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• Tune Thursday: “Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas” returns to the Goodspeed Opera House

  Jim Hill talks with director / choreographer Christopher Gattelli about how the new stage musical version of this Jim Henson holiday special actually came together Read More... Posted Thursday, December 10, 2009 12:00 AM | 1 Comments Filed under: Broadway, musical, Jim Henson, HBO, Christmas, 1977, Connecticut, 2008, 2009, holiday perennial, holiday story , holiday special, Christmas special, holiday classic, 2005, holiday treat, special , holiday, holidays, The Jim Henson Company

• Practice makes perfect with the stage version of Disney's "The Lion King"

  Jim Hill goes backstage at the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino, expecting to see all sorts of craziness. But what he finds instead is a smooth-running, relatively stress-free musical-making machine Read More... Posted Friday, October 23, 2009 12:00 AM | 3 Comments Filed under: Disney, Broadway, musical, The Lion King, Disney Theatrical, Julie Taymor, Las Vegas, Tokyo, Paris, stagehands, Broadway musical, stage version, 2009, 1997, Broadway production, backstage, staging, London, Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino, stage show , Singapore, 2010, stage, costume designer , set, costumes, stage manager, stagecraft, tours, Mandalay Bay, sets

• “Shrek the Musical” piles on the promotions, gets ready to launch its national tour in July of 2010

  Jim Hill discusses the many things that DreamWorks Theatricals & Neal Productions have done recently in an effort to make their show stand out from the crowd on Broadway Read More... Posted Friday, October 02, 2009 12:00 AM | 0 Comments Filed under: DreamWorks, Broadway, musical, Chicago, NYC, Christmas, D23, Broadway musical, 2008, 2009, September, October, 2001, Donkey, Shrek, Shrek the Halls, Fiona, Pinocchio, dragon, Christopher Sieber , Lord Farquaad , Johnny and the Sprites , John Tartaglia , December , November, August, 2010, May, January, national tour, special event, DreamWorks Theatricals, Shrek the Musical, I Know It's Today, Brian D'Arcy James, Broadway Theatre, D23 EXPO, SHREKtember, SHREKtoberfest, Monkees, I'm a Believer, Hannah Beatt, Laura Laureano, Sutton Foster, Fairytale Creatures, talkback, talkback session, talkback sessions, giveaways, Daniel Breaker, Festival of Ogre-sized Fun, standby, understudy, Ben Crawford, Build A Wall, Manhattan Theatre Club, Sameul J Friedman Theatre, Time Stands Still, Donald Margulies, Kevin Deters, understudy concert, Broadway in Chicago, general public, dragon puppet, little wooden boy

• Tune Thursday: Why "The Lion King" gets the lion's share of the attention on the Las Vegas Strip

  Jim Hill talks about the ambitious promotional plan that the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino and Disney Theatrical put together to help hype this new sit-down production of that Tony Award-winning musical Read More... Posted Thursday, September 24, 2009 12:00 AM | 3 Comments Filed under: Disney, theater, Broadway, musical, ABC, promotion, The Lion King, Disney Theatrical, Dancing with the Stars, Julie Taymor, Las Vegas, hotel, Hairspray, The Producers, Broadway musical, stage version, promotional campaign, shows, show, 1997, Avenue Q , Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino, lion, stage show , 1996 , stage, Mandalay Bay, Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family, Mandalay Place, Raleigh Studios, The Lion King Exhibit, The Strip, video marquee, key card, Results Show, Las Vegas Strip

• Tourists mob Muppets & Mouse shops, snatch up last “Mermaid” tickets

  Jim Hill reports in from NYC. Where – based on what’s been going on at FAO Schwartz, World of Disney and the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre – the economy appears to be on the mend Read More... Posted Wednesday, August 19, 2009 12:00 AM | 4 Comments Filed under: Disney, Pixar, Broadway, musical, Muppets, Disney Theatrical, Beauty and the Beast, New York City, Washington D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles, NYC, Denver, animated character, 5th Avenue, Broadway musical, 2009, Disney / Pixar, animated feature, ticket sales, shops, store shelves, 2010, Up, Tampa, New York, The Little Mermaid, musical theater, Muppet, Muppet Whatnot Workshop

