I LOVE ILLUMINATIONS....
I loved it even more once I knew the storyline....If you are interested:
Good evening and welcome. We've gathered here tonight around the fire as people of all lands have gathered for thousands and thousands of years before us ... to share the light ... and to share a story. An amazing story as old as time itself, but still being written. And though each of us has our own individual stories to tell, a true adventure emerges when we bring them all together as one. I hope you enjoy our story tonight: Reflections of Earth."
Twenty-seven-foot-tall torches arrayed around the lagoon are lit, and a mystical, musical wind quiets the audience. A sage, grandfatherly voice invites all to gather around for a storytelling in honour of this time of transition: the story of our home, planet earth, and the link between past and future. As if blowing out a candle, the sound of a breath extinguishes the torches, leaving the audience in darkness. A heavy drumbeat begins, accelerating faster & faster, culminating in a thunderous roar.
Act I, "Chaos", captures the tumultuous fiery early history of the planet earth. A shooting star explodes over the center of the lagoon; dancing fire and fountains shoot up like jets of lava; balls and plumes of fire erupt into the air, then veer off in all directions, while lasers produce eerie effects overhead
Act II introduces symbolic "Order". The earth globe, a 28-foot high LED video system wrapped around a sphere, floats to the center of the lagoon amid the sounds and cries of animals and birds. Lush green vegetation appears and slowly evolves on the massive video screen. Hundreds of images inspired by the history of the earth swirl to life: animals, primitive man, exploration, natural beauty, architectural wonders, and famous faces from history are among the sequences that pass over the surface of the earth globe. Using more than 180,000 Light Emitting Diodes, the electronic pictures depict primal seas and forest and the development of famous cultural landmarks including the Himalayas, the Sphynx, the Easter Island statues and Mount Rushmore. Diverse visages of famous people from around the world such as Martin Luther King, Dr. Jonas Salk, Mother Teresa, Albert Einstein, Muhammad Ali and the Dalai Lama are captured on the Earth Globe sphere during the presentation. The pace of the images accelerates in tandem with the tempo of the music and fireworks, as tailed comets leap into the air, showering the globe with "pixie dust". The final image is of an astronaut, who sees the earth in it's true context: as one place, home to all people.
"Meaning" is the theme of the celebratory Act III, which brings the story of our planet up to the present day. Uplifting music, lasers, lights, animated fountains, and a barrage of fireworks contribute to this intense finale. As a single voice swells to a chorus, the earth globe blossoms, opening from the top like the petals of a flower. In the center of the unfolding earth, a flaming torch rises slowly, heralding the dawn of the new millennium. The music crescendos to a majestic finish and the water and sky are filled with fireworks unlike any seen before. Then, after a moment's breath, a final acceleration of the drumbeat is heard beneath a huge barrage of fireworks.
