Original upload date: Thu, 31 Oct 2013 00:00:00 GMT
Archive date: Wed, 01 Dec 2021 23:35:46 GMT
A 1985 musical adaptation of the famous Hans Christian Andersen story, "The Steadfast Tin Soldier" was one of four episodes of The Enchanted Musical Playhouse that originally aired on the (then) brand
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new Disney Channel. The episode was produced and written by Jeffrey C. Sherman who also composed the four original songs. The theme song "If You Believe in Make Believe" (as well as the scores for the other Enchanted Musical Playhouse episodes) was written by the Academy Award and Grammy-Winning song writers, The Sherman Brothers. Jeff is the late Robert Sherman's eldest son. Jimmy and Donny Osmond produced the series with Sherman and James Rich at their studio in Orem, Utah.
Ten years earlier, the female star of this episode, Loreen Yarnell, worked with the Sherman Brothers and with Jeff (who worked up to assistant stage manager) on the stage production of "Victory Canteen" at the Ivar Theater in Hollywood. In the ensuing years, Ms. Yarnell had teamed up with pantomimist Robert Shields and formed the iconic team of Shields and Yarnell.
David Winters, the director, had starred as one of the Jets in the Broadway and film versions of West Side Story.
Jeff was inspired to create the Enchanted Musical Playhouse because of this particular story. His father, composer/lyricist Robert B. Sherman, would often read this story to Jeff as a boy. Robert had been shot in the knee while fighting in World War II and Jeff always related the story's hero to his dad's steadfast bravery and humility.
