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This past Sunday was the 20 th anniversary of Jim Henson ’s passing. And if you look around the Web, you’ll find a number of articles out there that talk about all the great TV shows & movies we missed out on because this gentle genius passed away at the far-too-young age of 53 . But the part of...

When most folks think of the Muppets these days, they think of these sweet, whimsical characters doing cute & gentle things. But what a lot of people forget about Jim Henson is that he had this pretty dark sense of humor. Which is why – back in the day – in order to get a laugh, many Muppet characters...

When you think about the stage version of Disney’s “The Lion King,” what first comes to mind? For some, it might be Elton John & Sir Tim Rice ’s terrific score. While others might talk up the brilliant job that Julie Taymor did with staging this Tony Award-winner. Which Newsweek magazine called ...

SPOILER ALERT: If you haven’t seen the Broadway production of Disney & Cameron Mackintosh’s “Mary Poppins” (or – for that matter – one of the touring productions of this acclaimed stage musical), now might be a very good time to bail out of today’s JHM story. Still here? Okay, then I’m going to assume...

This past Friday night, Anthony Lyn -- the director of the North American touring company of Disney & Cameron Mackintosh ’s “ Mary Poppins ” – strode onstage at LA’s Ahmanson Theatre and said that he had a few brief announcements to make before that performance could get underway. First of all, Lyn...

The juggernaut that is Disney’s “The Lion King” just rolls on and on and on. The stage musical version of this Academy Award-winning animated feature isn’t just one of the most popular shows on Broadway. It’s now one of the most beloved pieces of entertainment in the world. Want proof? Then let’s take...

Can it really be almost twelve years since Julie Taymor ’s acclaimed stage adaptation of “The Lion King” first bowed on Broadway? Given that the London production just celebrated its 10 th anniversary at the Lyceum Theatre , I guess the answer to that question would have to be “Yes...

In a town like Las Vegas , where virtually every building screams “Look at me!” … Copyright 2009 Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. All Rights Reserved … how do you stand out from the crowd? Cut through all that visual clutter? That was the challenge that Disney Theatrical & the Mandalay...

A somewhat angry Tom B. writes in say: Enough with the stories about Comic-Con ! I think it’s pretty arrogant of you to assume that every JHM reader is interested in hearing about what’s going on in San Diego this year. You know what would be a nice change? If you posted a story about some Disneyana...

Given the high number of recent Broadway hits (i.e. “ Avenue Q ,” “ Hairspray ,” “ The Producers ,” “ Monty Python's Spamelot ”) that have had less than stellar runs in Las Vegas, it’s very tempting to say Disney Theatrical is taking a gamble by creating a new sit-down production of “The Lion King” for...

As you might expect, NYC's World of Disney is currently all tricked out for trick-or-treat time. Photo by Jim Hill And as you wander all three floors of this 5th Avenue store, you'll find all sorts of Halloween-related materials. From 15th anniversary " Nightmare Before Christmas " merch ... Photo by...

Do you want a true demonstration of the awesome power of Disney's "High School Musical" franchise? Well, never mind about the record-breaking advance ticket sales for " High School Musical 3 : Senior Year ." Or the fact that Salt Lake 's East High (i.e. the actual school where all three of the "HSM"...

There are so many movie-based musicals turning up on Broadway these days that the theater community has actually invented a somewhat derogatory term to describe these high profile productions: movsicals. And what with the rather tepid respection that " Young Frankenstein " and " The Little Mermaid "...

For most people on this planet, the stage version of Disney's "The Lion King" first came on their radar when this Julie Taymor production initially opened at the New Amsterdam Theatre . Given the spectacular reviews this show received (Not to mention its amazing word-of-mouth) musical fans knew immediately...

When the North American National Tour of " Mary Poppins " opens in Chicago in March of 2009 ... Copyright 2007 Disney / CML. All Rights Reserved ... both Disneyana & theater fans are sure to be thrilled. After all, this road company will not only feature Ashley Brown (i.e. the actress who originated...

Remember how I mentioned in yesterday's story that there are senior officials at the Walt Disney Company who believe that " ... the HSM phenomenon will soon blow itself out." Well, this belief does not extend to Disney Theatrical . If anything, the folks who brought us " The Lion King ," " Mary Poppins...

TiggerFan452 writes in to say: Hey Jim, Just wondering if you've heard anything about these focus groups that Disney World has been recruiting people for. If you take part, you're apparently shown a preview video for something called "Disney's Night Kingdom". Any idea what this project is about and if...