NEW YORK (Broadway.com) – Sarah Litzsinger will be returning to the role of Belle in Broadway's Beauty and the Beast on May 30. Current star Ashley Brown, who will play the title role in Mary Poppins on the Great White Way this fall, is set to have her final performance in Beauty on May 28. Most recently Litzsinger played Eva Peron in the 25th anniversary tour of Evita. The actress, who first played the role of Belle on tour, has previously done long stints with the Broadway company of Beauty and the Beast. She also starred as the Narrator alongside Donny Osmond's Joseph in the national tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. (Osmond will be joining Beauty and the Beast for a nine-week limited engagement as Gaston on September 19, thus reuniting the actors.)
Sarah went to my high school in Carmel, IN.
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Dubailand Rivals Disneyland
UNITED ARAM EMIRATES (AME Info) – Dubailand's Chief Executive Officer, Salem Bin Dasmal, believes that Dubai's massive leisure zone will be able to challenge Disneyland for its share of Europe's tourism market within five years, reported Gulf News. Bin Dasmal feels that Dubailand has much more to offer, with attractions such as its Dinosaur Park and planetarium, not provided by Disneyland. Bin Dasmal went on to describe Dubailand as 'Disneyland on steroids'.
'Lost' Toys in the Works
(USA Today) – Soon after Lost's third season premieres this fall, fans will be able to concoct their own mysteries at home. Touchstone Television, which produces the ABC hit, has hired comics legend Todd McFarlane, famous for his lines of Spawn, Napoleon Dynamite and The Simpsons action figures, to turn the Lost characters into 6-inch plastic replicas. Series 1 will feature characters Jack, Kate, Hurley, Locke, Charlie and Shannon, which will talk and come with miniature props themed to the show's storylines. Stores including Toys R Us, Wal-Mart and Hot Topic will sell the figures ($15-$20) and box sets with a hatch for them to play in ($25-$30).
Monday, May 22, 2006
Disney Characters Getting Raises in Hong Kong
HONG KONG (AP) – Actors who dress up as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and other characters to greet visitors at Hong Kong Disneyland are getting pay raises and longer breaks, the park said Sunday, following complaints of work-related injuries, low pay and quick turnarounds between shifts. Hong Kong Disneyland said in a statement that it would increase the monthly base pay of the character performers by 11% starting June 1. "This adjustment is the result of benchmarking efforts internally … with the external Hong Kong market and with other Disney parks," the statement said. The company added that break times for the actors have been increased from 30 minutes every hour to 40 minutes from April until September due to hot weather and that pregnant employees would be stationed at air-conditioned locations and be given lighter work loads if necessary. Character actors who greet visitors at the park had complained that night shifts would sometimes be followed by morning shifts and that their pay trailed the monthly salary earned by those who appear in shows. The performers also said they suffered from muscle pain and neck and waist injuries from wearing the costumes.
Disney's Hong Kong Headache
(Time Magazine) – Disneyland is supposed to be "The Happiest Place on Earth," but Liang Ning isn't too happy. The engineer brought his family to Disney's new theme park in Hong Kong from the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou one Saturday in April with high hopes, but by day's end, he was less than spellbound. "I wanted to forget the world and feel like I was in a fairytale," he says. Instead, he complains, "it's just not big enough" and "not very different from the amusement parks we have" in China. His seven-year-old daughter Yaqin disagrees, calling the park "fantastic," but her father grumbles: "If she wants to come again, "I'll send her with somebody else." Hong Kong's Magic Kingdom has so far been a little short on magic. The $1.8 billion theme park, which opened last September, was touted by Disney executives as its biggest, boldest effort to build its brand in China, a potentially vast new market for its toys, dvds and movies. The Hong Kong government – which aggressively wooed Disney and is the park's majority owner, hoped Disneyland would help secure the city's reputation as one of Asia's top tourist destinations. However, the conservative approach of Disney and its partner has produced a park that so far hasn't matched visitors' lofty expectations. Hong Kong Disneyland has a mere 16 attractions – only one a classic Disney thrill ride, Space Mountain – compared to 52 at Disneyland Resort Paris. Meanwhile, management glitches involving everything from ticketing to employee relations have further tarnished the venture's image. In a recent survey conducted by Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 70% of the local residents polled said they had a more negative opinion of Disneyland since its opening. "Disney knows the theme-park business, but when it comes to understanding the Chinese guest, it's an entirely new ball game," says John Ap, an associate professor at the university's School of Hotel and Tourism Management. Nonetheless, Disney executives insist the park is on track. Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, says: "I feel great about how Hong Kong Disneyland is doing." Disney's own surveys of park visitors show an 80% satisfaction rate, among the highest of any of the company's parks, says Rasulo: "People feel this is a great experience."
