Connect with us

News & Press Releases

Disney On Broadway Veterans Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins) & Josh Strickland (Tarzan) To Appear in “Sir Tim Rice & Friends”

Published

on

BROADWAY PERFORMERS ANNOUNCED FOR
“SIR TIM RICE & FRIENDS”
 
A ONE NIGHT ONLY CONCERT, PART OF THE 10TH ANNUAL
NEW YORK TIMES ARTS & LEISURE WEEKEND CELEBRATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 7TH AT 6PM
 
Cast to Feature Broadway Veterans Ashley Brown, Heidi Blickenstaff,
Merle Dandridge, Christopher Jackson, Tshidi Manye,
Josh Strickland and Alton Fitzgerald White
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Wednesday, December 22, 2010) – DISNEY THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS today announced the cast of Broadway performers for “Sir Tim Rice & Friends,” a salute to the Disney on Broadway songbook hosted by Oscar® and Tony Award®-winning lyricist Tim Rice.  All seven of the accomplished performers are veterans of one or more Disney Theatrical Productions’ Broadway shows.
 
Held on Friday, January 7 (6pm-7:15pm) as part of The New York Times 10th annual Arts & Leisure weekend celebration, the Disney evening will feature Ashley Brown (original title star of Mary Poppins on Broadway), HEIDI BLICKENSTAFF (Ursula in The Little Mermaid; [title of show]), MERLE DANDRIDGE (Kala in Tarzan; Aida; Jesus Christ Superstar), CHRISTOPHER JACKSON (Benny in In the Heights; The Lion King), TSHIDI MANYE (currently starring on Broadway as Rafiki in The Lion King), Josh Strickland (original title star of Tarzan; currently starring in Peep Show and E!’s “Holly’s World”) and ALTON FITZGERALD WHITE (currently starring on Broadway as Mufasa in The Lion King, Miss Saigon). 
 
“Sir Tim Rice & Friends” will feature selections from the musical theater scores of Disney’s seven Broadway shows including King David, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida, Tarzan®, Mary Poppins, a co-production by Disney and Cameron Mackintosh and The Little Mermaid. James Abbott serves as musical director.
 
A versatile and prolific lyricist and librettist, Sir Tim Rice is a longtime collaborator for Disney Theatrical Productions, having written lyrics for four of the seven Disney scores heard on Broadway.  Rice partnered with composer Alan Menken for Beauty and the Beast and King David and with Elton John on the blockbuster The Lion King (film and stage) and the musical Aida. He was nominated for a Tony Award® for Best Original Score for his work on Beauty and the Beast (1994) and The Lion King (1998), earning the 2000 Tony Award® for Best Original Score for Aida.  A three-time Tony Award® winner, Rice’s other notable Broadway and West End credits include Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita (1980 Tony Award® winner for Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Chess, among others.
 
The New York Times Arts & Leisure Weekend will be held from January 6 to 9, 2011 and is a four-day celebration of the arts featuring interviews with New York Times journalists and celebrated guests from film, media, music, television and theater.
 
For additional information or to purchase advance tickets ($30 each plus a service fee), please call 1-888-NYT-1870 or visit ArtsAndLeisureWeekend.com.  All “TimesTalks” are held at The TimesCenter (242 West 41st Street) in New York City.
 