• “Mary” moves to Cleveland, “Sleeping Beauty” awakes in San Francisco and Connecticut gets ready for an “Enchanted” Q & A

  Tired of hearing about Comic-Con? As a deliberate change of pace, Jim Hill talks up a trip of Disney-related events that AREN’T being presented in San Diego next week Read More... Posted Thursday, July 16, 2009 12:00 AM | 2 Comments Filed under: Broadway, musical, Disney Theatrical, Alan Menken, Disney Legend, Cartoon Art Museum, Sleeping Beauty, Stephen Schwartz, Tony Award winner, San Francisco, Academy Award, Broadway musical, stage version, Cleveland, animated feature, 2007, Tony Award, Mary Poppins, Tony Award-winner , Academy Award nominees, stage show , stage, Cadillac Palace Theatre, Academy Award-nominee, Enchanted

• Tune Thursday: Christopher Sieber kneels to get a rise out of Broadway audiences

  Jim Hill chats with this Tony nominee about the physical challenges involved with playing Lord Farquaad in “Shrek The Musical” Read More... Posted Thursday, June 11, 2009 12:00 AM | 1 Comments Filed under: DreamWorks, Broadway, musical, New York City, NYC, Broadway musical, 2008, 2009, Shrek, New York, DreamWorks Theatricals, Shrek the Musical, Broadway Theatre

• Tune Thursday: Disney’s “The Lion King” gets ready to roar in Las Vegas

  Jim Hill talks with Deborah Warren, publicist for this brand-new production of the acclaimed stage musical. In particular discussing the many challenges that Disney Theatrical faced while setting up shop at the Mandalay Bay Resort Read More... Posted Friday, May 08, 2009 12:00 AM | 0 Comments Filed under: Disney, Broadway, musical, The Lion King, Disney Theatrical, Julie Taymor, Las Vegas, Broadway musical, 2009, stage show , stage, musical theater

• Is Disney looking to trade its 5th Avenue store in for a brand-new retail location down on Times Square?

  Since the World of Disney's lease is up in 2010, the Mouse is already on the prowl for a new spot to set up shop in NYC. Jim Hill shares what he's heard about these on-going negotiations Read More... Posted Tuesday, October 21, 2008 12:00 AM | 7 Comments Filed under: Disney, Broadway, musical, ABC, Walt Disney World, The Lion King, Disney Theatrical, Beauty and the Beast, Lunt-Fontanne Theater, Disney Store, ABC Studios, The Walt Disney Company, New York City, Mickey Mouse, restaurant, New Amsterdam Theatre, Minskoff Theatre, The Legendary Years, Disney's Pop Century Resort, NYC, Times Square, WDW, 5th Avenue, flagship store, World of Disney, Broadway musical, tourists, 2008, 2009, Disney World, The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Walt Disney World Resort, Halloween, 2007, Mary Poppins, tourist , retail establishment , stage show , retail dining and entertainment complex, Virgin Megastore, Virgin, 1996 , 2010, stage, 2004, New York, Disney Stores, The Little Mermaid, movie theater, musical theater, 1990s, Wall Street, retail area, negotiations, trick-or-treat, trick or treat, square feet, retail space, commercial retail space, Wart, king, retailer, retailers, foot traffic, exposure, Paul Hoen, HoJos, Howard Johnson, American Eagle, American Eagle Outfitters, Pittsburgh, square foot, lease, Jeff Sutton, SL Green Realty Corp, Vornado, arcade, Alice's Wonderland, Toys R Us, Toys R Us Times Square, Virgin Megastore Times Square, ABC Times Square Studio, ABC Times Square Studios, retail entertainment complex, pre-show, post-show, preshow, posters, The Related Companies, retail presence, negotiating table, Rockefeller Center, Trump Tower, company representatives, real estate opportunity, real estate opportunites, construction project, construction projects