The California-headquartered company knows what it is talking about; it welcomed its 2 billionth visitor last week. And it is no stranger to tempestuous beginnings at an international park. When Disneyland Paris opened in 1992, Disney famously banned wine from park restaurants, much to the dismay of European bons vivants. In Hong Kong, Disney went out of its way to tailor the park to local tastes. Ironically, Disney's most high-profile stumble resulted from being too local. When executives decided to serve shark-fin soup, a Hong Kong favorite, environmentalists howled and Disney ignominiously yanked it from the menu. Another embarrassment came over the Lunar New Year holiday beginning in January. Tourists with valid tickets got turned away at the front gates after the park quickly filled up; the jilted travelers screamed at park employees, while TV cameras filmed one family trying to pass a child over the fence. Disney has also strained its relationship with Chinese travel agencies, which play a crucial role in funneling tourists into the park. Victor Yu Limin, a general manager at China CYTS Outbound Travel Service in Beijing, complains that Disney originally demanded several weeks' notice when the agency wanted to reserve a guaranteed number of rooms, a nearly impossible deadline, he says, as Chinese travelers often don't finalize trips more than a few days in advance. "We're listening to everything they have to say and adjusting where we can," says Josh D'Amaro, Hong Kong Disneyland's vice president for sales and travel-trade marketing. But, Yu says, Disney is "still far from understanding the real market in China. They started off doing business the American way, so they have encountered problems."
Given the complexity of the Hong Kong operation, such "teething pains" are hardly surprising, says Rasulo. What may be tougher to solve, though, are the yawns the miniature park is generating among tourists. Rasulo says the park wasn't built on a grand scale because the Chinese didn't grow up with Disney and don't know the characters as well as Americans and Europeans do, which acts as a constraint on its potential audience. Ernest calls it a "great introductory park." They also point out that the company plans to keep adding new attractions at Hong Kong Disneyland, including an updated version of Disney's classic Autopia racing game, scheduled to open this summer. While Ernest concedes that attendance is "a little behind" expectations, Disney is sticking to its target of 5.6 million guests in its first year. To hit these numbers, Disney is running aggressive promotions. Last month, the park offered free tickets for 50,000 Hong Kong taxi drivers, says Susan Chan, Hong Kong Disneyland's director of publicity, so they "can experience the Disney magic themselves [and] better share it with their passengers." And even if attendance lags for a while, Disney says the park is already benefiting its other businesses in Asia. Andy Bird, president of Walt Disney International, says there's been "a noticeable lift in our brand and character awareness" in China since the park's opening – sales of Buzz Lightyear merchandise have jumped, in part because the character features in Disneyland's popular Astro Blasters ride. Indeed, Disney continues to bet that its long-range investment plans in China will pay off, regardless of the recent headaches in Hong Kong. The firm is still in talks with Chinese officials about opening a mainland theme park, possibly in Shanghai, says Rasulo. "Have we made some mistakes?" he asks. "Absolutely. We are in a brand-new market. We have to keep listening and keep learning."
The California-headquartered company knows what it is talking about; it welcomed its 2 billionth visitor last week. And it is no stranger to tempestuous beginnings at an international park. When Disneyland Paris opened in 1992, Disney famously banned wine from park restaurants, much to the dismay of European bons vivants. In Hong Kong, Disney went out of its way to tailor the park to local tastes. Ironically, Disney's most high-profile stumble resulted from being too local. When executives decided to serve shark-fin soup, a Hong Kong favorite, environmentalists howled and Disney ignominiously yanked it from the menu. Another embarrassment came over the Lunar New Year holiday beginning in January. Tourists with valid tickets got turned away at the front gates after the park quickly filled up; the jilted travelers screamed at park employees, while TV cameras filmed one family trying to pass a child over the fence. Disney has also strained its relationship with Chinese travel agencies, which play a crucial role in funneling tourists into the park. Victor Yu Limin, a general manager at China CYTS Outbound Travel Service in Beijing, complains that Disney originally demanded several weeks' notice when the agency wanted to reserve a guaranteed number of rooms, a nearly impossible deadline, he says, as Chinese travelers often don't finalize trips more than a few days in advance. "We're listening to everything they have to say and adjusting where we can," says Josh D'Amaro, Hong Kong Disneyland's vice president for sales and travel-trade marketing. But, Yu says, Disney is "still far from understanding the real market in China. They started off doing business the American way, so they have encountered problems."
