Walt Disney News

Recording artist China Anne McClain (Hollywood Records' McCLAIN and Disney Channel's 'A.N.T. Farm') and Kelli Berglund (Disney XD's 'Lab Rats') star as tech whizzes who computer-program the perfect boy and in the process trigger a national incident in 'How to Build a Better Boy'

Derby Dinner Playhouse presents the musical that has entertained people of all ages for years, MARY POPPINS, running July 2 through August 16, 2014.

New Musicals Inc. announces the line-up of panelists for the fifth biennial BIZ OF THE MUSICAL THEATRE BIZ CONFERENCE, set for July 18-20 in North Hollywood.

Broadway In Chicago has announced that Jonah Rawitz of Buffalo Grove, IL (Adlai E. Stevenson High School), representing the Illinois High School Musical Theater Awards, was awarded the coveted Jimmy Award for Best Performance by an Actor on Monday, June 30, 2014 at Broadway's Minskoff Theater. The Jimmy Award for Best Performance by an Actress was presented to Jai'Len Josey, representing the Georgia High School Musical Theater Awards -- Shuler Hensley Awards.

The 6th Annual National High School Musical Awards presented the coveted Jimmy Award for Best Performance by an Actress and Best Performance by an Actor on Monday, June 30 at Broadway's Minskoff Theater, to Jai' Len Josey representing the Georgia High School Musical Theater Awards - Shuler Hensley Awards and Jonah Rawitz, representing the Illinois High School Musical Theater Awards.

Moonlight Stage Productions' 34th summer season is well under way, and Artistic Director Steven Glaudini is proud to present the Southern California Regional Premiere of the smash hit Broadway musical MARY POPPINS, co-created by Disney and Cameron Mackintosh. Performances are July 16 to August 2. Single tickets are priced $15 to $52 and include price levels for student rush, military, senior, and family discounts. To purchase tickets or for more information, call (760) 724-2110 or visit moonlightstage.com.

Time to crack open the history books, because America's favorite inebriated storytellers are returning for a second season! Ten episodes of the hit Comedy Central series 'Drunk History' begin today, July 1 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT, followed by the second season premiere of 'Nathan For You.' For fans that want to relive every sloshed moment of season one, all episodes are now available on the Comedy Central App and atcc.com/drunk.

On July 1, the Philadelphia Museum of Art will unveil the comprehensive plan that Frank Gehry has created for the renovation and expansion of its home on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The exhibition Making a Classic Modern: Frank Gehry's Master Plan for the Philadelphia Museum of Art will offer a first look at a design that renews one of Philadelphia's greatest landmarks. The plan also reorganizes and expands the building, adding more than 169,000 square feet of space. Included in this exhibition, which will remain on view in the Dorrance Galleries until September 1, will be large-scale models, site plans, sections, and renderings. The project will ultimately transform the interior of one of the city's most iconic buildings, enabling the Museum to display much more of its world-renowned collection.

On July 1, the Philadelphia Museum of Art will unveil the comprehensive plan that Frank Gehry has created for the renovation and expansion of its home on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The exhibition Making a Classic Modern: Frank Gehry's Master Plan for the Philadelphia Museum of Art will offer a first look at a design that renews one of Philadelphia's greatest landmarks. The plan also reorganizes and expands the building, adding more than 169,000 square feet of space. Included in this exhibition, which will remain on view in the Dorrance Galleries until September 1, will be large-scale models, site plans, sections, and renderings. The project will ultimately transform the interior of one of the city's most iconic buildings, enabling the Museum to display much more of its world-renowned collection.

Gloucester Stage Company continues the 35th Anniversary Season on July 11 with the Boston Area Premiere of Jack Neary's newest work, Auld Lang Syne featuring GSC favorites and real life husband and wife Richard Snee and Paula Plum directed by Douglas Lockwood. The comedy thriller runs from July 11 through July 27.

Award-winning composer Mark Mancina, who won a Grammy for Best Soundtrack Album (with Phil Collins) for his work on Disney's 1999 feature 'Tarzan,' produced and composed the score for 'Planes: Fire & Rescue.' The Planes: Fire & Rescue original motion picture soundtrack takes off July 15.

A new video produced by Barely Political complaining that there are too many 'Let It Go' spoofs on YouTube has recently gone viral.

The Broadway League, the national trade organization for the commercial theatre industry, reveals the 2014 League Educator Apple Award recipients. The awards acknowledge the efforts of local teachers and administrators who support programs relating to Broadway or Touring Broadway shows, promoting further development of theatre education.

Upcoming Equity Auditions from Sunday, June 29, 2014.

Noche de Cine, part of Gustavo Dudamel's signature festival, Americas & Americans, celebrates film composers from North and South America featuring film clips and scores performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, led by Dudamel. The program features a suite from Libertador - Dudamel's first feature-length film score; and Grammy and Academy Award-winning composer Gustavo Santaolalla will perform with a suite from his Motorcycle Diaries score.

Music has an almost unmatched potential to inspire, to move, on occasion to lift an entire society in a cultural exploration, in the pursuit of cultural ideals. And there are great figures, teachers, performers - artists – who show us the way. Sometimes their impact is so great that their work reaches people who have never even heard of them, nor dream that they have somehow impacted their life. One such figure is Long Yu, the preeminent Chinese conductor, who led the drive to establish a hunger for classical music in his country – coming out of a time when it was forbidden to so much as hum anything other than a prescribed list of patriotic songs – and building its great institutions, among them the China Philharmonic (which he founded in 2000), the Shanghai Symphony, the Guangzhou Symphony and the Beijing Music Festival (of all of which he is music director). Fittingly, Long Yu will mark his 50th birthday next month with a concert to mark the opening of the MISA Festival – a new event that Long Yu co-directs with Charles Dutoit geared towards bringing young people towards classical music.

Music has an almost unmatched potential to inspire, to move, on occasion to lift an entire society in a cultural exploration, in the pursuit of cultural ideals. And there are great figures, teachers, performers - artists - who show us the way. Sometimes their impact is so great that their work reaches people who have never even heard of them, nor dream that they have somehow impacted their life. One such figure is Long Yu, the preeminent Chinese conductor, who led the drive to establish a hunger for classical music in his country.

A musical tribute to Walt Disney will open Upper Darby Summer Stage's 39th season with a bang when 'The Circle of Life' hits the stage on July 9, 10, and 11 at 10:30 a.m. and on July 10 at 7:30 p.m. at the Upper Darby Performing Arts Center.

Mary Rodgers Guettel died at her home in Manhattan this morning after a long illness, according to her son Alec Guettel. She was 83 years old.

CPCC Summer Theatre concludes its 41st season with 'Mary Poppins,' running July 18 - 26.