• A special "May the (Stephen) Schwartz Be With You" edition of Why For

  Jim Hill's back with even more answers to your Disney-related questions. This time around, he talks about "Enchanted" 's score evolves over the course of that motion picture, where Stephen drew his inspiration for "Out There" as well as talking up an event that's being held at Woodbury University this coming Monday night Read More... Posted Friday, October 17, 2008 12:00 AM | 2 Comments Filed under: animation, book, Disney, music, Broadway, musical, Disney Theatrical, Beauty and the Beast, Alan Menken, Kevin Lima, Cinderella, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Sleeping Beauty, James Baxter, James Baxter Animation, Stephen Schwartz, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Paris, Kiss the Girl, ASIFA-Hollywood, panel discussion, stage version, ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive, 2008, October, animated feature, 2007, Happy Working Song, So Close, That's How You Know , animators , Mulan, Belle, Warner Bros. , 2010, Don Hahn , stage, Woodbury University, Pocahontas, Broadway-bound, The Little Mermaid, Snow White, Disney Music , Carol de Giere, Defying Gravity: The Creative Career of Stephen Schwartz from Godspell to Wicked, Enchanted, The Alchemy of Animation: Making an Animated Film in the Modern Age, Craig Lucas, James Lapine, Cathedral of Notre Dame, Out There, Quasimodo, Hunchback, Mike Belzer, Nik Ranieri, Fletcher Jones Foundation Library, Fletcher Jones, Ever After, Ever

• "Defying Gravity" details Stephen Schwartz's sometimes difficult dealings with the Walt Disney Company

  Jim Hill reviews Carol de Gieve's career biography of this Academy Award-winning songwriter, which features some great behind-the-scenes stories about the five Disney projects that Schwartz worked on Read More... Posted Wednesday, October 01, 2008 12:00 AM | 6 Comments Filed under: book, Disney, DreamWorks, Broadway, musical, Michael Eisner, Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, DreamWorks Animation, Stephen Schwartz, Los Angeles, Walt Disney Studios, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Broadway musical, September, animated feature, 2007, Walt Disney Feature Animation, Disney Feature Animation, Peter Schneider, London, TV movie, show business , 1996 , 1986, Tony, Aladdin, Pocahontas, Academy Award-winning, world premiere, Walt Disney Company, musical theater, musical theater fan, Broadway credits, trio, long running hits, long running hit, hit, Godspell, Pippin, Wicked, Disneyana fan, resume, lyricist, 1990s, 1978, Working, Radiator Springs, Children of Eden, 1991, graduate school, NYU, therapist, Sir Tim Rice, A Whole New World, Kevin Bannerman, Carol de Giere, Defying Gravity: The Creative Career of Stephen Schwartz from Godspell to Wicked, Applause Books, softcover, songwriter, career, lyrics, 1992, Shirley Jones, Colors of the Wind, John Smith, Native Americans, Romeo, Romeo & Juliet, Juliet, West Side Story, Something's Coming, creative process, 1994, The Prince of Egypt, China, Matthew Wilder, David Zippel, Written in Stone, Destiny, Geppetto, Academy Award-nominee, Enchanted, Gregory Maguire, middling reviews, rhyme, reviews

