Hello Dear Readers! I started off writing this thinking there wasn’t much going on to talk about this week, but I was wrong - there’s much to discuss. Here are our topics for today:
Newsies • Free Museum Visits • Lincoln Acquisition • Art of Motion Picture • Spring Issue
• Added Discounts • Sherman • February at the Walt Disney Family Museum
Our first pressing Matter is for New Yorkers, anyone planning on going to New York in a few months, and the fans of Newsies. It’s no secret that Disney is bringing the musical Newsies to Broadway, but what is a tiny secret, that I’m filling you in on, is that readers of the site, Broadway Direct, have a chance to purchase advance tickets to the show now through Sunday. Newsies has a lot going for it — a score by Disney legend and eight-time Oscar winner Alan Menken and Jack Feldman, a book by four-time Tony winner Harvey Fierstein, choreographed by Tony nominee Christopher Gattelli, and directed by Tony nominee Jeff Calhoun:
Based upon the real-life "Newsboy Strike of 1899," this new musical from Disney tells the story of a band of teenaged newspaper boys who become unlikely heroes when they courageously take on the biggest names in publishing. Their battle for justice and fair pay rocks the city of New York and sparks a movement for social change that sweeps across a nation.
Newsies begins previews at the Nederlander Theatre in New York on March 15, 2012, opening night is March 29. For the advance ticket order offer, visit this link. To read more about Newsies, at Broadway Direct, visit this link.
If you’re not planning on being at Disneyland this coming weekend for MiceChat’s 7th Anniversary festivities (why not??? here's the schedule), maybe a museum trip is in order. It’s Free Museum day in Los Angeles, both Saturday and Sunday at most particapitang venues, with a few exceptions noted below:
In a joint effort to present the arts and culture to the diverse and myriad communities in Southern California, the Museum Marketing Roundtable announces the seventh annual ‘Museums Free-For- All’ Saturday-Sunday, January 28th and 29th, 2012. The museums—presenting art, cultural heritage, natural history, and science—will open their doors wide and invite visitors free of charge.
Do note the offer is for general museum admission only, and regular parking fees apply. It may not apply to ticketed exhibitions. The participating museums are:
| • Annenberg Space for Photography |
• Laguna Art Museum |
| • Autry National Center |
• Museum of Tolerance - Sun only |
| • California African American Museum |
• Museum of Contemporary Art - Sat only |
| • California Science Center |
• Museum of Latin American Art |
| • Chinese American Museum of LA |
• Pasadena Museum of California Art |
| • Fowler Museum at UCLA |
• Santa Monica Museum of Art - Sat only |
| • Hammer Museum |
• Skirball Cultural Center*** - Sat only |
| • Getty Center & Getty Villa** |
• Zimmer Children’s Museum - Sun only |
| • LA Fire Department Museum & Memorial (Hollywood & San Pedro) - Sat only |
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**Timed tickets are required. Visit www.getty.edu.
***Timed entry to the Noah’s Ark exhibition will be on a walk-up, first-come, first-serve basis on this date |
For more information, visit this link.
Last Friday’s edition of In The Parks mentioned one of my favorite places (besides Disneyland), Huntington Library. If you haven’t visited there, it’s definitely worth a trip. I’m bringing up the subject here because the Huntington just acquired some pretty interesting papers worth noting:
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens has acquired an extensive and extraordinarily rare collection of Civil War telegraph messages, including a number of coded communiqués between Abraham Lincoln and officers of the Union Army. The collection is a near-complete archive of Thomas T. Eckert, the head of the military telegraph office of the War Department under Lincoln. The archive, which until recently was thought to have been destroyed, includes crucial correspondence that has never been published.
The new acquisition won’t be on exhibit for a while (fall of 2012) but it certainly enhances the Huntington’s already extensive collection of Lincoln memorabilia:
“The Huntington is one of the premiere institutions for the study of the Civil War and is the repository of two of the so-called Big Five collections of Lincolniana, material by and about the 16th American president,” says David Zeidberg, the Avery Director of the Library. “The Eckert archive promises to add fresh insight into one of the most heavily mined scholarly subjects—the American Civil War.”
To read more about the acquisition visit this link. The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens are located at 1151 Oxford Road in San Marino, CA
Now … let’s talk Disney, shall we? The Spring issue of Disney twenty-three magazine is scheduled to hit the stands in February and it promises to be one you won’t want to miss — the entire issue is devoted to Disney’s animated films:
From Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to the animated classics of tomorrow, the official Disney fan club takes readers on a fantastic journey from the drawing board to the silver screen. Available nationwide on February 14, this special issue of Disney twenty-three magazine is an extraordinary treasure trove of fascinating stories, insights and details of Disney animation’s heritage. From pre-production to music composition, every facet of making classic Disney animated features is explored—including the transcriptions from Walt’s story meetings with his animation team as they developed such classics as Fantasia, Pinocchio and Cinderella.
The magazine’s first story examines the legacy of Walt Disney himself and the vision he set forth even before Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs hit the screen. Film historian and Academy-Award winner John Canemaker looks at how Disney animated films have continuously raised the bar for three quarters of a century, since audiences were first enchanted by the “fairest of them all.” Also included in the Spring issue are:
• The Six Older Men: A revealing look at the rarely seen talented artists and illustrators who helped train Disney’s legendary “Nine Old Men”
• Ralph’s Wrecking Crew: An early glimpse at the process of producing Wreck-It Ralph, the next feature film from Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Ballyhoo and Buzz: A colorful look at some of Disney’s off-the-wall stunts for marketing new movies before the advent of broadcast and digital media
• Striking the Right Chords: An exploration of the memorable music written for animated features, with insight from film historian Leonard Maltin
• Still Soaring: A touching interview with talented artist Tyrus Wong, now 101 years old, who helped create the extraordinary look of Bambi
• A Work of Art: An introduction to Disney’s Animation Research Library, home to 65 million individual pieces of original animation art.