Given the complexity of the Hong Kong operation, such "teething pains" are hardly surprising, says Rasulo. What may be tougher to solve, though, are the yawns the miniature park is generating among tourists. Rasulo says the park wasn't built on a grand scale because the Chinese didn't grow up with Disney and don't know the characters as well as Americans and Europeans do, which acts as a constraint on its potential audience. Ernest calls it a "great introductory park." They also point out that the company plans to keep adding new attractions at Hong Kong Disneyland, including an updated version of Disney's classic Autopia racing game, scheduled to open this summer. While Ernest concedes that attendance is "a little behind" expectations, Disney is sticking to its target of 5.6 million guests in its first year. To hit these numbers, Disney is running aggressive promotions. Last month, the park offered free tickets for 50,000 Hong Kong taxi drivers, says Susan Chan, Hong Kong Disneyland's director of publicity, so they "can experience the Disney magic themselves [and] better share it with their passengers." And even if attendance lags for a while, Disney says the park is already benefiting its other businesses in Asia. Andy Bird, president of Walt Disney International, says there's been "a noticeable lift in our brand and character awareness" in China since the park's opening – sales of Buzz Lightyear merchandise have jumped, in part because the character features in Disneyland's popular Astro Blasters ride. Indeed, Disney continues to bet that its long-range investment plans in China will pay off, regardless of the recent headaches in Hong Kong. The firm is still in talks with Chinese officials about opening a mainland theme park, possibly in Shanghai, says Rasulo. "Have we made some mistakes?" he asks. "Absolutely. We are in a brand-new market. We have to keep listening and keep learning."
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Six Flags Offers Roller Coaster Workshop
VALENCIA, Calif. (LA Times) – Bearded and with brightly colored tattoos on both his calves, Jon Shiner looks tough, but he admits he has struggled with heights his whole life. "If I have to stand on a chair I get nervous, so anything up in the air pretty much freaks me out," the 29-year-old said. But on a recent Saturday morning, Shiner decided to face his phobia when he attended a free class at Six Flags Magic Mountain on conquering the fear of riding roller coasters. The amusement park was hosting the course in conjunction with its promotion of Tatsu, a new dragon-themed coaster that officially begins running Saturday. Riding Tatsu is supposed to simulate flight, the marketing materials say. Riders are strapped into a car standing up, with a shoulder harness and two calf harnesses. Once the car leaves the station, it tilts 90 degrees forward so that riders are "flying" around the track – arms stretched forward, feet trailing behind – Superman-style. No wonder the park turned to Linda Bortell – a cheerful clinical psychologist whose areas of expertise include "thrills and terror" – to facilitate the experimental three-week class held over consecutive Saturdays. Bortell introduced herself to the 10 adult participants, who were recruited by park employees, telling them she is a roller coaster enthusiast who sometimes drives to Magic Mountain for a quick ride on Viper before going to her office in South Pasadena. After everyone in the room had a chance to introduce themselves and state their specific fears, Bortell led the class outside to take a look at Tatsu itself, which the participants are to ride on their third and final class this Saturday. "If you ride coasters enough, you learn that there are different types of screams," Bortell said, as the group walked into the park. "There is the 'I'm here with my cute boyfriend and I'm screaming so I can hang onto him' scream, and then there are screams of fun, and some screams of fear. My husband starts screaming the second the coaster leaves the loading dock. He says it's part of the experience."
ABC Promises No 'Lost' Repeats Next Season
NEW YORK (UPI) – ABC executives say fans of its hit TV show, "Lost," will not be plagued by reruns during the 2006-07 season. The Alphabet Network announced Tuesday that viewers will see seven new episodes in a row next season before "Lost" takes a break. The series will return in late January or early February with fresh episodes through the end of the season. Although "Lost" remained one of TV's most popular shows during its second season, ratings dipped and fans were angered by frequent reruns that broke up the continuity of the serial. While "Lost" is on hiatus, ABC will air the Taye Diggs vehicle, "Day Break," about an innocent cop on the lam from a murder charge who keeps reliving the same day over again a la the Bill Murray film, "Groundhog Day."