• Tune Tuesday : "Shrek the Musical" gets off to a great start in Seattle

  WARNING !! There be spoilers ahead in this preview piece about DreamWorks Theatrical's Broadway-bound production. Which is a musical adaptation of DW's Academy Award-winning animated feature Read More... Posted Tuesday, September 09, 2008 12:00 AM | 8 Comments Filed under: Disney, music, theater, DreamWorks, Broadway, musical, Walt Disney, The Lion King, The Walt Disney Company, New York City, YouTube, Mickey Mouse, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Julie Taymor, NYC, LA, Academy Award, movie, Broadway musical, stage version, 2008, animated feature, 2001, Donkey, ogre, Shrek, Fiona, opening night, Broadway production, Big Green Ogre , Great White Way, Jeanine Tesori , David Lindsay-Abaire , Jason Moore , Seattle, 5th Avenue Theater , Lord Farquaad , Academy Award winner, December , November, childhood, stage show , design team, August, director , stage, audience, Big Apple , New York, creative team , DreamWorks Theatricals, Broadway-bound, musical adaptation, DW, Academy Award-winning, movie-based musical, theater community, Ponyo, playset, Young Frankenstein, The Little Mermaid, 9 to 5 : The Musical, world premiere, Ahmanson Theater, Shrek the Musical, out-of-town, opening, librettist, composer, designer, Tim Hatley, swamp, spoilers, Momma Ogre, Poppa Ogre, Big Bright Beautiful World, opening number, title character, introductory number, I Know It's Today, Cloris Leachman, Brian D'Arcy James, outhouse, backstory, second act, challenge song, I Think I Got You Beat, choreographer, Rob Ashford, New York audiences, Broadway Theatre, playhouse, Walt Disney Company, 1928, movie theater, strategy, the Colony Theater, Colony Theater, Steamboat Willie, Fantasia, Snow White, diecast

• Tune Tuesday: Dance your way to NYC to see "Mary Poppins"

  Jim Hill talks up BroadwayWorld's latest contest, which will bring one lucky winner to the Big Apple to check out this Disney Theatrical production Read More... Posted Tuesday, August 12, 2008 12:00 AM | 1 Comments Filed under: Disney, music, Broadway, musical, Disney Theatrical, Serena Valentino, Broadway musical, stage version, 2008, Mary Poppins, 2006, stage, dancers

• Tune Thursday : Looking back at the development of Broadway's "Lion King"

  Jim Hill chats with Derek Smith, the actor who's now playing Scar in this Tony Award-winning musical. But whose ties to this show actually go all the way back to the costume & mask tests that Julie Taymor did in her workshop Read More... Posted Friday, July 11, 2008 12:00 AM | 1 Comments Filed under: Disney, Broadway, musical, Disney Theatrical, New York City, Julie Taymor, New Amsterdam Theatre, Minskoff Theatre, Tony Award winner, NYC, Scar, Broadway musical, stage version, Tony Award, 1997, Broadway production, costume concept, staging, stage show , stage, New York, costume designer , costumes, Derek Smith, The Green Bird, workshop, mask, The Madness of King Scar, rehearsal, rehearsal pianist, stage manager

• Stage version of "Mary Poppins" draws a lot of its inspiration from ... Well, drawings

  Jim Hill looks back at the development of this Disney / Cameron Mackintosh production. Which is not just based on the 1964 film, but also draws its inspiration from P.L. Travers' stories and Mary Shepard's illustrations Read More... Posted Friday, June 20, 2008 12:00 AM | 7 Comments Filed under: Disney, Broadway, musical, Disney Theatrical, Chicago, New Amsterdam Theatre, NYC, Academy Award, film, movie, road company, Broadway musical, stage version, 2009, Tony Award, Broadway production, Cameron Mackintosh , Jolly Holiday, Bob Crowley, Mary Poppins, London, penguins, stage show , production team, March, stage, national tour, North American National Tour , Ashley Brown , title role, Gavin Lee , Drama Desk Award, New York, 1964, set designer , costume designer , set, motion picture, setting, Practically Perfect, Richard Eyre, creative team , Matthew Bourne , Julian Fellowes, P L Travers , Robertson Ay, footman, A Spoonful of Sugar , 1934, Mrs Corry , Annie, Fannie, gingerbread , gilt stars , Gingerbread Stars , Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, talking shop, bake shop, Jaws 3 People 0, Bad Wednesday, chapter, Mary Poppins Comes Back , Royal Doulton , George Stiles , Anthony Drewe , Temper Temper, Miss Andrew, governess, Ruth Gottschall, birdcage , Mary Shepard , Let's Go Fly a Kite, 1943, Mary Poppins Opens the Door , Neleus, statue , statues, illustrations, illustration, The Marble Boy, Starlighter , costumes, constellations , Anything Can Happen If You Let It, Mary Poppins in the Park, England, Theatre Royal Plymouth , Cadillac Palace Theatre, Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, Matthew Garber, Karen Dotrice, Ed Wynn