DISNEY THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS, a division of The Walt Disney Studios, was formed in 1994 and operates under the direction of Thomas Schumacher.  With 15 productions currently produced or licensed by DTP worldwide, a Disney musical is being performed professionally somewhere on the planet virtually every hour of the day.  The company’s inaugural production, Beauty and the Beast, opened in 1994. It played a remarkable 13 year run on Broadway and has been produced in 28 countries worldwide. In November 1997, Disney opened The Lion King, which received six 1998 Tony® Awards including Best Musical and continues in its 13th smash year, having welcomed over 50 million visitors worldwide. In addition to its three North American productions, it can currently be seen in London, Hamburg and Tokyo, with Singapore to open in 2011. Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida opened on Broadway next, winning four 2000 Tony® Awards, running for four-and-a-half years and spawning productions around the world.  Mary Poppins, a co-production by Disney and Cameron Mackintosh, opened in London in 2004 and has established itself as one of the biggest stage musical successes to emerge in recent years. The Tony Award®-winning Broadway production opened in 2006 at Disney’s New Amsterdam Theatre, where it continues to delight audiences. Mary Poppins can also be seen on tour across North America, in Holland and Australia with four more productions scheduled to open this year. Tarzan®, which opened on Broadway in 2006, is now an international hit with an award-winning production in Germany and a record-setting one in Holland that closed in May 2009.  In January 2008, The Little Mermaid opened on Broadway and was the #1-selling new musical of that year, completing its run in August 2009.  In addition to producing musicals, DTP licenses stage performance rights to more than a dozen Disney musicals around the world through Music Theatre International.  For more information visit, DisneyTheatricalProductions.com.
 
# # #

Jim Hill is an entertainment writer who has specialized in covering The Walt Disney Company for nearly 40 years now. Over that time, he has interviewed hundreds of animators, actors, and Imagineers -- many of whom have shared behind-the-scenes stories with Mr. Hill about how the Mouse House really works. In addition to the 4000+ articles Jim has written for the Web, he also co-hosts a trio of popular podcasts: “Disney Dish with Len Testa,” “Fine Tooning with Drew Taylor” and “Marvel US Disney with Aaron Adams.” Mr. Hill makes his home in Southern New Hampshire with his lovely wife Nancy and two obnoxious cats, Ginger & Betty.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

News & Press Releases

Disney Will Bring D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event to Anaheim, California in August 2024

Published

on

Expanded Disney Fan Experience Will Feature New and Exciting Events Across Multiple Locations, Including a D23 Takeover of the Happiest Place On Earth, Evening Entertainment at the Honda Center, D23 Day at Angel Stadium, and Much More

Fan Favorites Including Exhibits, Panels, Shows, and Shopping Will Dazzle Disney Enthusiasts at the Anaheim Convention Center

D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event is a one-of-a-kind fan experience like never before with spectacular shows, new venues, and multiple days of entertainment that will bring together the best of Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and more!

Highlightswill include:

  • Sunday, August 4: D23 Day at Angel Stadium, where D23 fans are invited to attend the Los Angeles Angels vs. New York Mets game. 
  • Thursday, August 8: D23 kickoff celebration at Disneyland Resort.
  • Friday, August 9 – Sunday, August 11: Shopping, exhibits, panels, and presentations will take place at the Anaheim Convention Center during the day, with the fun extending into the evening at the Honda Center, the bigger home to marquee shows.

Tickets for D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event will go on sale in Spring 2024, with ticketing options to be announced later for access to the Anaheim Convention Center and the Honda Center. Admission for D23 Day at Angel Stadium and the D23 kickoff celebration at Disneyland Resort will be available as separate ticketed events. Additional details for D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event will be announced in early 2024.

You can get updates by staying connected to D23 via social media (@DisneyD23 on FacebookInstagramX), D23.com, and our weekly D23 FanFare email (sign up for free as a D23 General Member at JoinD23.com).

About D23

The name “D23” pays homage to the exciting journey that began in 1923 when Walt Disney opened his first studio in Hollywood. D23 is the first official club for fans in Disney’s nearly 100-year history. It gives its members a greater connection to the entire world of Disney by placing them in the middle of the magic year-round through its quarterly publication, Disney twenty-three; the latest news and stories on D23.com; member-exclusive offers and discounts; the popular D23 Inside Disney podcast; and special experiences for D23 Members throughout the year.

Fans can join D23 at Gold Membership ($99.99/year), Gold Duo Membership ($129.99/year), and General Membership (complimentary) levels at D23.com. To keep up with all the latest D23 news and events, follow DisneyD23 on Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, and YouTube.

