Small World's Big Cheese

Songwriter Richard Sherman gets a special Hollywood spotlight.

When we got word that a new it's a small world iPhone app was just released on Dec. 30, we should have known it was probably a happy harbinger to something else.

Because, really. Isn't the clock-tick-iest, global-sing-iest spot in all of the Golden State a little bit magic? We think so. Yes, yes, yes, the song certainly does stay in one's head -- months can go by, or even years, and somehow the melody's still there -- but it is also one of the most cheerful and instantly recognizable tunes in all the land.

Thank Richard Sherman for that, and his brother Robert. Walt Disney's go-to songwriting team created the brain-sticking phenom, and they created many delightful tunes besides (hi, they wrote the music for "Mary Poppins" and "The Jungle Book," which impresses us to our very toes). Now Richard Sherman will be getting tributed at the El Capitan on Sunday, Jan. 8, and bet it's a small world and all of his other accomplishments will merit mention.

Rob Richards, house organist at the El Cap, will Wurlitzer the day away. Special film clips will be shown, too, and Mr. Sherman will make a jovial cameo. If you've ever crossed paths with the legend you know he is, for a fact, downright jovial, which is a character trait we politely recommend to a handful of contemporary songsmiths. We like dour, we do, but dour is sometimes best delivered with a light touch. A spoonful of sugar does, indeed, help the medicine go down.

Tickets are twenty dollars each.

Three more quick things to say. One, when we think of it's a small world, we think first of that Canadian Mountie -- if you know the ride, you know him. What character comes to mind for you first? Second thing? We like that the ride's name is all lowercase. It was lowercase-cool before lowercase became cool. And third? The '60s-sweet attraction still has its Christmas finery on, and will through Sunday, Jan. 8.

Follow NBCLA for the latest LA news, events and entertainment: Twitter: @NBCLA // Facebook: NBCLA

Copyright FREEL - NBC Local Media
Contact Us