Storyboard:

TheWorldofTomorrow

FanninMusicalProductions

OverviewInspiredbythe1939World’sFairinNewYork,theWorldofTomorrowutilizesinnovativemusicalarrangements,narration,costumeandpropdesigntopresentthecontrastbetweenthe‘retro-future’thatwasimaginedinthemid-20thcentury—thetitular‘WorldofTomorrow’—andtherealityofthefuturewefindourselvesin.Atfirstpessimistic,theshowultimatelyendsonanupbeattone.MusicisdrawnfromCornfieldChasefromHansZimmer’sscoretothefilmInterstellar[2014],Coldplay’shitASkyFullofStars[2014],MichaelGiacchino’sEnterprisingYoungMenfromthefilmStarTrek[2009],andSomewhereOvertheRainbow,thenumberonesongof1939.

SetDesign

Theoverallsetdesignisdrawnfromthearchitectureofthe1939World’sFair,usingthoseideastocreateavarietyofstagingopportunitiesanddistinctivevisualeffects.

Oneofthemajorpropsisthelargepyramidandsphere(‘trylon&perisphere’)whichwasthecenterpieceofthe1939fair.Ametalframecoveredincloth,thepropcanbebrightlylitupforakeymomentintheshow.

Asecondmajorpropelementconsistsofthreelarge,metalarches.Drillflowsunderandaroundthemandatakeymomentintheshowtheycanbedrummedonforametallic,machine-likefeel.

Inthepitarea,araisedplatformsnakesitswaythroughtheinstrumentstoservessasastagingareaforfeaturegroupsandsoloists.

StagewithPerformers

RearView

Costuming&FlagDesign

The‘trylon&perisphere’imageryfromtheWorld’sFairisusedasavisualmotifthroughouttheprogram.Intheopenersilkthesymboliskeptinthesilverandgraypalette,thentheballadsilksintroducemorecolor,andthenfinalthesymbolreturnsinthecloserinamorevibrantcoloration.Thecolorpalettegetsstrongerthroughouttheshow,butbystayinginthe‘cool’endofthespectrummaintainsa‘futuristic’vibe.

Movement1Effects—CornfieldChase

Thepre-showbeginswithavoiceoverinOldMan’s[OM]voice:Thiswassupposedtobethefuture.

Entireensembleentersinlong,snaking‘train’asthoughtheworkdaywerebeginning.CornfieldChaseblendswith2ironicallyjuxtaposedsoundtracks:one,a1930s‘newsreel’typeexpoundsonthewondrous‘WorldofTomorrow,’thesecondacollectionofmodernnewsclipsthatseemtocontradictwhatthefirstispredicting.The‘train’dropsOMoffatthepitstage-platformandheclimbsitwhilethedrillevolvesintoouropeningsetbehindhim.

Asmusicbuildstowardthefirstimpact,theNewsreelVoice[NR]:TheWorldofTomorrow!

Movement2Effects

Inthesecondmovement,voiceoversexpressingtheOldMan’sconfusionwiththemodernworldmotivatesvariousmusicalandvisualeffects.First,variousgroupsleavetheimpactformsequentiallyafterfirstperforming‘checkyourwatch’visual—thentakeoff,headdown,hornsattrail,repetitivearmvisualasthoughlateandinahurry.OMrepetitivelydodgesthesegroupsastheytakeoff.Voiceover[OM]:Weweresupposedtogetmorefreetime…sowhyiseveryoneinsuchahurry?

Afterdodgingafewgroupsofhurriedmusicians,OMendsuptrappedinagroupofguardwiththetrombonesoloist.Voiceover[OM]:Weweresupposedtocontrolthemachines…Notbetrappedbythem!

Trombonesoloistplaysasmeary,dizzyingsolowhileguardmembersforma‘machine’ofstrippedflagsaroundOMwhichmoverepetitiously,mechanicallybackandforth.OMstumblesaround,trapped.

Afterabriefpittransition,OM:Weknowexactlywhereweareontheearth…downtotheinch!…sowhydoIfeelsolost?

