So today on the podcast, we continue our story about Mary Blair, the person who many believe was Walt Disney's favorite artist.

If you've been along on our journey since the beginning, you already know how many projects were graced by Mary's talents.

In the 1930s and 40s, she worked for multiple early animation studios in Los

Angeles. After being hired by Walt, she quickly became one of the key concept artist at the

studio who designed the visual presentation for major features, such as Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, and Peter Pan.

She worked with Walt on It's a Small World for the New York World's Fair,

and then an expanded version of that attraction for Disneyland.

And then, finally, she helped design many elements of Walt Disney World, Though she's mostly known for her massive mural in the contemporary hotel,

she also developed designs and concepts for the Magic Kingdom and the Polynesian.

And then after Disney World opened, her work with Disney ended. She and her husband, along with their two adult

sons, moved to California, where Mary attempted to restart her career as an illustrator.

And that is where we pick up our story today, as the San Francisco Symphony reaches out to Mary with a special project.

In 1974, Mary was offered an assignment to design roughly 100 illustrations to accompany Revelle's La Enfant

as performed by the San Francisco Symphony. It would be performed as part of the

symphony's all Revelle program celebrating the 100th anniversary of the composer's birth.

For this, the symphony would be joined by a chorus and six soloists who sang their parts in French.

When La Anfant was performed as a traditional opera, the soloists, dressed in full costumes,

acted out their roles on stage, often moving through elaborate sets.

But a symphony typically engaged the piece as a concert performance without sets,

staged directions, or acting. The director of the San Francisco Symphony, Sergei Osawa,

wanted to find a middle ground. The stage would be filled with the symphony itself,

meaning there was no possibility of even a semi-staged presentation,

...