DVDizzy Forum

Sotiris wrote:Here's my ranking:

01. Waiting in the Wings (from Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure)
One of the best songs in the show. Great melody, meaningful lyrics, and a Broadway-worthy performance by Eden Espinosa.

02. As You Move Forward (from The Lion Guard)
It's decent. Not particularly memorable, but not bad either.

03. Never Leave (from Elena of Avalor)
It has a nice beat and a Latin-flavored orchestration, but all of the songs from this show do. I'm perplexed as to why this one specifically was chosen over much better ones in the series. There's a new song in every episode, so there's certainly no shortage of them.

04. Gonna Go Good (from Big Hero 6: The Series)
Another odd choice from the voting committee. The song's loud and obnoxious, but at least the singer is competent. You can tell she has a music background.

05. The Vamp Opera (from Vampirina)
This really isn't a song. Just dialogue with rhyming. It's annoying, overlong, with no structure. Listening to the entire thing was exhausting. I understand why it was nominated though. The voters must have liked the gimmick of having an entire episode sung-through. That's not common in kids TV.

Disney's Divinity wrote:I had a stray thought the other day about how they tried to get a Varian spin-off. While I wish it had happened since I loved Varian and would've liked to see more of the character, it's a shame they didn't think of doing a spin-off with Cassandra. Isn't the storyboards involving her what got this series off the ground itself? And her future is left very vague at the end. It would've made more sense to shop a spin-off with her, really... But perhaps they thought a boy's show would be more likely to be picked up.

Daytime Emmys wrote:The #DaytimeEmmys Award in Original Song in a Children’s, Young Adult or Animated Program goes to...
Waiting in the Wings

https://twitter.com/DaytimeEmmys/status ... 7019682817

Daytime Emmys wrote:The #DaytimeEmmys Award in Outstanding Writing for an Animated Program goes to...
Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure

disneyprincess11 wrote:Fantastic night!

D82 wrote:I'm so glad this series is finally getting some recognition!

Disney's Divinity wrote:Yes, not just the music, but the writers of the show deserve this so much, too. They took a show I had very little initial interest in and did something unimaginably great with it. I hope Disney rewards them with more work, too. I'd love if they had some involvement at WDAS, although I imagine making a TV series and a film are very different.

Chris Sonnenburg wrote:Thank you SO much Glenn for all of your & Alan's hard work on the show. If ANY of the songs deserved this award, it was this one. I envisioned this song almost 6 years ago, and the way you executed it was absolute perfection. Eden Espinosa, what a voice! Congrats to you all.

Disney's Divinity wrote:I’d love “Nothing Left to Lose” to win, but I know most here preferred “Crossing the Line,” which means it probably has the better chances.

Sotiris wrote:Anyway, congrats to all the winners!


Source: https://twitter.com/DisneyTVA/status/12 ... 9996355585

After creating such a whole and complete story with the film, how did it feel to revisit the characters and create for new ones in the series? Do you view the series as a sequel to the film?

After writing the movie, it felt "complete" - we couldn't quite envision what a sequel would be. And then Chris Sonnenburg pitched us an idea - a whole story that would take place in the gap after the action of the film, but before the wedding at the end.

We loved the ambition of the idea. The fact that so many of the original cast members were returning was the icing on the cake. And that they were adding in Broadway actors who we loved, like Eden Espinosa and Jeremy Jordan was the cherry on top. So - we were truly excited.

Even then, I don't think we were quite prepared for just how epic the series would be! We definitely saw it a fitting sequel to the film before we started - but now, it feels like the inevitable sequel. Cass and Varian and Lance feel like they've always been part of the story.

Were there any ideas for the music you didn't end up using in the movie that you later used for the series?

We had started writing "Wind In My Hair" as an end credits song, then abandoned it when "Something That I Want" came in. But it always had that "next chapter in Rapunzel's life" feel for us, so it felt natural going back to that music and making the lyrics specific to the series.

and really drives home his character development in the series. he goes from “nonono sorry boys i don’t sing” in the film to having one of the most beautiful and heartbreaking ballads in the series with “everything i ever thought i knew”.

Aww, I love that song too! I was desperate to write a real heartfelt moment for Zachary Levi to sing, and he just knocked it so far out of park!

