G | Animation/Musical | 2 Hours 6 Minutes | $10.00 General Admission/$6.00 Members
Fantasia is a groundbreaking animated film produced by Walt Disney and released by Walt Disney Productions in 1940. Unlike traditional narrative films, it is a unique blend of animation and classical music, where each segment of the film is set to a classical music piece, often interpreted in a fantastical, abstract, or visually symbolic way. It was one of the first films to combine sound, animation, and music in such a groundbreaking way, making it a pioneer in animated filmmaking and sound technology.
The film consists of eight segments, each representing a different story or theme, often inspired by classical compositions performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Leopold Stokowski. The music comes from famous composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Igor Stravinsky, and others. Some of the most famous sequences include:
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice – Starring Mickey Mouse, this segment is set to Paul Dukas’ “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” and is one of the film’s most iconic moments, where Mickey, as an apprentice, tries to use magic to do his chores with disastrous results.
The Rite of Spring – Set to Igor Stravinsky’s piece, this segment depicts the creation of the Earth and the age of the dinosaurs, showing both the birth of the planet and its eventual cataclysmic events.
Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria – A striking contrast of dark and light, featuring the devilish demon Chernabog atop a mountain, followed by the serene “Ave Maria.”
The film’s visual style, artistic innovation, and its ambitious blending of music and animation set Fantasia apart as one of Disney’s most avant-garde projects, and it remains an important milestone in animation and film history.
Come join us for this special animated classic with full theatre sound on the big screen!