Blacks participate in 'Fantasia'

Blacks participate in `Fantasia'

by Earl Calloway

"Fantasia/2000," the greatest of Walt Disney's animated masterpieces continues to be a big draw in the world's theaters. The classic was begun with Leopold Stokowski and Walt Disney collaborating on how to merge music and motion which resulted in this masterpiece.

There were probably no Blacks participating in the 1940 version, that situation changed with "Fantasia/2000" because there are many involved in the technical aspects and three are featured, Pixote Hunt as Director/Art Director, "Symphony No. 5" serves as director of Beethoven's popular symphony, for which he created an abstract piece in pastels illustrating a battle between the forces of good and evil.

He also directed and designed the sets for the live-action interstitial segments of the film. He has been with Disney since 1979. His first assignment was an effects animator on 1981's "The Fox and the Hound."

Because of his association with Michael Jackson, as producer and writer for some of the singer's super-hits, Quincy Jones is known to many generations. The trumpet player, producer and composer serves as a Host in "Fantasia/2000." Since he was born in Chicago and became a musician, he has developed into a magnificent composers, arranger, conductor, TV producer, record company executive and publisher of VIBE magazine.

Early in his career, he performed with many great jazz giants. Jones is currently celebrating 50 years as a musician. He studied composition with Nadia Boulanger in France and said that he goes to classical concerts and operatic performances so that he will be conversant with all kinds of musical styles.

James Earl Jones, a native of Arkabutla, Mississippi, raised in Manistee, Michigan and an alumni of the University of Michigan, overcame a speech impediment to earn critical acclaim as one of the world's most significant Shakespearean actor and has that special artistic perception to penetrate into the essence of characters he interprets to the effect that he loses his individual persona.

In Disney's "Fantasia/2000", Jones serves as a host. He has won two Tony Awards as best actor for his roles in "Fences" and "The Great White Hope." It was as a classical actor that he was ushered into prominence on Broadway after his appearances in "Richard III," "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "Much Ado About Nothing."

In "Fantasia/2000", the concert film there are many classical compositions by Beethoven, Shostakovich, Respighi, Gershwin, Dukas, Saint-Saens, Elgar and Stravinsky. This tremendous musical and visual spectacular work of art features the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under the direction of James Levine.

The entire production was under the personal supervision of Roy Edward Disney, vice chairman of the Walt Disney Studios, who serves as chairman of Walt Disney Features animation.

Article Copyright Sengstacke Enterprises, Inc.

Photo (Pixote Hunt)