Once Upon a Studio Directors and Producers Reflect on Working With Songwriter Richard Sherman

Once Upon s Studio, a new short film celebrating Walt Disney Animation Studios’ 100th anniversary, is debuting tonight on ABC during a special celebration. The short features 543 characters from more than 85 Disney feature-length and short films, and a very special Disney legend returned for the project. Once Upon a Studio features a new version of “Feed the Birds” from Mary Poppins, which was originally written by songwriters Richard and Robert Sherman. While Robert passed away in 2012, Richard recently celebrated his 95th birthday and recorded a new version of “Feed the Birds” for the short film. ComicBook.com had the chance to chat with the film’s directors, Dan Abraham and Trent Correy, in addition to producers Yvett Merino and Brad Simonsen. During the interview, the creatives talked about what it was like working with the iconic songwriter.

“That was an amazing day,” Correy shared. “Dan texted me the night before and said, ‘Tuck your shirt in, buddy, wear something nice.’ Because meeting Richard Sherman, he’s a legend. And at 94 years young, he played ‘Feed the Birds’ for us. And it was a magical day.”

“He and his brother Bob were like, they’re a soundtrack to my youth,” Abraham added. “And I did bring my Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too record for him to sign. I had to play it cool and be like, ‘This is awesome and stuff.’ But like, oh my gosh, those guys are so talented. And to get to record him at 94 years old in Walt Disney’s office on a Friday afternoon on the same piano that he played for Walt, it was just like a constant, ‘Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry.’ I’ll never forget that day.”

“I think just being in the same room with him, to be honest, was geeky enough for me,” Merino explained. “We had met him a year prior. Howard Green was gracious enough to introduce us, he was coming in to celebrate his birthday, and we showed him the work-in-progress short, and one thing led to another … The recording in Walt’s office on that Friday afternoon, I was in tears just standing there and just being there. And it’s one of those things of, ‘This is really happening. Okay.’ So yeah, it was such a special, even today, I was like, ‘Wow, that really happened.’”

“Every once in a while at our studio, they send out an email saying they’re opening up tours of Walt’s office, and then you have to be really fast,” Simonsen explained. “They go super fast. And this was, I can’t remember, it was like three or four years ago that I signed up for one of those tours just on my own randomly. And I went and did the actual tour where they tell you all about everything. And I was so incredibly inspired at that moment in time in Walt’s office, and they tell you everything, and there’s still scripts. Everything’s set up exactly how it was. So when this came up, when this opportunity came up and they said, ‘Well, yeah, why don’t we do it in Walt’s office?’ My head almost exploded.” 

Stay tuned for more from our interviews with the producers and directors of Once Upon a Studio, which will make its broadcast premiere during The Wonderful World of Disney: Disney’s 100th Anniversary Celebration! Sunday, October 15th on ABC.