Did this in any way inspire The Girl Who Has Everything from the Cassandra's Revenge episode of the show?

Oh, absolutely! We always go back to that initial "Rapz as folkie" impulse for inspiration, because that idealistic, vulnerable, hopeful sound captures her so well. And in "The Girl Who Has Everything", she's at her most hopeful - so we wanted a pure expression of that hope. (Plus, while Mandy Moore can sing just about anything to perfection, she's particularly amazing in that folk-rock mode. She had just released her album "Amanda Leigh" when we cast her, and if you haven't heard it yet - OMG, it's fantastic!)

I've always gotten a sort of "rock star" vibe off of Eugene, especially when taking into account "Flynn Rider: Wanted Man" and his verse in "Life After Happily Ever After". That being said what was it like for you actually getting into the emotional side of him for "Everything I Ever Thought I Knew'?

The series did such amazing work deepening and strengthening Eugene's character. By the revelations of Season 3, there's no longer a "surface Eugene" and "inner Eugene" - that separation, which he was so careful to maintain, has collapsed...

While writing the movie, it was hard to imagine him singing in anything OTHER than a "rock star" mode. By the end of the series, it was hard to imagine him singing in anything other than his heartfelt mode. That's an amazing character arc!

I've always gotten a sort of "rock star" vibe off of Eugene, especially when taking into account "Flynn Rider: Wanted Man" and his verse in "Life After Happily Ever After". That being said what was it like for you actually getting into the emotional side of him for "Everything I Ever Thought I Knew'?

The series did an amazing job of strengthening and deepening Eugene. For the film, we couldn't imagine him singing in anything other than "rock star mode". By the revelations of Season 3, we couldn't imagine him singing in anything other than "heartfelt mode".

That's an amazing character arc, and it was immensely satisfying as a writer to take him on that journey. Similarly satisfying to let Zachary Levi - who we all know can be hilarious - have those big emotionally wrenching moments, and to let the world see what huge range he has.

What is your favorite song from season 3 of Rapunzels Tangled Adventure?

So hard to choose between "Crossing The Line" and "Nothing Left to Lose"! And...I have a real soft spot for "Bigger Than That", I think James Monroe Iglehart's performance is just amazing.

Were you excited to do a reprise of “life after happily ever after” for the series finale and feel rapunzels journey in the series come full circle start to finish because of that song being reprised?

Yes! I love "Life After Happily Ever After" - it was the first song we wrote for the series, and It's the one that made me feel like the songs could be as good as the ones in the movie. So it felt great to bring it full circle, and end the series where we began it.

Are there any songs you had written for series that ended up being cut from the final production?

Well...there were a few that weren't quite good enough, so they got replaced. A song called "I'm Gonna Show You" that got thrown out and replaced by "Let Me Make You Proud" (SO MUCH BETTER!). A song called "Lady In Waiting" that got tossed and replaced by "Waiting In the Wings" and so on. But nothing that would have been "extra". The plan was 10 songs per season, and that's what we ended up with.

The songs in Tangled the movie and the series were amazing. When it came time to write Everything I Ever Thought I Knew what or who inspired you?

Honestly? Mostly just the character himself! I've lived with Eugene for a loooong time - so at this point, I don't need to dig into my own life for inspiration, I have enough of a history with the character to write for him on his own terms.

Did you have a certain feel for the different series characters’ songs (like cass, varian, lance)? It was interesting seeing u talk about the sort of style u used for rapunzel and eugene!!

In all three cases, our writing was absolutely informed by our familiarity with the performers. We know exactly what Eden, Jeremy, and James can do - and when you have high-performance vehicles like that, you REALLY want to take them out for a joy-ride! Hence - epic moments!

Not a question but I just wanna say the instrumentals in buddy song are amazing

Totally agree! Our arranger for the series, Kevin Kliesch, is amazing. Still in awe of what he did for "Nothing Left To Lose".

Are there any deleted songs from the series that you wished could have made it in? if so, what were they about?

All the deleted songs in the series were replaced by similar, but much better, songs. So...nope, really happy with the way it all worked out!

If you can write one more song for any of the characters in the series, who? Also if there is a spin off what character should have one? &would you write the songs? Ps thank you for the movie and series soundtrack, what beautiful, epic, and inspiring songs

If there were a Varian spin-off, I'd totally sign up - love writing for Jeremy Jordan, and didn't get to do nearly as many songs for him as I wanted to.