OMstumblesintospiralingwoodwindform—play,dizzying,noteyfeatureashewhirlsthrough.Then,afteranotherBriefpittransition,OM:It’sconfusing…maddening…

OMissurroundedbydrumswhoplayhuge,veryvisualfeatureasheissweptalongtowardsafull-ensembleformwhichhasbeencomingtogetherduringdrumfeature.Veryquick(onlyabarortwo)transitionwithvoiceoverNR:…theWorldofTomorrow!

Forseveralphrasesofmusicaldevelopment,thehornlinefloatsaformresemblingamazewhileOMmovesthroughit.VoiceoverOM:Werunpointlessly…Likeratsinamaze…Afterfloatingforafewmusicalphrases,theformreshapesquicklyintoasolid,blockishimpactformwithOMinthedeadcenterforafinalfanfare,thenvoiceoverNR:…theWorldofTomorrow![withecho,repeat&fadeeffectapplied]

Ballad—‘SomewhereOvertheRainbow’/‘SkyFullofStars’

Afteratimedpausewhileechoeffectfades,apittransitionallowsthemusiciansandguardtorestage.OMwalksslowlyupontothestage/platformwithavoiceoverOM:Thiswassupposedtobethefuture…Itwasn’tsupposedtobelikethisis…itwassupposedtobe…

Voiceoverstopsinmid-sentenceasOMlooksovertoendofpropandseestheBalladvocalist,jacketandcapremoved,walkinguprampandwearingthefirstcolorwehaveseenintheshowsofar.Thereisagrandpause,or‘frozenmoment’bothmusicallyandvisuallywhileOMlooksatherforasecondortwo.

VocalistsingsafewbarsofSomewhereOvertheRainbow,eachlineinterruptedbyOMnarration.Behindthem,guardmembersbegintosneakinwithnewsilks,andwithoutjacket.

Vocalistsingsfirstline.

OM:Itwassupposedtobe…

Vocalistsingssecondline.

OM:…beautiful

AstheSkyFullofStarsostinatobegins,drillandflagworkbeginandthemoodbecomessignificantlymorehopeful.MusicalideasbegintodevelopandinterweavefromRainbowandStars.OMandvocalistleavestageandmovethroughdrill,OMinteractingwithguard,excitedbythemotionandcolor.

Bothmusicanddrillevolvetowardsimpact,withformbuiltaroundthe‘trylonandperisphere’prop.Asmusicbuilds,hornsanddrumbodyleandownthediagonalstowardsthepropdrawingtheeyetherefurther,thenasmusichitsarrivalpointproplightsupinternally.

Afterthisimpact,thedrillrestagestowardsthearchpropsonSideAasthevocalistsingsafinalphraseofRainbow.

Closer—EnterprisingYoungMen

AsEnterprisingYoungMen[EYM]beginsinthepit,themusicalensemblebeginstotransitiontonewcostuming.Drumlinememberschangeoutquicklyandthenplayonthemetalofthepropsasthehornlinepassesthroughthearchesandguardmembersremovetheirjackets/capsinthemannerofanassemblyline.Hornlinemembersscatteracrossthefieldinnewlyrevealed,brightlycoloredbodywearshirts,floodingthefieldwithcolor.

NarrationOM:Maybeitisaconfusingtime…Maybewedon’tknowexactlywherewe’regoing…butthenagain,that’stheexcitementofit…endlesspossibilities…

AshornsbegintoentermusicallyandbuildtowardsthefirstbigimpactoftheCloser,thenewsreelnarrationsreturn,thistimenotironicallybutoptimisticallyannouncingthelatestscientific,technological,breakthroughs.Then,rightbeforeimpact,voiceoverNR:…theworldoftomorrow!

Afterseveralphrasesofmusicanddrilldevelopment,wereturntoarelative‘down’momentinthemusicoverlaidwithfurthernewsclipsexpoundingonpositive,hopeful,‘futuristic’discoveriesandtechnologies.

Then,onelastmusicalpushtotheend,climaxingwiththedrillhittingafinalsetthatmirrorsthe‘trylonandperisphere.’

Afterfinalmusicalimpactandhornsdown,twolastnarrations…

NR:…theworldoftomorrow!

OM:Thefuture…isNOW.