Disney twenty-three magazine is available at retail across the country for $15.95, and can also be purchased online at DisneyStore.com and throughout the Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts. For D23 Gold-level members, there’s an extra treat tucked into the magazine — a removable replica animation cel from Snow White. On the subject of D23, members, this one’s for you — you have more discounts and offers to look forward to as a membership benefit, for a full list, in addition to the ongoing offers visit their site.
I know all of you are fans of Richard Sherman. It’s such a treat to see him in person. He’ll be making an appearance here in the southland on February 5th:
Bruce Kimmel's Kritzerland at Sterling's is a monthly special event series of great songs and great Stories from and about Broadway with an all-star Broadway cast. On Sunday, February, 5th, 2012, Kritzerland presents, Reel Imagination with special guest star, two-time Academy Award- winning songwriter, Richard Sherman.
Sterling's Upstairs is located at Vitello's Restaurant in Tujunga Village — 4349 Tujunga Avenue, Studio City, CA. For more information, visit this link.
And so you can plan accordingly, here’s what’s taking place at the Walt Disney Family Museum during the month of February:
• The Films of the Month are True-Life Adventures and they run February 1 - February 29 at 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM (daily except Tuesdays, and February 18, 25, and 26)
• And the Award Goes to ... Walt Disney is on Saturday, February 18 at 3:00 PM in the Theater: Walk down the red carpet for the premiere of a one-of-a-kind showcase of Walt Disney's Award Winners! Hosted by Disney historian and friend of the Museum Jeff Kurtti, take a look at highlights of Walt Disney's Oscar®-winning films, including rarities such as Parade of the Award Nominees (1932), Ferdinand the Bull (1938), and Grand Canyon (1958); as well as trailers and rare footage and photos of Walt at the Oscar® Ceremonies.
• Walt Disney's Worlds of Nature is set for Saturday, February 25 at 2:00 PM in the Theater:"Nature writes the screenplays," Walt Disney said of the pioneering documentary series, True-Life Adventures. Produced between 1948 and 1960, these shorts and features won a cumulative 16 Academy Awards® and have inspired naturalist filmmakers and conservationists for decades. Academy Award®-nominated producer Don Hahn (Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King) hosts a presentation about Walt's pioneering and frequently-emulated True-Life Adventures films, and shows the relationship between that series and the acclaimed Disney nature documentaries (Earth, Oceans, African Cats, and the upcoming Chimpanzees) on which Hahn serves as executive producer.
• February’s Look Closer: Cameras used for the True-Life Adventures Series is set for Friday February 24, Saturday February 25, Sunday February 26 at 1:00 & 3:00 PM in Gallery 8
• Sunday Story Time — Sunday February 5 from 3:00 PM to 3:45 PM in the Theater Lobby: True stories unfold all around us! The tales this month will reflect the magic of the natural world and its inhabitants. This special program is designed for families with young children.
• Disney Discoveries! — Saturday February 11, Sunday February 19 from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM in the Learning Center Art Studio: Are you going on a great adventure? Don't leave home without your very own adventurer's bag! Use it as a camera case, a collector of nature's treasures, or a tote for everyday travels! These fun totes will be made from recycled materials.
• A Musical Tribute to Walt Disney is set for Saturday February 11 at 3:00 PM in the Special Exhibitions Hall: Paulway Chew is a renowned vocalist with over ten years of musical theater experience. She performed with a Chinese Malaysian theater group in Kuala Lumpur and has received nominations for Best Supporting and Best Leading Role as a Female Performer. Now residing in San Francisco, Paulway is a huge Disney fan and a Founding Member of the Museum. Her performance combines a beautiful story, amazing vocals, and audience participation for Disney fans of all ages.
The Walt Disney Family Museum is located at 104 Montgomery Street in the Presidio of San Francisco. For more information on events, event tickets, and museum entry fees, visit this link.
As they note at the Disney Family Musuem (above) award season has begun so that can only mean … it’s time once again for the annual Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising’s Motion Picture Costume Exhibit:
The FIDM Museum is proud to present the twentieth anniversary Art of Motion Picture Costume Design exhibition. Celebrating the art and industry of costume designers, this exhibition will present more than 100 costumes from twenty films released in 2011. A gown from Alice in Wonderland, the 2011 Academy Award winner for best Costume Design, will greet visitors as they enter the galleries. The exhibition will also showcase classic film costumes from the FIDM Museum collection and the Department of Recreation and Parks, City of Los Angeles, Historic Hollywood Collection. Some of these same costumes were featured during the first Art of Motion Picture Costume Design exhibition in 1993.
The exhibition opens on Valentine’s Day and runs through April 28, 2012, so mark it on your calendar now and plan your trip to see the movie’s best in costume design. The Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM and admission is free to the public. It's located at 919 South Grand Avenue, Suite 250, in Los Angeles, California.
For more information visit this link.
Okay, that’s a wrap for this week except for one last thing — I’m sure you remember me mentioning Pixar's La Luna short and storybook last week. This week when the Academy Award nominations were announced, La Luna was among them. Congratulations to Enrico Casarosa and Pixar for La Luna’s Academy Award nomination for Animated Short Film! To read about Enrico’s reaction to the nomination, visit this link.
We’re all through here for today. If you want to know what I’m up to, you need to follow Pressing Matters on Twitter. You never know what you’ll find there — food, museums, shopping, Disneyland! Follow along as I search for the all the latest Pressing Matters & tweet about what I find:
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