You guys worked so hard on tangled the series, do you wish it got more attention or that Disney promoted it more?

God yes! Thrilled that it found such a big and healthy fandom - but can't help but feel it could have been so much bigger if Disney hadn't dropped the ball.

How was the writing process of Waiting in the Wings ? Was it a fast process ? Slow ? Fun ?

We wrote a whole other song first, called "Lady In Waiting". It was...pretty good, actually! But...while it worked in the context of the moment, and didn't quite work in context of her longer story arc. So I got a call from Chris Sonnenburg. Periodically, he'd have to make these kinds of calls - so hard to do, basically telling Alan Menken "um, your song doesn't quite work..." but we had a huge level in faith in this team, so if they needed something slightly different we were happy to oblige. It took a few weeks, and a few adjustments. Alan wrote a new melody with a chorus that found the right balance between yearning and despair. And I rethought the lyric so that it felt a bit more unresolved. After all, this isn't her big meltdown, it's the first cracks in her wall. And she can still hold back the flood here. We needed to keep our powder dry and save the big explosions for a later moment...which turned out to be "Crossing the Line".

Would you work on a Varian spin-off, a Cassandra spin-off, or both?

Either/or!

What I wouldn’t give to hear a demo of Lady in Waiting (please)

Here's the lyrics to Lady In Waiting:

I guess I’m a lady in waiting,
‘Cause waiting is all that I do.
I’m always the one
Whose big day in the sun
Just happens to never come through.

The girl no one needs to pay heed to,
Whose name no one bothers to learn,
Holding my tongue,
Overlooked and unsung,
Just patiently waiting my turn.

Well, I’m tired of life in the shadows,
Of hiding my light in a drawer,
I’m done masquerading—
This lady is waiting for more.

Waiting for action!
Waiting for glory!
Waiting for just one chance to star in my own story.
Tired of dreaming,
Ready to wake.
I wonder, how much longer will it take?

Like so many ladies in waiting,
My patience has worn a bit thin.
I’ve had it to here
With my back-seat career,
It’s time for MY life to begin.

And all of the laughers and doubters
Who sneer so contemptuously,
Well, soon they’ll all know
What I knew long ago:
The world has been waiting for me!

Waiting for passion!
Waiting for feeling!
Waiting for someone who can smash that stained-glass ceiling!
I know I’m ready,
Sure as can be.
I may have waited before,
But this lady’s waiting no more!
The time has come to seize my fate--
I’ll show them all, just wait...
And see!

For me, Nothing left to lose is one of the most memorable moments of animated TV. Obviously there is an incredible coordination work between animators and music. When did you start planning that song?

All credit as far as planning goes to Chris Sonnenburg and his story team - they had all three seasons mapped out from the get go. I'm not 100% sure they foresaw the Varian/Cass duet from the very beginning - but certainly by the time they started working on Season 3.

What was your experience working with Jeremy Jordan? and with the varian songs! i feel like he's a character with a lot of potential

Ugh, Jeremy Jordan is so ridiculously talented. Every note he sings is meticulously planned, and he brings so much intelligence to his choices. I was constantly surprised by the slight deviations he'd make - and how each deviation improved upon our original intentions.

And for "i'm gonna show you"? i would love to hear it one day, it's very curious

It was a duet for Varian and Qirin. It had a kind of 80s rock vibe. Trust me, you're very happy that we threw it out and wrote "Let Me Make You Proud" instead.

alpha stage Waiting in Wings omg This is cool but sort of glad it got changed up and such because like I always say Waiting in the Wings is literally the best Disney character song behind Reflection from Mulan

Agreed! You can see from these lyrics - she comes to a resolution way too early in her arc. That's why we had to recalibrate, put this in the drawer, and write "Waiting In The Wings" instead.

Let me make you proud is in my option one of the best songs you guys wrote for tangled

Of everything from the series, it's probably the one I go back to listen to the most.

Mandy Moore can sing just about anything to perfection, she's particularly amazing in that folk-rock mode. She had just released her album "Amanda Leigh" when we cast her, and if you haven't heard it yet - OMG, it's fantastic!)

but can't help but feel it could have been so much bigger if Disney hadn't dropped the ball.