Continue Reading

News & Press Releases

Star Wars Spoof: Space Robots in Outer Space Ep X: Battle for the Halcyon: The Last Starcruiser

Published

on

Sure, Star Wars is cool and all. But let’s not forget about that other multi-part sci-fi cinematic spectacular, “Space Robots in Outer Space.” In fact, Hank Lonely (Hollywood’s ultimate hyphenate — actor / producer / director / writer / guy who makes sure the Porto Potties are kept squeaky-clean) just announced that there’ll soon be a 10th installment of this … Well, not exactly beloved. How about we say “admired from afar” instead? … series coming to a theater near you. In fact, here’s the highly anticipated teaser trailer for that project. Which is supposed to be titled “Space Robots in Outer Space X — Battle for the Halycon: The Last Starcruiser.”

Okay. Now the real story … In honor of Star Wars Day (i.e., May 4th. As in “May the Fourth Be With You”), Len Testa and I are sharing something that we produced with the help of all the nice folks who joined us last month aboard the Halycon.

We turned the Galactic Starcruiser as well as Black Spire Outpost into the backdrop for an affectionate send-up of all things Stars Wars. We hope that you (more importantly, the legal team at Lucasfilm) take this faux trailer in the spirit with which it was intended. Special thanks to Aaron Adams for so skillfully stitching all of this footage together. Also thanks to the team at Storybook Destinations, Touring Plans and the talented cast & crew aboard the “Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser” for making this “Disney Dish” fan event so memorable.

Continue Reading

News & Press Releases

Disney’s New Trailer Reveals How Ralph & Vanellope Get to the Internet in “Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2”

Published

on

Wreck-It Ralph 2

When “Wreck-It Ralph” opened on Nov. 2, 2012, it turned in the highest opening weekend ever for a Walt Disney Animation Studios film at the time of release. Now Disney is hoping Ralph will not only break the Internet but the 2018 Thanksgiving boxoffice records as well.

The film re-teams the original director, producer and co-writer behind “Wreck-It Ralph.”  The screenplay is currently being written by Phil Johnston and Pamela Ribon. Director Rich Moore, producer Clark Spencer, and co-writer Phil Johnston partnered with fellow director Byron Howard and co-writer/co-director Jared Bush to create the Academy Award®-winning blockbuster feature “Zootopia.”

ROYAL REUNION – In “Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck It Ralph 2,” Vanellope von Schweetz-along with her best friend Ralph-ventures into the uncharted world of the internet. When she finds herself surrounded by Disney princesses, she’s surprised to learn that she actually has a lot in common with them. The scene, highlighted in a new trailer for the film (below), features several of the original princess voices, including Auli’i Cravalho (“Moana”), Kristen Bell (Anna in “Frozen”), Idina Menzel (Elsa in “Frozen”), Kelly MacDonald (Merida in “Brave”), Mandy Moore (Rapunzel in “Tangled”), Anika Noni Rose (Tiana in “The Princess and the Frog”), Ming-Na Wen (“Mulan”), Irene Bedard (“Pocahontas”), Linda Larkin (Jasmine in “Aladdin”), Paige O’Hara (Belle in “Beauty and the Beast”) and Jodi Benson (Ariel in “The Little Mermaid”). Featuring Sarah Silverman as the voice of Vanellope, “Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck It Ralph 2” opens in theaters nationwide Nov. 21, 2018. 

 

“RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET: WRECK-IT RALPH 2”

WALT DISNEY ANIMATION STUDIOS

https://disney.com/ralphbreakstheinternet

https://www.youtube.com/user/disneyanimation

https://www.facebook.com/WreckItRalph/

https://twitter.com/wreckitralph

https://www.instagram.com/wreckitralph/

 

U.S. Release Date:  Nov. 21, 2018

Voice cast: John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Taraji P. Henson, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, Alan Tudyk

Directors: Rich Moore, Phil Johnston

Producer: Clark Spencer

Continue Reading

Trending