Donny Osmond to Return to Broadway in Beauty and the Beast
NEW YORK (Broadway.com) – Famed performer Donny Osmond will be play Gaston in Disney's Beauty and the Beast on Broadway. He is set to begin a nine-week limited engagement in the musical on September 19. Osmond actually has a long history with the Disney family – it was while performing on the Disney After Dark television series in 1961 that Andy Williams spotted his brothers and hired them as regulars on The Andy Williams Show. He was also the singing voice of Captain Shang in Disney's hit animated feature Mulan. Osmond made his Broadway debut in 1982 in the short-lived revival of Little Johnny Jones. His other theatrical credits include many years of touring as the lead in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Disney's 'Narnia' Top DVD Title of '06
BURBANK (LA Daily News) – The Walt Disney Co. announced Tuesday that "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" has become the top-selling DVD title released so far in 2006. "Narnia," which hit store shelves April 5, has sold more than 11 million units to date. The movie is being sold both as a single-disc DVD and a two-disc Collector's Edition DVD. Its DVD success is good news for Disney, which has positioned "Narnia" to be a franchise in the vein of Warner Bros.' "Harry Potter" series and New Line Cinema's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. "Narnia" grossed an impressive $291.7 million at the domestic box office, making it the second-highest 2005 release behind only "Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith." Disney said Tuesday that it now has five of the year's top 10 best-selling titles with the others being "Chicken Little," "Lady and the Tramp," "Flightplan" and "Bambi II." "We are very fortunate to have such a strong lineup of titles that appeals to every demographic," said Bob Chapek, president of Disney's Buena Vista Home Entertainment division. "It is the backbone of what this studio has always been known for."
Disney Trash Can Exhibit in Edinburgh
EDINBURGH (Art Daily) – Heriot-Watt University presents an exhibit of trash cans from Disney World. Visitors to Disney World in Florida are usually invited to buy Disney Pins to mark each park and venue they’ve visited. Fashion design specialist Mark Timmins was more taken with Disney’s rubbish bins, and has now put together a photographic exhibition featuring the range of rubbish receptacles featured around the site. “The bins are all a standard shape and size,” said Mark, Fashion and Textiles Director at Heriot-Watt University’s School of Textiles and Design, “but each one is decorated differently to fit in with its surroundings, from the bins in the Magic Kingdom, decorated with Tinkerbell, to the Animal Kingdom, which are brown and feature the words ‘Waste please Maholo’. My personal favorite is the twin-bins from ToonTown, also part of the Magic Kingdom, which are decorated with the mops from the Sorcerer’s apprentice section of Fantasia, and the message ‘keep it clean.’” And, he insists, the exhibition isn’t rubbish, it is art, or at least an important facet of design in the 21st century. “It’s all to do with repeated images and the concept of mass customization. In a way it’s the complete opposite of Ford’s idea of ‘any color as long as it’s black, while at the same time paying homage to his seminal ideas on mass production.“ The Timmins’ family holiday was far from being all rubbish as his six and a half year old daughter was chosen as the day’s ‘Princess’, picked from the crowd to ride in Cinderella’s magic coach at the head of the daily parade. “Sixteen million people a year visit Disney World,” said Mark, “and only three hundred and sixty five of them get a chance to lead the procession. How great is that?” The ‘Disney Bins’ exhibition will be on display at The Create Centre, an environmental and recycling centre in Bristol, from 16th to 30th of May. It can also be simultaneously viewed at Heriot-Watt University’s new Energy Academy at the Edinburgh Campus from the 16th to the 30th of May.
ABC May Elect to Shoot 'Chief' Telefilm
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) – “Commander in Chief" wasn't picked up for next season but ABC may give it a brief revival in the form of a two-hour movie. The one-hour drama about the nation's first female president (Geena Davis) didn't catch on in the ratings, having been pulled off Tuesdays earlier in the season and failing to get traction Thursdays at 10 p.m. It was yanked off the schedule weeks ago and wasn't on the ABC 2006-07 primetime schedule announced early Tuesday. But ABC Entertainment president Steve McPherson said at a meeting with reporters that "Commander in Chief" wasn't completely retired yet. McPherson said he had been pitched an idea for a two-hour movie by creator and former executive producer Rod Lurie, and was considering it.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Disney Shares on Wall Street’s Spring Hit Parade
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) – While the Dow ended a five-week winning streak last week, shares of the Walt Disney Co. hit a 52-week high of $30.19 on Wednesday after the firm delivered a well-received quarterly financial report. Its stock closed Monday at $29.99, up nine cents on the day, and up 21.6% so far this year. "We believe the company should continue to experience better operating performance and momentum than many of the other large entertainment conglomerates," Prudential Equity Group analyst Katherine Styponias said.
