The Accidental Mouseketeer: Before and After the Mickey Mouse Club - by Lonnie Burr
Lonnie Burr never wanted to be a Mouseketeer. When Disney offered him the ears, he turned them down. He was already an established child star, and he didn't want to take a chance on some oddball project involving "Mouseketeers". The next day Lonnie's mom got a call from Disney: "If you don't accept our offer, your son will never work in this town again." Lonnie took the offer. He became famous, his face on magazine covers, the idol of millions of fans, across the world. And then, in 1959, it was over.
What does a Mouseketeer do when the Clubhouse closes?
Lonnie Goes to Hollywood
Long before Walt Disney drafted Lonnie into the ranks of the original Mouseketeers, he was starring in films and television shows as a child actor. He appeared on The Colgate Comedy Hour, and had a recurring role on one of the first "sitcoms", The Ruggles, now lost except for a few episodes and clips. (Lonnie costarred on that show with Margaret Kerry, the live model for Tinker Bell.)
The Mickey Mouse Club changed everything. Lonnie and the other Mouseketeers became national stars. But behind the scenes, politics and jealousy and young hormones ruled the clubhouse, along with the growing realization that the fortune Disney made from the show and from merchandising its stars was not trickling down to the Mouseketeers themselves. When Disney took The Mickey Mouse Club off the air in 1959, none of the Mouseketeers except for Annette would ever achieve such fame again - but in Lonnie's case, his life had just begun, and what a life he led.
The Accidental Mouseketeer Moves On
With his ears off, Lonnie has scores of stories to tell about his film roles, his television and stage appearances, his sexual relationships, and topics ranging from existentialism to Disney choreography. He describes in uncompromising detail his appearances with other Mouseketeers at Disney events, and how those events never seemed to come off as planned.
Lonnie's stories include:
His sweet, 1950s romance with Annette Funicello
Backstage and on the road with other Mouseketeers
A cross-country publicity trip with Mickey Mouse on Amtrak
Shooting a film with Elvis - was the King cool?
Working with Steven Spielberg and David Merrick
Remembrances of Mouseketeers past (and passed on)
Plus over 100 exclusive photos!
The Accidental Mouseketeer is both tribute and tell-all. Lonnie was a Mouseketeer for only a short time, but he never really took off his ears, and behind all of his stories, behind all of the success he found on his own, there's still the little kid, singing and dancing in black-and-white, in front of a generation of Americans who wanted to be just like him.
The offical motion picture soundtrack has been released for EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, the new cinematic experience from filmmaker Baz Luhrmann. Listen to it now.
Joy Machine Records has released All the World's a Stage: Original Cast Recording – the new musical with book, music and lyrics by Adam Gwon. You can listen to the full album now.
The Wingstastic Book Fair brings theatre lovers an extraordinary opportunity to own rare and signed Broadway treasures while supporting a vital nonprofit mission: preserving theatre history.
Joy Machine Records has released All the World’s a Stage: Original Cast Recording – the new musical with book, music and lyrics by Adam Gwon. BroadwayWorld has an exclusive video of Elizabeth Stanely singing 'I Don't Ask.'
Broadway's Andrew Keenan-Bolger is making a showstopping YA debut with Limelight, a poignant coming-of-age novel about identity, first love, and the power of the arts to help young people feel seen. Keenan-Bolger will celebrate the release with two special events in New York City.
Adam Gwon’s new musical All the World’s a Stage will be released as an original cast album. BroadwayWorld has your exclusive first listen to Jon-Michael Reese singing 'I’m Your Man'.
The Al Hirschfeld Foundation will present a new collection titled Hirschfeld's Icons: A Poster Book featuring iconic figures like Elvis and Madonna. Set for release in April 2026, the book celebrates the artistry of Al Hirschfeld through captivating posters.
Tony Award winner and international musical theater performer Alfie Boe has set the release of his first-ever album of predominantly original material, Face Myself, arriving on April 10.
The Grand Teton Music Festival will release of Mahler: Symphony No. 5, available worldwide on Friday, March 13, 2026 on Reference Recordings. Featuring Sir Donald Runnicles leading the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra.
The concept album for the new musical in development, Signs of Life, will be released on all streaming platforms. The album will feature Shoshana Bean, Jenn Colella and more.
The Housemaid, the hit thriller film starring Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney, will arrive on Blu-ray, DVD, and an Amazon-Exclusive 4K UHD Combo Pack on March 17 from Lionsgate.
Atlanta-based composer and music producer Eugene IV is releasing an album featuring music from and inspired by the Theatrical Outfit world premiere of the musical Young John Lewis.
Claybourne Elder will release a studio recording of his popular one-man show, If the Stars Were Mine on April 3 from Center Stage Records. Produced by Elder and Andrew House and co-produced by Bryan Perri, this marks his debut album.
Just in time for the streaming debut of Wicked: For Good on Peacock, Republic Records will release a brand-new pop-up vinyl edition of the soundtrack featuring an embossed cover and a pop-up gatefold jacket depicting Elphaba, Glinda, Grimmerie pages, and more.
Ghostlight Records has announced the release of NEXT TO NORMAL – ORIGINAL LONDON CAST RECORDING as a special two-CD set on Friday, February 27. The album is currently available in streaming and digital formats.
Joy Machine Records has announced the second single from All the World's a Stage: Original Cast Recording – “Other Lives,” performed by rising theater star Eliza Pagelle – today, Friday, February 6.
Stella Cole has released My Funny Valentine, a 3 track EP out via Decca Records US. Cole also revealed the dates for her second residency at NYC's Café Carlyle.
The King’s Critique: Original Concept Recording—the new musical by Nat Zegree and Eric Holmes—has been released on streaming and digital platforms. Listen here!
Musical theatre composer and lyricist Will Larche is set to release a new album entitled Bumps in the Bathroom: and other lost shows. BroadwayWorld has your exclusive first listen to 'Julian (feat. Jared Reinfeldt)' here!
The Secret Agent, currently nominated for 4 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, is now available on digital platforms, retailing for $14.99 to rent and $19.99 to purchase.
For Record Store Day 2026, Republic Records will release a special vinyl edition of Wicked: One Wonderful Night, the live soundtrack of the 2025 NBC special.
Musical theatre composer and lyricist Will Larche is set to release a new album entitled Bumps in the Bathroom: and other lost shows. This album showcases a collection of songs from obscure indie musicals.
Lee Mendelson Film Productions has announced the first-ever release of Vince Guaraldi's complete soundtrack for 'It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown,' the 15th animated Peanuts special.
Prestige Classics' release of Frank Wildhorn's The Symphonic Suites will bring to audiences world-famous melodies from four iconic Wildhorn shows including Dracula and Jekyll & Hyde.
Literature to Life will launch BOOKS UNITE, a series of free community events in Paterson, NJ, featuring performances, book clubs, and workshops aimed at fostering community engagement through literature.
In his first book, Opening Doors: Reimagining the American Musical, John Doyle reflects on the 50-year theatrical journey taken by a boy who never dreamt it could happen to him. Through simply working at his craft and trying to earn a living he gained a reputation for thinking outside of the box and is credited with helping create a new art form – that of actor-musician led musical theatre. Read an excerpt here!
Capitol Records will release a special vinyl pressing of the Bridgerton Season 4 soundtrack, featuring Vitamin String Quartet's classical covers of songs from Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Paramore, and more.
BroadwayWorld is now accepting nominations for the 2025 BroadwayWorld Stage Recording Awards, celebrating outstanding achievements in theatrical and performance-based recordings released during the 2025 calendar year. Nominations close February 28th, 2026.