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• Tune Thursday: Timon tells tails ... er ... tales about his time on Broadway

  In honor of the 10th anniversary of the stage version of "The Lion King," Jim Hill chats with Danny Rutigliano. The veteran stage performer who -- for nearly a decade now -- has been playing the world's most famous meerkat (Outside of Flower, of course) Read More... Posted Thursday, October 11, 2007 12:00 AM | 6 Comments Filed under: animation, Disney, movies, music, theater, Broadway, musical, Disney Theatrical, The Walt Disney Company, New York City, Max Casella, Julie Taymor, Danny Rutigliano, Bill Clinton, Minneapolis, The Sopranos, New Amsterdam Theatre, Minskoff Theatre, The President of the United States, Tony Award winner, meerkat

• As "Tarzan" swings off Broadway, is Beyoncé getting ready to play Aida in Disney's next big movie musical?

  Jim Hill's back with even more answers to your Disney-related question. In this week's "Why For," he talks about how the Wiggles wound up at Six Flags, shares the latest news on the "Song of the South" DVD, sounds off about "Soarin'" & "Der Glockner Von Notre Dame" and ... Oh, yeah ... Reveals the latest rumors surrounding the studio's upcoming big screen adaptation of "Aida" Read More... Posted Friday, July 06, 2007 12:00 AM | 15 Comments Filed under: animation, Disney, DVD / Video, music, theater, theme park, TV, Why For, Pixar, Broadway, musical, attraction, ABC, Disney Channel, traditional animation, computer animation, CG, Walt Disney Pictures, Michael Eisner, Dick Cook, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Epcot

• Tune Thursday: Broadway vet looks back over his record run in Disney's "Beauty and the Beast"

  Jim Hill interviews Bill Nabel, who's spent the past 13-plus-years appearing in the Walt Disney Company's first Broadway musical. Starting off as a member of the ensemble and eventually becoming the designated understudy for Cogsworth, Lumiere, Maurice and Monsieur D'Arque Read More... Posted Thursday, July 05, 2007 12:00 AM | 3 Comments Filed under: animation, theater, Broadway, musical, traditional animation, Michael Eisner

• Why For do the Imagineers keep adding new characters to Disney's classic theme park attractions?

  Jim Hill returns with even more answers to your Mouse-related questions. This time around, Jim addresses Disneyana fans' concerns with the growing number of Pixar-related rides & shows that are being added to the Disney theme parks Read More... Posted Friday, June 22, 2007 12:00 AM | 63 Comments Filed under: animation, DVD / Video, movies, theater, theme park, Why For, Pixar, attraction, Pirates of the Caribbean, Imagineering, traditional animation, computer animation, CG, WED, Disneyland, Walt Disney World

• Why (For) Pat Carroll wasn't actually Disney's first choice to voice Ursula in "The Little Mermaid"

  Thanks to Allan Neuwirth, Jim Hill is now able to share this great story about Walt Disney Animation Studios' epic search for just the right voice for the sea witch Read More... Posted Friday, June 15, 2007 12:00 AM | 13 Comments Filed under: animation, Disney, DVD / Video, movies, theater, TV, musical, traditional animation, Walt Disney Pictures, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, NBC

• A special wearing-of-the-green edition of Why For

  In honor of St. Patrick's Day, Jim Hill talks about the protracted production history of "Darby O'Gill and the Little People." A "Little People" -related project that spent more than a decade in development for finally reaching the big screen Read More... Posted Friday, March 16, 2007 12:30 AM | 10 Comments Filed under: animation, book, Disney, theater, Broadway, Walt Disney

• Toon Tuesday : "WALL E" skillfully blends sci-fi & satire to tell a surprisingly sweet tale

  Jim Hill shares what he knows about Andrew Stanton's next film. Which is a significant departure from everything that Pixar Animation Studios has done to date. WARNING !! There be spoilers ahead ! Read More... Posted Tuesday, February 27, 2007 12:00 AM | 54 Comments Filed under: animation, Disney, DVD / Video, other, theater, TV

• Will "The Little Mermaid" 's 'way-out-of-town try-out actually keep Broadway gossips at bay?

