inspired. I find as I get older, that I am less and less easily inspired. Everything seems mundane and dim and industrial. Architecture and interior design has devolved to appeal to the lowest common denominator. Structure and color have become anticipatory to me. I can walk up to a building and tell you exactly what it will look like inside. But not the Hilton Netherland Plaza Hotel!

This hotel was completed in 1931 by a gentleman who cleverly pulled is money out of the stock market moments before it crashed. As a result, he was able to complete his project, and employ a great number of people, at a time of great despair for many others. This hotel is a model of Art Deco splendor that makes the Empire State Building look like a shack. What was once the lobby of the hotel is now the Palms Court Restaurant and Bar, which is the picture at top. Lined in Brazilian Rosewood, it features glorious wall sconces, remarkable scroll work, and lovely paintings (sadly lit with Par 46 cans - one of which I was forced to adjust slightly because I couldn't stand it anymore). At the far end is a zigguraut-shapped fountain with a rams head. From the Mezanine level, you can look down at all this splendor, and up at some more, as there are brilliant chandeliers and luscious murals on the ceiling of Apollo and Diana.

We decided to take a walking tour of the entire hotel. Guests are permitted to wander in and out of ballrooms and meeting rooms. Each one more amazing than the next. The USITT Banquet was held in the Hall of Mirrors on the third floor. Originally designed to look like a theatre, the room features a majestic staircase, jaded green grille work, and painted draperies. The main feature of the room was, of course, the mirrors, which reflect warm shimmering light from every angle of the room.
Beneath the hotel is a breezeway that connects the hotel to Carew Tower and to the above street-level walkway to the convention center. Even the breezeway is an example of Art Deco splendor. Chrome and lavander decor with remarkable marble pillars. The lighting overhead seems natural instead of being underneath 27 stories of over 600 guest rooms.

Every room we visited brought new joys and surprises. Murals, chandeliers, scroll work, grilles, scuplture, and sconces. All of it designed to transport the visitor to a time and place of opulence and romance. Colors, textiles, metals, woods, and furnishings all selected with the one goal of human inspiration. I would be pleased to return to Cincinnati for any reason, so long as I could spend 2 hours basking in the glory of this delicious hotel.

That being said, next year USITT will be held in Kansas City, Mo. NOT Hawaii, as I requested for the 15th year in a row. The best I can hope for is to be once again surprised and inspired by the ingenuity of man and power of really good art.

Rotating Pastel Lights Win the Day!

Hey Everyone! Great Work! We Won!! Americans for the Arts Reports... "Just moments ago, the U.S. House of Representatives approved their final version of the Economic Recovery bill by a vote of 246-183. We can now confirm that the package DOES include $50 million in direct support for arts jobs through National Endowment for the Arts grants. We are also happy to report that the exclusionary Coburn Amendment language banning certain arts groups from receiving any other economic recovery funds has also been successfully removed. Tonight the Senate is scheduled to have their final vote, and President Obama plans to sign the bill on Monday - President's Day!"
Way to go Arts Community! Your voice was heard.

No Bailout for Rotating Pastel Lights!

It has been brought to my attention that one Republican Senator from Oklahoma has introduced an amendment to the Economic Stimulus package. His Amendment #175 to the Federal Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, says, "None of the amounts appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used for any casino or other gambling establishment, aquarium, zoo, golf course, swimming pool, stadium, community park, museum, theater, arts center, or highway beautification project, including renovation, remodeling, construction, salaries, furniture, zero-gravity chairs, big screen televisions, beautification, rotating pastel lights, and dry heat saunas."

I agree with Senator Coburn on one point. Rotating pastel lights, improperly applied, can be tacky. Moreover, rotating pastel lights employ fewer than 100 people nationally. Let the Chinese corner the market on rotating pastel lights. As Americans, we should be spending our tax dollars responsibly on rotating lights in saturated colors.

On all other points, I will have to agree to disagree with Senator Coburn.

The National Endowment for the Arts is slated to receive $50 million as part of the Economic Stimulus Package. Even if one million of that were to somehow end up in the hands of people making or using rotating pastel lights, that would still leave $49 million dollars to be distributed to arts groups and individual artists spanning the entire country.

The arts are an important component of a healthy economy and social ecosystem. I am not sure how Senator Coburn missed the memo on this. I have emailed him a copy of the report created by the Arts Council Silicon Valley in 2007 called Arts and Economic Prosperity III to help the guy out. If you would like to read it for yourself, you can download it here. It is admittedly a dry read, so let me sum it up for you. Arts = jobs and revenue. The End. In 2007, arts and culture organizations who participated in the study were responsible for almost 4,000 jobs and $166 million in economic activity. Admittedly, very few of these organizations were employing rotating pastel lights.

Under most circumstances, I am not a very political person. I tend to glaze over when people use words like Economic Stimulus, and Federal Recovery and Reinvestment. But come on. Am I really supposed to sit here and let this gentleman from Oklahoma attack my entire industry? I am calling my perfectly sane Senator and asking her to vote no on this absurd proposition. I encourage you to do the same.

In the mean time, I intend to get in my vehicle and try and navigate the luxuriously beautiful road to my home where I can enjoy my big screen TV in my Zero Gravity chair. But what I really need is a big glass of Pinot Grigio and a dry heat sauna!