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Anneliese van der Pol is not the first actress to play Belle in Broadway's version of "Beauty & the Beast" (That honor went to stage veteran Susan Egan . Who -- these days -- is probably best known to Disneyana fans as the voice of Megara in " Hercules ") ... Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All...

Earlier this week, Perry T. sent me the following e-mail : Jim, Are you as sick as I am about how the Imagineers keep forcing characters into older attractions at the Disney theme parks? Just in the past six months, we've had that new " Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor " show replace the Magic Kingdom 's old...

Steve T. writes in to say: My family and I caught a sneak preview of " Nancy Drew " this past weekend. And I was surprised to see Pat Carroll do a cameo in that movie. She's always been one of my favorites, even before she did her memorable turn in Disney's " The Little Mermaid ." But I've also heard...

Good God. Has it really been less than a year and a half since " High School Musical " originally debuted on the Disney Channel ? Copyright 2006 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved Back in January of 2006, Mouse House execs were just hoping that they hadn't wasted any of their promotional money...

As Ed Sullivan used to say, get ready for " ... a really big show." Or should I say " ... a really TALL show" ? Either way, that's all that the folks at Disney Theatrical can talk about these days. The immense size of the sets that scenic designer George Tsypin has created for their newest musical, ...

Barry S. of Stowe, VT writes in to say: Dear Jim - Since you're such a fan of visual effects , I was wondering if you've seen Christina Aguilera 's new video, " Candyman ". Didn't the effect artists who worked on this production do a great job ? The digital doubling of Christina looks seamless to me...

Judging by many of the comments that have been posted on various Disneyland discussion boards around the Web, " Pirates of the Caribbean " fans are obviously looking forward to lining up along the red carpet on May 19th . Just so that they can then catch a glimpse of Johnny Depp & Co. as they stroll...

All you Disney theatre fans out there might want to make a point of circling March 18th on your calendars. You see, that's the day that tickets for the world premiere of Disney Theatrical 's next production, " The Little Mermaid ," will officially go on sale. Copyright 2007 Disney Enterprises Of course...

"Tell the truth. You're getting kind of tired of writing about ' A Christmas Carol ,' aren't you?" No, this wasn't an e-mail that some disgruntled JHM reader sent me. But -- rather -- the ever-wise & patient Nancy (Who -- FYI -- has been formatting each & every one...

It's Christmas-crunch time, kiddies. You know what I mean. That horrible moment that arrives every holiday season. When you're feeling all smug & self-satisfied because you think that you've completed your Xmas shopping. Only to suddenly sit bolt upright in your chair and say: "Oh, cr*p! I forgot...

In ballet circles, " The Nutcracker " is now considered a lucrative cliché. Meaning that it's a show that most companies HAVE TO produce each year. Given that many people nowadays just don't consider it Christmas unless they're able to: Get dressed up. Go to the theater. Nod off while Clara & her...

Picking up where we left off yesterday ... Most of you Disney dweebs out there will probably be able to identify this character. Copyright 1964 Walt Disney Productions That's right. Admiral Boom from Walt Disney Productions' 1964 release, " Mary Poppins ." Naming this next character...

Picking up where we left off yesterday ... Though sound would arrive in Hollywood in 1928, it wouldn't be until 1935 'til someone made the first full-length "talking picture" version of "A Christmas Carol." Copyright 2005 Delta Entertainment Corporation Produced in the U.K...

" Mary Poppins " touched down on Broadway last night, toting a carpet bag that was filled to the brim with new songs, colorful sets & costumes as well as eye-popping special effects. Copyright 2006 Disney / CML. Photo by Joan Marcus Of course, the big question is: Will Disney purists (As well as...

When musical theater fans complain about Disney Theatrical (And they do complain about Disney Theatrical. If you don't believe me, go check out the discussion boards over at Talkin' Broadway and Broadway World ), their main complaint about the Mouse seems to be that " ... the shows that Disney presents...

Yesterday's announcement that DreamWorks Animation SKG will be producing "Shrek the Halls," a new holiday special for ABC, caught a number of animation professionals by surprise. Not so much because this Glendale-based animation company was looking to move into television. As DreamWorks Animation's 2004...

It was 50 years ago tonight that the 1939 version of " The Wizard of Oz " was first shown on television. Copyright 2005 Warner Home Video The first-ever telecast of this Victor Fleming film was a rating smash. Over 44 million people tuned in to catch this broadcast (Which was hosted by the...

Let's clear up the confusion right from the start, shall we? That " Sister Act: The Musical " that's holding its world premiere at the Pasadena Playhouse tonight ... Copyright SisActs, Limited Liability Company ... is based on the Whoopi Goldberg movie that Walt Disney Studios released through its Touchstone...

First up, George S. writes to say: My family and I were visiting Disney-MGM earlier this year. And while I was at that park, I got talking with a cast member who was working at the " Great Movie Ride. " He met our car as we rolled back in that attraction's exit area and asked us what we had all thought...

You know, it was almost inevitable that Donny Osmond would wind up appearing in Disney's "Beauty & the Beast" on Broadway . Photo by Jeff Lange After all, back in 1962, the Osmonds supposedly got their start in big-time show business because they sang one day at Disneyland . As the story goes, Alan...