  Jim Hill's back with a quick story about Disney Theatrical's next production. Which -- thanks to the Internet's unique ability to spread bad news quickly -- may not have the peaceful, productive out-of-town experience that "The Little Mermaid" 's creative team is hoping for Read More... Posted Monday, February 12, 2007 12:00 AM | 16 Comments Filed under: animation, Disney, DVD / Video, movies, music, theater

• One for the Books: A Sneak Peek at Disney Press & Disney Editions' 2007 Releases

  Jim Hill shares what he knows about some of the titles that Disney's publishing arm will be releasing over the next 9 months. Which includes the novelization of the highly anticipated "High School Musical 2" Read More... Posted Wednesday, January 10, 2007 12:00 AM | 8 Comments Filed under: animation, book, Disney, movies, theater

• "Today in Disney History" is a perfect last-minute gift for the Disney obsessive on your holiday shopping list

  Getting ready for that one final trip to the mall, but you don't have a clue about what to get that Disney fan in your family? Pick up a copy of Eve Zibart's breezy paperback. Which is just loaded with fun facts & trivia about the Mouse House Read More... Posted Wednesday, December 20, 2006 12:00 AM | 3 Comments Filed under: animation, book, comics, Disney, DVD / Video, movies, music, other, theater, theme park, TV

• DreamWorks plans on kicking its "Shrek" franchise into ogre-drive with next year's "Shrek the Halls" holiday special

  Do you think that DreamWorks Animation's announcement of that Christmas special on ABC signals the beginning of the end for the "Shrek" franchise? Think again, folks. Jim Hill talks about all of the other "Shrek" -related projects that are currently in DW's development pipeline Read More... Posted Tuesday, November 07, 2006 12:00 AM | 20 Comments Filed under: animation, Disney, DVD / Video, movies, music, theater, TV

• Disney's long, long journey to Oz

  In honor of the 50th anniversary of the very first telecast of "The Wizard of Oz," Jim Hill tracks the Walt Disney Company's interest in L. Frank Baum's characters. Beginning with "The Rainbow Road to Oz" and ending right on the steps of Disneyland Paris' Emerald City Read More... Posted Friday, November 03, 2006 5:00 PM | 29 Comments Filed under: animation, book, Disney, DVD / Video, movies, music, theater, theme park, TV

• Tune Tuesday: "Sister Act" musical signals the start of a major Menken resurgence

  As a new Alan Menken musical gets ready for its world premiere at the Pasadena Playhouse tonight, Jim Hill looks back on the career of this award-winning composer as well as giving JHM readers a sneak preview of Alan's next few projects Read More... Posted Tuesday, October 24, 2006 12:00 AM | 12 Comments Filed under: animation, Disney, DVD / Video, movies, theater, TV

• A special which-witch-is-which edition of Why For

  Jim Hill's back with even more answers to your Disney-related questions. This time around, Jim talks about Walt Disney's connection to MGM's "The Wizard of Oz," reveals who almost wound up playing Eglantine Price in "Bedknobs & Broomsticks" as well as offering an update on Monday's "Harry Potter and the Letter of Intent" story Read More... Posted Friday, October 20, 2006 12:00 AM | 26 Comments Filed under: animation, Disney, DVD / Video, movies, music, theater, Why For

• Donny Osmond brings his big white smile to the Great White Way

  Jim Hill got the chance recently to chat with Donny Osmond about the huge impact that the Walt Disney Company has had on his family's career. Osmond also talked about the challenges he faced by stepping into the role of Gaston in the Broadway version of "Beauty and the Beast" Read More... Posted Thursday, September 28, 2006 12:05 AM | 2 Comments Filed under: animation, Disney, DVD / Video, movies, music, theater, theme park, TV