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DAY 3
| Day 3 began with a buffet breakfast,
followed by the "Behind-the-Magic" seminars. The first was entitled
"Adventures in Wonderland & Never Land with Disney Legend Kathryn Beaumont. In
the above picture, you can see Tim O' Day with Kathryn Beaumont. On the table to the left
is the Alice in Wonderland Scene of sculptures. She was only 10 when she was selected for
the voice part of Alice, followed shortly by Wendy in Peter Pan. Since that time, she has been an elementary
school teacher. You think she would be constantly asked about her previous
"Disney life", however, that is not the case. In fact, she only has a few
memorable times when she was approached by a student or a parent regarding her
Disney
voice roles. She told a funny story on how a few years back a student was watching Alice in
Wonderland with his mother and by voice alone, exclaimed "hey..that's my teacher Mrs.
Beaumont!" The mother chuckled and said "Many people have an english
accent....that couldn't possibly be your teacher." They argued over the issue, but
the young boy would not let up. One day after school, he brought in his mother and said
" Mrs. Beaumont, tell my mother how you are Alice from Alice in Wonderland." Mrs.
Beaumont replied, "Why yes, I am." We all wished we could have been there to see
her face......
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| The next seminar, "A
Conversation with Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty: Mary Costa", was a very moving
experience. Words cannot describe the power of this woman. Following an incredible career
of music, opera, and TV spots, she was indeed "Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty",
manipulating the high register of her voice like no other. Walt called her "Happy
Bird" and she called him Mr. Disney. It is not surprising that Mary Costa is now a
motivational speaker. You speak to her a little while and you feel like there's something
deep down inside of you that you just haven't tapped into yet....Amazing...
She took a few questions from the
audience. She struggled with "Do you like the dress blue or pink?" She
stated she likes them both (a safe Disney answer). In private, I asked what her favorite
Disney film
was. She loves Sleeping Beauty, but the Lion King is her all-time favorite. She feels it
is "a very motivational and spiritual film." The seminar ended with another Walt Disney
Classics Collection Surprise: The Unveiling of Sleeping Beauty's Dress
After the seminars, the convention
was officially over. However, the festivities were not. We all raced over to
"public
day" at the MGM studios. There, Marc Davis, Patrick Romandy-Simmons, Kathryn Beaumont, and
Mary Costa were to be present for signings in the Animation Gallery. After a freak rain
storm that lasted about 20 minutes, the signings began with Marc Davis and Patrick
Romandy-Simmons. However, at 4:30 pm they stopped for a motorcade down the
MGM Studios boulevard to
the Chinese theatre attraction, where the Disney Legends were invited to immortalize their hands in
cement. In the above photo, you can see the red convertibles bringing in Marc Davis
followed by Kathryn Beaumont and Mary Costa. Everyone cheered as they entered. To view the complete ceremony, click here.The
first annual Walt Disney Art Classics Celebration had come to an end.
During the last seminar, it
was announced that there would be a next time, in the theme of Pirates of the
Carribean. Return to our Walt Disney Art
Classics Convention Main Menu to see the other events.
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