Walt Disney Attractions will produce Super Bowl Halftime
"E*TRADE Super Bowl XXXIV Halftime
Show"
Produced by Walt Disney Attractions
Boomer Esiason and Al Michaelsl
will call Super Bowl XXXIV on January 30
Who
Legendary pop superstar Phil Collins, musical chart-toppers Christina Aguilera and Enrique
Iglesias, and award-winning songstress and Broadway star Toni Braxton will join more than
125 drummers and percussionists, a full symphony orchestra, larger-than-life puppets,
aerial dancers, a multi-generational choir and last but not least: one stadium-full of
Disney magic for the "E*TRADE Super Bowl XXXIV Halftime Show."
When
Super Bowl XXXIV will be held Sunday, January 30, 2000, and will air live
on ABC beginning at 6 p.m. Eastern Time. An estimated 130 million viewers
in the United States and millions more worldwide will be a part of an unprecedented
millennium celebration at the Georgia Dome as Walt Disney Attractions produces the Super
Bowl spectacle celebrating the dawn of the new millennium. Director, producer and Academy
Award nominee Edward James Olmos will be the featured narrator for the halftime
performance that will be televised by ABC-TV.
What
The show, entitled "Tapestry of Nations," is inspired by the year-long Walt
Disney World Millennium Celebration. Elements of the festivities are intertwined
throughout the 10-minute spectacle, including larger-than-life puppets, an original,
orchestral score and advanced pyrotechnics. Created by award-winning designer Michael
Curry, the puppets are modeled after those that are featured as part of the year-long Walt
Disney World Millennium Celebration in Florida.
The show, sponsored by E*TRADE, will feature a full symphony orchestra led by accomplished Atlanta-area conductor Steven Byess. The 80-member orchestra on the field will be a Super Bowl Halftime Show first. Reflecting the multi-generational celebration, members of the orchestra and accompanying choir range in age from 10 to 60.
Theatrical lighting -- the most expansive in Super Bowl history -- illuminates the darkened Georgia Dome as fully synchronized pyrotechnics provide an eye-and-ear-filling backdrop to the superstar musical performances. The lighting will create a magical atmosphere for the spiritual celebration.
This will be the sixth time Disney has created the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
Quotes
"Marking the milestone of the year 2000 in a special way is the mission for this
Super Bowl halftime show," says NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue. "We're pleased
to have Disney with us again to continue the tradition of magical halftime entertainment
for our fans."
"As the first e-commerce company to sponsor a Super Bowl halftime show, we at E*TRADE are thrilled to help bring this classic American show to life," said Michael Sievert, vice president of marketing at E*TRADE. "This is the ultimate game that celebrates the triumph of the independent spirit, the power of teamwork and the will to succeed. E*TRADE is delighted to be the major supporter of this special event."
"At the Walt Disney World Resort we are marking the milestone of the millennium in a big way with a year-long celebration," says Al Weiss, president of Walt Disney World Co. "With this special performance during Super Bowl XXXIV, we hope to give people around the world a taste of our celebration and welcome the year 2000 in grand fashion."
Related Links
- Feature: WDW Millennium Tapestry of Nations and Illunimations 2000 (from LaughingPlace.com)
- Tapestry of Nations (from LaughingPlace.com Epcot Attraction Guides)
-- Posted January 7, 2000
Source: Company Press Release