· Analysts seemed in agreement that most impressive were the results in television, driven by high ratings at ABC and ESPN, and theme parks also performed well, despite a surge in gas prices that has some pundits predicting economic gloom. Revenues at Disney's media networks unit in its fiscal second quarter "were an eye-popping $3.55 billion, up 18% year-over-year and measurably ahead of our projection of $3.21 billion," Sanders Morris Harris analyst David Miller said.
· Miller was also bullish on Disney's plan to sell radio assets to Citadel Broadcasting, which will leave Disney with almost no distribution presence beyond 10 TV stations, "which are not stock-moving assets," he said. Selling to Citadel "has allowed Disney a higher multiple relative to its peers as all forms of distribution become marginalized over time," he said, raising his price target a dollar to $33.
· Analysts were so taken by Disney's earnings report that even the company's weaknesses – the movie studio and consumer products – were hailed successes because not much was expected from those units. Disney will benefit this year, said Goldman Sachs analyst Anthony Noto, from "the most optimistic film slate since 2003," singling out the DVD releases of "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" and "Chicken Little," as well as theatrical releases "Cars" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest."
· Analysts seemed in agreement that most impressive were the results in television, driven by high ratings at ABC and ESPN, and theme parks also performed well, despite a surge in gas prices that has some pundits predicting economic gloom. Revenues at Disney's media networks unit in its fiscal second quarter "were an eye-popping $3.55 billion, up 18% year-over-year and measurably ahead of our projection of $3.21 billion," Sanders Morris Harris analyst David Miller said.
· Miller was also bullish on Disney's plan to sell radio assets to Citadel Broadcasting, which will leave Disney with almost no distribution presence beyond 10 TV stations, "which are not stock-moving assets," he said. Selling to Citadel "has allowed Disney a higher multiple relative to its peers as all forms of distribution become marginalized over time," he said, raising his price target a dollar to $33.
· Analysts were so taken by Disney's earnings report that even the company's weaknesses – the movie studio and consumer products – were hailed successes because not much was expected from those units. Disney will benefit this year, said Goldman Sachs analyst Anthony Noto, from "the most optimistic film slate since 2003," singling out the DVD releases of "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" and "Chicken Little," as well as theatrical releases "Cars" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest."
Monday, May 15, 2006
ABC Halts Invasion
(ComingSoon.net / Hollywood Reporter) – ABC is halting its Invasion, reports Variety. The series was a personal favorite of ABC Entertainment president Steve McPherson. But despite a huge promotional push behind the show, viewers simply never warmed to the concept. There had been talk of "Invasion" being rerouted to the CW Network – which is co-owned by the parent company of "Invasion" producer Warner Bros. Television – if it got the ax from ABC, but there were no indications of such a move being under way during the weekend.
Finally!
Finally!
REVIEW RECAP : Disney's "Tarzan" musical wins mixed reviews in NY
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Disney's latest mega-musical "Tarzan" swung into town with a spectacular ship-wreck scene and bungee-jumping apes but the critics were lukewarm and several resorted to phrases such as "bungle in the jungle." "Tarzan," which opened on Wednesday night, is among the most expen-sive musicals on Broadway with a budget reported at between $15 million and $20 million. It is Disney's latest effort to match the success of hit movie-based musicals such as "The Lion King" and "Beauty and the Beast."
• "Almost everybody and everything swings in 'Tarzan.' Which is odd, since the show itself, to borrow from Duke Ellington's famous credo, definitely ain't got that swing," was Ben Brantley's verdict in The New York Times. "'Tarzan' feels as fidgety and attention-deficient as the toddlers who kept straying from their seats during the performance I saw," Brantley said.
Several critics had warm words for the special effects, particularly the opening scene, which uses aerial acrobatics to create an eerie underwater shipwreck scene in which the baby Tarzan and his parents end up washed up on an African shore.
• "The opening minutes of 'Tarzan' ... are among the most exciting and inventive I have ever witnessed in the theater," Charles Spencer wrote in London's Daily Telegraph newspaper. But he added that despite some other fine effects – “most notably a trippy hallucinogenic sequence involving huge jun-gle plants with human actors nestling amid their petals" – the show "almost invariably looks much bet-ter than it sounds."
• The Star Ledger of Newark, New Jersey, and the New York Post both settled on the headline "Bun-gle in the Jungle," and
• NY Post critic Clive Barnes opened his review with the words: "You, 'Tarzan,' Me, Agonized."
• Washington Post critic Peter Marks also praised the opening sequence but his review was summed up in the headline "Fumble in the Jungle: Disney's Tame 'Tarzan."' "The show ... has gorillas in mid-air, a potential teeny-bopper idol in loincloth and Phil Collins as show-tune guy," Marks wrote. "What it doesn't have much of is drama."
