If you’re a fan of The Walt Disney Company’s theatrical productions, then you should probably make a point of setting your TiVo to record Friday’s “Live with Regis & Kelly” (when the Las Vegas company of “The Lion King” will be making an appearance on that syndicated morning talk
show) as well as next Monday’s “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien” (when Ashley Brown, Gavin Lee and the North American touring company of “Mary Poppins” will be performing “Step in Time”).
Photo by Joan Marcus. Copyright 2009 Disney /CML. All Rights Reserved
Mind you, judging by some of the domain names that the Mouse has registered over the past few weeks, we should expect that Disney is going to get pretty aggressive about promoting theater & live performances in the coming year.
Don’t believe me? Then take a look at the pile of theater & performing arts related domain names that the Company registered on November 20th:
- DISNEYTHEATERFEST.COM
- DISNEYTHEATREFEST.COM
- DISNEYTHEATERFESTIVAL.COM
- DISNEYTHEATREFESTIVAL.COM
- DISNEYSHOWSTOPPERS.COM
- DISNEYSHOWSTOPPERSFEST.COM
- DISNEYSHOWSTOPPERSFESTIVAL.COM
- DISNEYPERFORMINGARTSFEST.COM
- DISNEYPERFORMINGARTSFESTIVAL.COM
As I understand it, the above series of domain names are for a new program that’s being considered for The Walt Disney World & Disneyland Resorts. Which – just as Magic Music Days & Festival Disney encourage high school bands & choral groups to come down to Orlando / out to Anaheim to perform – would target high school drama clubs instead.
Mind you, the Mouse is looking for other ways to make the turnstiles spin at its theme parks. Including a weekend long celebration of gospel music that would be called:
- DISNEYGOSPELFEST.COM
- DISNEYGOSPELFESTIVAL.COM
Yeah, music’s going to play a big part in The Walt Disney Company’s plans for 2010. As is demonstrated by these recently registered domain names:
- DISNEYSINGS.COM
- DISNEYVOCAL.COM
- PERFORMATDISNEY.COM
- DISNEYBROADWAYMAGIC.COM
Copyright 2009 Disney. All Rights Reserved
Of course, sometimes – in order to keep people interested in your older offerings – you have to freshen them up. Rebrand them, if you will. And given that Grad Nite has been around since 1961, the folks at Disney Youth Program evidently felt that this annual after-hours celebration needed a new, edgier moniker. Which is why Grad Nite 2010 is now being promoted as DGN 10.
And The Walt Disney Company clearly hopes that this new name for Grad Nite catches on. Given that they’ve already registered the domain names for:
- DGN11.COM
- DGN12.COM
- DGN13.COM
- DGN14.COM
- DGN15.COM
- DGN16.COM
- DGN17.COM
- DGN18.COM
- DGN19.COM
- DGN20.COM
And speaking of 2010 and beyond, DreamWorks Studios has finally begun firming up the first few films that it will be releasing through that distribution deal that it signed with Disney back in February. And these movies include a new family-friendly canine comedy:
- DOGGIEDAYCAREMOVIE.COM
- DOGGIEDAYCARETHEMOVIE.COM
Copyright 1985 Columbia Pictures. All Rights Reserved
A remake of a horror comedy
from the 1980s:
- FRIGHTNIGHTTHEMOVIE.COM
A new teen thriller:
- SOMEONEINTHEDARKMOVIE.COM
As well as a big screen bio of noted composer George Gershwin:
- GERSHWINMOVIE.COM
- GERSHWINTHEMOVIE.COM
Copyright 2000 Disney. All Rights Reserved
Who – in his day – wrote a number of great Broadway shows. Among them “Of Thee I Sing” and “Porgy and Bess.”
Which makes you wonder: Will any Gershwin songs will be performed next year as that Disney Theater Fest, Performing Arts Fest, Showstoppers or whatever-they’re-going-to-call-it
event gets underway at the Parks in 2010.
Your thoughts?
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