Walt Disney News

Miller Theatre at Columbia University School of the Arts presents the 2014-15 Composer Portraits series finale: ANNA CLYNE featuring Ensemble Signal, Lauren Radnofsky, cello, Adrian Sandi, clarinet, and Brad Lubman, conductor.

Oakland, CA, April 21, 2015 – Music Director and Conductor Michael Morgan and the Oakland East Bay Symphony have announced an unusually eclectic season for 2015-2016 including premieres, guest artists and music spanning 300 years from Bach to today in seven concerts at the Paramount Theatre in Oakland. Highlights of the 27th season include guest artists Kenneth Renshaw, Vân-Ánh Vanessa Võ, Tracy Silverman And Amy Likar Plus Toland Vocal Arts Competition And Young Artist Competition Winners. In keeping with its programming philosophy of presenting an insightful and innovative palette of music that represents a variety of traditions—and creating a few—Maestro Morgan and the Symphony will perform music by Mason Bates, John Adams, Martin Rokeach, David Conte, Bendix, Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, Bernstein, Cherubini, Stravinsky, Ravel and Frank Sinatra. Of special note are thematic programs including Notes From Vietnam, which will introduce audiences to music and guest artists from symphonic traditions other than the mainstream, a new annual “Lost Romantics” series in which Morgan will conduct gorgeous and compelling but somewhat forgotten music by composers who were better known in their time than ours and vocal soloists who have won the Oakland-based James Toland Vocal Competition in their debuts. All concerts will be preceded by a pre-performance talk one hour before curtain, free to all ticket-holders. For complete season information, visit www.oebs.org and follow the Symphony at www.facebook.com/OEBSymphony , Twitter@OakSym and Youtube: oebsym  

Disney's live-action BEAUTY AND THE BEAST continues to add to its ranks! According to Variety, Stanley Tucci has joined the star-studded cast as 'Cadenza', a new character -- a grand piano described as 'a neurotic maestro.'

Casting is complete for CARRIE the musical directed by Christopher Betts, musical director Peter Hodgson and choreography by Amanda Pinto. Peregrine Theatre Ensemble will be performing its entire 2015 season in the old high school auditorium at Provincetown Schools, 12 Winslow Street in Provincetown MA.

LA STAGE Alliance Chief Executive Officer Terence McFarland will be stepping down effective April 30 after an 11-year tenure at the not-for-profit arts service organization, it was announced today by the LASA Board of Directors. On June 1, McFarland becomes Associate Executive Director at Valley Performing Arts Center, California State University, Northridge. He will join Executive Director Thor Steingraber in leading VPAC with multiple and varied responsibilities which include business development, institutional fundraising, box office, finance, community and campus engagement, and a variety of programming initiatives.

Fangirls assemble! In celebration of the release of Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron, Her Universe - the trendsetting geek girl apparel company, and Disney Consumer Products have announced a new fashion line inspired by fan-favorite Super Heroes from the Avengers films.

The Road Theatre Company and Taylor Gilbert, Founder/Artistic Director together with Sam Anderson, Artistic Director, are thrilled to announce that the third show of its 2014-2015 season, the critically-acclaimed, West Coast Premiere of THE ENGLISH BRIDE, written by Lucile Lichtblau and directed by Marya Mazor, which is running in repertory with The Other Place is extending through Sunday, May 10 at the Road Theatre Company's second home, the Road on Magnolia, located in The NoHo Senior Arts Colony, 10747 Magnolia Blvd. in North Hollywood.

In a collaboration between the LA Phil and Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center, "Available Light -- Creators in Conversation" reunites choreographer Lucinda Childs, composer John Adams, and architect Frank Gehry, in a post-performance discussion about the evolution of Available Light, the production that opened the Temporary Contemporary (Geffen/MOCA) 31 years ago. This conversation is open to ticket holders for the Available Light performance on Friday, June 5.

Today, April 21,Walt Disney Records will release a compilation album of 15 tracks featuring nominees and nominated songs for the 2015 Radio Disney Music Awards, music's biggest event for families.

Recording artists Shawn Mendes, Sheppard and Tori Kelly are set to perform at the 2015 Radio Disney Music Awards (RDMA), music's biggest event for families, SATURDAY, APRIL 25

ESPN Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Sean R.H. Bratches, whose leadership and accomplishments throughout his 27-year career with ESPN were instrumental to the company's growth, will depart at the end of 2015. He will serve in an advisory capacity to ESPN until that time.

If writer P.L. Travers, the notoriously protective creator of Mary Poppins, was even half so prickly as we have been led to believe she was - thanks in large part to the screenplay for Saving Mr. Banks, the film retelling of her experiences with Walt Disney, et al, over the film adaptation of her beloved work - it's very easy to imagine how she might cringe at the thought of high school students taking on the musical theater version of her timeless story. However, if she knew in advance that it was being produced by Nashville's Christ Presbyterian Academy, under the direction of an artist as exacting as Paula Flautt, we rather think Miss Travers would be pleased -and without reservation.

Spoiler Alert! If you attend Avenue Q, you will find yourself at one of the most creative productions of the theatrical season. Avenue Q opened on Friday April 17 at the Barn Players in Mission, Kansas. Based on the original concept of Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx Avenue Q is a musical in two acts. Music and lyrics are by Lopez and Marx with the book by Jeff Whitty.

Actress Ashley Brown from the Broadway production of Mary Poppins surprised the Franklin School for the Performing Arts Show Choir (Franklin, Mass.) as they attended a Disney Performing Arts workshop on Saturday, April 18. Ashley discussed her successful career, including her Broadway debut as Belle in the Disney hit Beauty and the Beast, and took time to answer questions and offer advice before a special vocal performance of Feed the Birds from Mary Poppins. Check out photos below!

Country music sensation Ronnie McDowell is a true artist in every sense of the word. He's known coast to coast for his chart-topping radio hits and showmanship from his sold-out performances and now he is being recognized for his original art work. Disney Fine Art saw one painting by McDowell and signed him to a 5-year deal.

The Los Angeles Master Chorale (LAMC) continues its vital role of championing and training the next generation of musical talent at its acclaimed High School Choir Festival showcasing some 1,000 choir students from 29 Southland high schools in massed choir in a free concert on Friday, May 1, 2015, 1 pm, at Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles.

WHAT: Esteemed conductor Neeme Jarvi leads the Los Angeles Philharmonic in three performances, tonight, April 17, at 8 pm, as well as Saturday and Sunday, April 18 and 19, at 2 pm. The program features LA Phil Principal Concertmaster Martin Chalifour as the soloist in Suk's Fantasie, the composer's brilliant and rarely heard fantasy-concerto. Bookending the Suk work are two offerings from Brahms - his Tragic Overture and the dramatic Fourth Symphony, for which the LA Phil won its most recent Grammy award.

VIOLETTA LIVE INTERNATIONAL TOUR: GIRA DESPEDIDA, el show encabezado por Martina Stoessel y un elenco internacional, llega en abril de 2015 a Latinoamerica tras presentarse en nueve paises de Europa. En su gira internacional con su nuevo espectaculo recorrera Argentina -comenzando en Buenos Aires, luego Bahia Blanca, Chaco, Mendoza, Cordoba y Salta-. Tambien visitara Uruguay, Chile, Brasil, Colombia, Ecuador y Mexico.