While there was plenty of criticism for the show, Disney appeared to have emerged a clear winner against rival Hollywood studio Warner Bros., whose vampire musical "Lestat" was almost universally trashed by the critics two weeks ago. "Lestat" had a budget estimated between $10 million and $12 million. USA To-day's Elysa Gardner gave "Tarzan" three stars out of four, praising the "lush, fanciful scenic and costume design," the "sprightly libretto" and its "good-natured exuberance." The Philadelphia Inquirer's Howard Shapiro also was impressed, describing the show as "an eye-popping treat of lighting, streamers and fab-rics." "Some people will inevitably call the shimmering stars, massive fluttering fabrics, and huge strutting fauna downright corny. I call them master stagecraft," he wrote.
• "Almost everybody and everything swings in 'Tarzan.' Which is odd, since the show itself, to borrow from Duke Ellington's famous credo, definitely ain't got that swing," was Ben Brantley's verdict in The New York Times. "'Tarzan' feels as fidgety and attention-deficient as the toddlers who kept straying from their seats during the performance I saw," Brantley said.
Several critics had warm words for the special effects, particularly the opening scene, which uses aerial acrobatics to create an eerie underwater shipwreck scene in which the baby Tarzan and his parents end up washed up on an African shore.
• "The opening minutes of 'Tarzan' ... are among the most exciting and inventive I have ever witnessed in the theater," Charles Spencer wrote in London's Daily Telegraph newspaper. But he added that despite some other fine effects – “most notably a trippy hallucinogenic sequence involving huge jun-gle plants with human actors nestling amid their petals" – the show "almost invariably looks much bet-ter than it sounds."
• The Star Ledger of Newark, New Jersey, and the New York Post both settled on the headline "Bun-gle in the Jungle," and
• NY Post critic Clive Barnes opened his review with the words: "You, 'Tarzan,' Me, Agonized."
• Washington Post critic Peter Marks also praised the opening sequence but his review was summed up in the headline "Fumble in the Jungle: Disney's Tame 'Tarzan."' "The show ... has gorillas in mid-air, a potential teeny-bopper idol in loincloth and Phil Collins as show-tune guy," Marks wrote. "What it doesn't have much of is drama."
While there was plenty of criticism for the show, Disney appeared to have emerged a clear winner against rival Hollywood studio Warner Bros., whose vampire musical "Lestat" was almost universally trashed by the critics two weeks ago. "Lestat" had a budget estimated between $10 million and $12 million. USA To-day's Elysa Gardner gave "Tarzan" three stars out of four, praising the "lush, fanciful scenic and costume design," the "sprightly libretto" and its "good-natured exuberance." The Philadelphia Inquirer's Howard Shapiro also was impressed, describing the show as "an eye-popping treat of lighting, streamers and fab-rics." "Some people will inevitably call the shimmering stars, massive fluttering fabrics, and huge strutting fauna downright corny. I call them master stagecraft," he wrote.
Ferrari Theme Park on Track
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (AME Info) – A Ferrari concept theme park in Abu Dhabi should open sometime in 2008, according to Gulf News. Ferrari has granted a licence to operate the centre but will not be investing in the project. It will have a racetrack, rides and attractions, including a history of Ferrari.
New Mickey Mouse Series Delivers Record Ratings for Playhouse Disney
BURBANK (World Screen) – The premiere of the new CGI series Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on Disney Channel US on Friday delivered the highest ratings ever for a Playhouse Disney series premiere among Kids 2-5 (6.2/767,000), Girls 2-5 (6.0/375,000), Households (2.2/1,960,000) and Total Viewers (1.2/2,777,000). The series premiered in its regular Playhouse Disney weekend timeslot on Disney Chan-nels and Playhouse Disney channels around the world on Saturday. The preschool series starring Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Pluto and Goofy is designed to entertain preschoolers while helping them develop early math skills. Among all basic cable networks in the US, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse was num-ber 1 in its time period (Friday, 7:30 p.m.) with Kids 2-5 (6.2/767,000), Boys 2-5 (6.4/393,000) and Girls 2-5 (6.0/375,000). In Households, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse improved the time period by 22 percent (2.2 vs. 1.8). In Total Viewers, it was up 38 percent (2,777,000 vs. 2,011,000).
