Walt Disney News

The San Jose return of Disney's THE LION KING opens tonight, Thursday, September 10 at 7:30 p.m. at the Center for the Performing Arts for a limited four-week engagement through Sunday, October 4. In San Jose, THE LION KING plays Tuesday through Thursday evenings at 7:30 p.m.; Friday evenings at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m.; and Sundays at 1 and 6:30 p.m., with an additional matinee performance on Thursday, September 17 at 1 p.m.

Young Artists Symphony Orchestra (YASO), Los Angeles's newest orchestra led by Artistic Director Alexander Treger, a noted conductor, music educator and former Concertmaster of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, launches its inaugural season with a free celebratory concert featuring Mahler's seminal Symphony No. 2 in C minor, "Resurrection," hailed as "one of the musical touchstones of our time" (The New York Times), on Sunday, October 11, 2015, 7 pm, at UCLA's Royce Hall, the orchestra's home venue.  Featured guest artists include Amanda Achen, soprano, Nike St. Clair, mezzo-soprano, and the Angeles Chorale, under the direction of Artistic Director John Sutton.  The recently established pre-professional training orchestra champions, mentors and inspires the next generation of outstanding young musicians for careers in classical music.  

Four legendary women -- Production Designer Carmen Dillon, Production and Costume Designer Patricia Norris, Art Director and Set Designer Dorothea Holt Redmond and Illustrator Dianne Wager -- will be inducted into the Art Directors Guild (ADG) Hall of Fame at the Guild's 20th Annual Excellence in Production Design Awards, it was announced today by ADG Council Chairwoman Marcia Hinds and Awards Executive Producer James Pearse Connelly. The ceremony will be held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 31, 2016.

BroadwayWorld has just learned that Arthur Miller's THE CRUCIBLE will return to Broadway at the Walter Kerr Theatre (219 West 48th Street) this spring. Bill Camp (as Reverend John Hale), Jim Norton (as Giles Corey), Tavi Gevinson (as Mary Warren), and Jason Butler Harner (as Reverend Samuel Parris) are among those who will join previously announced stars Ben Whishaw (as John Proctor), Sophie Okonedo (as Elizabeth Proctor), Saoirse Ronan (as Abigail Williams), and Ciaran Hinds (as Deputy-Governor Danforth).

Live Nation Entertainament (NYSE: LYV) the world's leading live entertainment and ecommerce company announced today that Carrie Davis has been appointed Chief Communications Officer, where she will oversee internal and external communications for the company. She joins Live Nation from Disney Interactive, where she served as vice president of communications. Based out of the Beverly Hills office, Davis will report to President and CEO Michael Rapino and COO Joe Berchtold.

Marvel Universe LIVE! will be flying in to Chicago from today, Sept. 10 to Sept. 13 at the United Center and Sept. 18 to Sept 20 at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill., for total of 15 performances in Chicagoland. Tickets for Marvel Universe LIVE! are on sale now.

Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts announced today two major corporate gifts. Tupperware Brands and Ravago Americas are both contributing $1 million on top of previous gifts. Naming rights were given to both companies with their initial gifts -- the Tupperware Brands Lobby is situated at the stage door lobby that welcomes artists, students and people doing business at the arts center. The Ravago Terrace Bar on Tier Three features a view of the Seneff Arts Plaza and the DeVos Family Room.

TheatreWorks Florida is thrilled and extremely proud to announce they have been awarded grants from the National Endowment for The Arts and United Arts of Central Florida to continue their successful community outreach program, TheatreCares.

The latest international touring production of the film-to-stage adaptation of SINGIN' IN RAIN, produced by Stage Entertainment and Chichester Festival Theatre, opened at the Theatre at Solaire Resort and Casino (ASEANA Avenue, Paranaque, Manila) last August 20 and will run through September 13.

STAGES St. Louis proudly announces its 30th Anniversary season! The celebratory season explores momentous personal transformations told through lighthearted and life-affirming musical comedies. It begins with a modern romantic musical comedy direct from Broadway and in its Mid-Western premiere, IT SHOULDA BEEN YOU, which features a mad-cap wedding celebration with unexpected twists and turns and a heartwarming message.

?GRAMMY-Award Winner Salvador Santana released his second full length album, Fantasy Reality on August 21, 2015 available via iTunes HERE.

Honey, she's home! TheWrap writes Cate Blanchett will star as Lucille Ball in playwright and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin's upcoming biopic on the I LOVE LUCY star.

La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts and McCoy Rigby Entertainment announce the first show of their 2015-2016 season, FIRST DATE, music & lyrics by Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner, book by Austin Winsberg, musical direction by Brent Crayon, choreography by Lee Martino and directed by Nick DeGruccio.

BroadwayWorld is saddened to report that actor Dean Jones passed away of Parkinson's disease yesterday, September 1, 2015 in Los Angeles. He was 84. Jones, who was inducted into the Disney Legends Hall of Fame in 1995, appeared in 46 films, 5 Broadway shows, and numerous television series and specials.

BroadwayWorld recently announced a new partnership with renowned caricature artist Ken Fallin, a life-long theater enthusiast, who has drawn many Broadway and Off-Broadway productions. Fallin previously drew for BroadwayWorld and our readers have long wanted his return, so it is with great pleasure that we welcome him back! Be sure to check back for more of Ken's exclusive art. Below, check out his illustration of composer Leonard Bernstein, who would have turned 97 years old today, August 25.

11 NFL players will join seven-time Grammy Award-winner and multi-platinum recording artist Carrie Underwood for her performance of “Waiting All Day for Sunday Night,” the opening theme for primetime television's No. 1 program

BERKELEY, CA (UPDATED September 1, 2015) – Music Director Joana Carneiro and Berkeley Symphony have announced programming for the 2015-2016 season, including the West Coast premiere of Laterna Magica by Kaija Saariaho, who will be a visiting music professor at UC Berkeley this fall; the West Coast premiere of Mark Grey's new Frankenstein Symphony, co-commissioned with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra; and the U.S. premiere of Fachwerk by Russian composer Sofia Gubaidulina, featuring the Bay Area debut of Geir Draugsvoll, a pioneer of the bayan, or classical accordion, for whom the work was written. The Orchestra also welcomes soprano Simone Osborne, and violinist Simone Porter, both making their Bay Area debuts, in addition to a first-time Berkeley Symphony appearance by pianist Conrad Tao.

Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts announced today a New Year's Eve Celebration presented by Dr. Phillips Charities starring Kristin Chenoweth with special guest Cheyenne Jackson. 

Porchlight Music Theatre announces the return of its multi award-winning hit AIN'T MISBEHAVIN', November 14 - December 20, music by Thomas "Fats" Waller, book by Murray Horowitz and Richard Maltby Jr., direction and choreography by multi Jeff-Award winner and Artistic Associate Brenda Didier with music direction by Jeff-Award winning Porchlight Artistic Associate Austin Cook at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave.