?Voices? heard ?In Harmony? at Disney World
As related by Music vocal director Bryan Mills
It was 1:30 Thursday afternoon and I was ready to jump in the wave pool at Wet & Wild Water Park in Orlando, Florida. Heck, after 26 hours on a bus with 40 teenagers, who wouldn?t want to? The park was refreshing with a few rides on the water slides and several floats down the lazy river; the 80-degree sunny weather was just the shot I needed to revive.
After that oasis, we retreated to the hotel two blocks away. The place was great. Two hot tubs, a huge pool, and comfortable air-conditioned rooms were just the thing everyone needed after the water park. Friday brought a treat for the Rogers City students. A show choir workshop with Disney Professionals was both educational and rewarding. We were escorted backstage to an MGM studio that the average park goer would never have seen. Upon entering, we found instructors ready to teach us advanced skills in singing, performing, dancing, and auditioning.
One professional was a dancer/singer at the ?Beauty and the Beast? show in the park.
ON OUR FINAL performance of the number, the characters Chip and Dale joined us for a hoedown performance. It was then we realized we weren?t in Rogers City anymore, but in the Wonderful World of Walt Disney. After the workshop, I rode a few rides, and watched a few shows such as ?How to Be a Millionaire,? but I, along with others from Rogers City, walked away empty-handed. The ride I remember most was the Tower of Terror, an elevator ride out of the ?Twilight Zone.? I still remember Megan, Alison and Mike Marx screaming at the top their lungs from being so petrified. I, being a former Air Force C-130 Crew Chief, was used to going up and down at dramatic speeds. I don?t recall screaming on the ride, but did elicit a few ?ho-ho?s? and ?ha-ha?s.?
Saturday was the big day. The live performance in the Magic Kingdom in Tomorrow Land was what the students worked so hard for over the past year. After being dubbed honorary ?cast members? of the Disney World by our escorts, we were once again taken backstage to dress for rehearsal for our concert. The most exciting time of the concert for me was the last five minutes backstage before the students went out to perform. The excitement was so thick you could have cut it with a knife. The energy and the smiles were fabulous to watch. The moment had arrived. The ?Ambassadors of Rogers City? would sing to the world.
EVERYONE IN Rogers City would have been proud of these youths and their performance. The concert went without a hitch, except for the blowing wind causing several hats and gloves to exit stage left, but that?s ?show biz.? I can honestly say hundreds of people gathered around the stage to watch the performance. A Disney sound technician commented to Mike Marx on how professional we were compared to other groups that came, and how we drew a remarkably huge crowd. After the concert, the students did what every child would do, saw Mickey Mouse, rode Space Mountain, watched the Electric-light Parade and afterward, the fireworks.
Amazingly, nobody got lost getting back to the bus among the throngs of people from all over the world. The day was done, with hats off to all the students. By Sunday, it was on to see the lions, tigers, elephants, giraffes, and bears at Animal Kingdom. Even though we did not sing at this park, the sounds of the wildlife of Africa and Asia brought melodious music to our ears. That afternoon, we went to a huge mall, Festival Bay, to perform for a crowd of Rogers Cityans. I do believe there were more people from Rogers City there on vacation than locals at the mall. The mall was awesome, built just months before and only half the spaces were filled with stores. It had a huge indoor skate park and they were building a wave pool that produced 8-12 foot waves for mid-Florida surfers who do not like salt water.
AFTER THE concert, we retreated to the Epcot Center, an international park filled with culture from various countries. I found myself staying several hours in Africa. After buying an African hat, I found a couple sets of bongo drums. Lynn Crawford, another chaperone and I played the drums for nearly an hour, laughing wildly as people from all over the world would stop and think we were the ?real thing.? Monday we were off to the Kennedy Space Center, Cocoa Beach, and Ron Jon?s Surf Shop. Many of the students, including myself, swam in the salt infested water (unlike Lake Huron). The waves were about three feet high and everyone was swimming very well, while I was being thrown onto the shore like a beached whale. If asked about my favorite highlights
Moreover, the best thing of the trip would have to be when the students asked me when it was all over, ?Did we fulfill your vision?? It was all I could do to keep from crying. Yes, the students did fulfill my vision to ?infinity and beyond,? just like Buzz Lightyear.
What great youths we have in Rogers City. They are to be commended as well as the 10 chaperones who came along.