Disney Adds Shops, Restaurants to Complex
LAKE BUENA VISTA (Orlando Sentinel) – No matter what Walt Disney does with its bar scene, shopping is driving most of the changes at Downtown Disney. And Disney's not limiting changes to Pleasure Island. The idea is to seduce people into spending extra time – and more money – at Downtown Disney by creat-ing more things for them to do, making it easier for them to get around and adding restaurants that keep them there longer. "Shopping is still our No. 1," said Djuan Rivers, vice president for Downtown Disney. "The majority of people here still come to shop."
• To enliven the shopping experience, Pleasure Island has been opened up to shorten the walk between the main shopping districts – Marketplace and West Side – on either end of Downtown Dis-ney. Disney also will add more water taxis and a dock at Pleasure Island, so people can travel by ferry. Yet, even with foot traffic going through Pleasure Island instead of around it, Downtown Disney is a long walk, more than a half-mile from end to end – all outdoors.
• A broader mix of goods and activities is being rolled out, including the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, aimed at transforming little girls into fantasy princesses, and a new T-Rex restaurant – both at Mar-ketplace. "The more of an experience you create for a guest, the more time they will spend," Down-town Disney brand manager Richard Gregorie said.
• Shopping still focuses on Disney-brand merchandise, Gregorie said, but selections are growing for non-Disney items from outlets such as Team Mickey, the Virgin Megastore and Orlando Harley-Davidson.
Garry and Elaine Thompson, who were visiting recently from Gloucestershire, England, with their 15-year-old daughter and her friend, loved Downtown Disney but found the shopping thin. "The only thing was, we had to leave Disney to do any clothing shopping for the girls," Elaine Thompson said. "If you don't want something with Mickey Mouse on it, there's really not much here for them to choose."
• To enliven the shopping experience, Pleasure Island has been opened up to shorten the walk between the main shopping districts – Marketplace and West Side – on either end of Downtown Dis-ney. Disney also will add more water taxis and a dock at Pleasure Island, so people can travel by ferry. Yet, even with foot traffic going through Pleasure Island instead of around it, Downtown Disney is a long walk, more than a half-mile from end to end – all outdoors.
• A broader mix of goods and activities is being rolled out, including the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, aimed at transforming little girls into fantasy princesses, and a new T-Rex restaurant – both at Mar-ketplace. "The more of an experience you create for a guest, the more time they will spend," Down-town Disney brand manager Richard Gregorie said.
• Shopping still focuses on Disney-brand merchandise, Gregorie said, but selections are growing for non-Disney items from outlets such as Team Mickey, the Virgin Megastore and Orlando Harley-Davidson.
Garry and Elaine Thompson, who were visiting recently from Gloucestershire, England, with their 15-year-old daughter and her friend, loved Downtown Disney but found the shopping thin. "The only thing was, we had to leave Disney to do any clothing shopping for the girls," Elaine Thompson said. "If you don't want something with Mickey Mouse on it, there's really not much here for them to choose."
Disney/Pixar's ‘Cars’ Premiere Is a Complete Sell-Out
BURBANK, Calif. (PRNewswire) -- The World Premiere of Disney/Pixar's new computer-animated fea-ture, "Cars," on Friday, May 26th at Lowe's Motor Speedway at Charlotte, is a complete sell-out nearly one month before the event, with more than 30,000 fans racing to buy tickets, it was announced today. Pro-ceeds from the Premiere, which is sponsored by Kodak, will benefit Speedway Children's Charities, and Association of Hole in the Wall Camps. Disney CEO Bob Iger, Paul Newman (voice of Doc Hudson, a 1951 Hudson Hornet), "Cars" director John Lasseter, and racing legend Richard Petty (who voices a 1970 Plymouth Superbird called "The King" in 
the film), will be on hand for a special presentation to the two charities. Other voice talent from "Cars," including Owen Wilson, Bonnie Hunt, and Larry the Cable Guy, along with some of the greatest names in racing history will also join in the festivities. "Cars" will be shown on four giant custom-built outdoor movie screens (115-feet wide and 50-feet tall) at Turn #2 of the famed superspeedway. With the first-ever multi-screen outdoor digital projection, 
utilizing twelve DLP Cinema projectors from Barco, Christie and NEC, and state-of-the-art sound, the film will look and sound its very best. The Disney/Pixar film "Cars" is set to open at theatres everywhere on June 9th.
Disney Earnings Rise 19 Percent
BURBANK (AP) – Strong television ratings and increased theme park attendance helped profit at The Walt Disney Co. rise 12 percent in the second quarter, although the media conglomerate did report a drop in earnings at its film studio. The Burbank-based company on Tuesday reported net income of $733 mil-lion, or 37 cents per share, for the three months that ended April 1, compared with income of $657 million, or 31 cents per share, in the same period last year. Revenue grew to $8 billion from $7.8 billion in the same period last year. The results beat estimates of analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial who had been expecting earnings of 31 cents per share.
• Operating income fell 39 percent at Disney's film studio while revenue decreased 22 percent to $1.8 billion. This year's DVD releases have not sold as well as the DVD of the Pixar Animation Studios hit "The Incredibles" in the same period last year. Studio performance should pick up in the second half of the year with the release of the latest Pixar film, "Cars" next month and the sequel to "Pirates of the Caribbean" in July, the company said.
• Home video revenue from the DVD release of "Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" will also be seen in the third quarter.
• The company's media networks division, which includes ABC and cable channels such as ESPN, delivered the best performance with a 20 percent jump in operating income and an 18 percent rise in revenue to $3.6 billion. Results were helped by higher subscriber fees at ESPN and rising advertising revenue at ABC, which continues its ratings comeback. That trend should continue as the network gets ready to negotiate new deals with advertisers for the fall schedule. ABC will present its lineup next week and expects strong increases in ad rates over last year, the company said.
• Attendance at Disneyland in California grew 15 percent in the quarter as the theme park's 50th anni-versary celebration winds down. Attendance at Walt Disney World in Florida rose a more modest 3 percent, Disney said. The company said it does not expect rising gas prices to lower attendance at its domestic parks. Attendance at Disney's latest park in Hong Kong has been lower than anticipated, but company executives said they still expect to hit their one-year goal of 5.6 million visitors.
Looking ahead, Staggs said the acquisition of Pixar Animation Studios Inc., which closed last week, will reduce earnings per share for the year by 10 cents, spread evenly over the next two quarters. Disney is-sued new shares to pay for the purchase. Iger confirmed that work on a sequel to Pixar's "Toy Story" franchise has begun, although no release date has been set. Iger also said he was pleased with the re-sponse to the free, advertising-supported streaming of TV shows on ABC.com. He said that option, which is in addition to the sale of ABC shows on Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes store, will continue past the original trial date of June 30. Disney may also join Warner Bros. in distributing its shows via a peer-to-peer computer network, Iger said. For the six months that ended April 1, Disney reported net income of $1.5 billion, or 74 cents per share, compared with $1.3 billion in the same period last year. Revenue in-creased to $16.9 billion from $16.5 billion in the first six months of 2005.
• Operating income fell 39 percent at Disney's film studio while revenue decreased 22 percent to $1.8 billion. This year's DVD releases have not sold as well as the DVD of the Pixar Animation Studios hit "The Incredibles" in the same period last year. Studio performance should pick up in the second half of the year with the release of the latest Pixar film, "Cars" next month and the sequel to "Pirates of the Caribbean" in July, the company said.
• Home video revenue from the DVD release of "Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" will also be seen in the third quarter.
• The company's media networks division, which includes ABC and cable channels such as ESPN, delivered the best performance with a 20 percent jump in operating income and an 18 percent rise in revenue to $3.6 billion. Results were helped by higher subscriber fees at ESPN and rising advertising revenue at ABC, which continues its ratings comeback. That trend should continue as the network gets ready to negotiate new deals with advertisers for the fall schedule. ABC will present its lineup next week and expects strong increases in ad rates over last year, the company said.
• Attendance at Disneyland in California grew 15 percent in the quarter as the theme park's 50th anni-versary celebration winds down. Attendance at Walt Disney World in Florida rose a more modest 3 percent, Disney said. The company said it does not expect rising gas prices to lower attendance at its domestic parks. Attendance at Disney's latest park in Hong Kong has been lower than anticipated, but company executives said they still expect to hit their one-year goal of 5.6 million visitors.
Looking ahead, Staggs said the acquisition of Pixar Animation Studios Inc., which closed last week, will reduce earnings per share for the year by 10 cents, spread evenly over the next two quarters. Disney is-sued new shares to pay for the purchase. Iger confirmed that work on a sequel to Pixar's "Toy Story" franchise has begun, although no release date has been set. Iger also said he was pleased with the re-sponse to the free, advertising-supported streaming of TV shows on ABC.com. He said that option, which is in addition to the sale of ABC shows on Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes store, will continue past the original trial date of June 30. Disney may also join Warner Bros. in distributing its shows via a peer-to-peer computer network, Iger said. For the six months that ended April 1, Disney reported net income of $1.5 billion, or 74 cents per share, compared with $1.3 billion in the same period last year. Revenue in-creased to $16.9 billion from $16.5 billion in the first six months of 2005.
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