Day: July 13, 2011

Winnie the Pooh For Summer: Inspired by Three Stories by A.A. Milne

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Who doesn’t love Winnie the Pooh, and friends Tigger, Rabbit, Piglet, Owl, Kanga, Roo—and last, but certainly not least, Eeyore, who has lost his tail. We’re excited to have been invited to screen this wonderful adventure in the Hundred Acre Wood with this new Walt Disney Animation Studio’s feature.

Here’s some interesting factoids about this production:

Veteran Disney animator/storyman/director Burny Mattinson (a key animator on the 1974 short film “Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too!”) serves as senior story artist, with a dynamic young directing duo—Stephen Anderson and Don Hall—at the helm.

  • Co-Directed by Stephen Anderson who also directed animated films “Meet the Robinsons” and “Journey Beneath the Sea,” among others; and he also worked on “Brother Bear” and “The Emperor’s New Groove.”
  • Co-Directed by Don Hall who is a veteran story artist at Walt Disney Animation Studios with credits including “The Princess and the Frog,” “Meet the Robinsons,” “Brother Bear,” “Home on the Range,” “The Emperor’s New Groove” and “Tarzan.”
  • Voices you’ll hear in “Winnie the Pooh”: Craig Ferguson (“The Late Show with Craig Ferguson”), Tom Kenny (“SpongeBob SquarePants”) and Bud Luckey (director of the Pixar short “Boundin’”).
  • Zooey Deschanel (Actress/musician/singer/songwriter) provides the vocals for a special rendition of the beloved “Winnie the Pooh” theme song
  • Where did the name “Winnie the Pooh” come from? Author A.A. Milne’s son’s teddy bear inspired the beloved character. The child named his bear after Winnie, a Canadian black bear from London Zoo.  Pooh was the name of a swan they encountered together.
  • The six spirited new songs for Pooh and his pals, including “The Tummy Song,” “A Very Important Thing To Do,” “Everything Is Honey,” “The Winner Song,” “The Backson Song” and “It’s Gonna Be Great” were written by Tony® Award-winning songwriter Bobby Lopez, and his wife Kristen.

Story Synopsis:

“Ever have one of those days where you just can’t win, Eeyore?” asks Pooh.  Owl sends the whole gang on a wild quest to save Christopher Robin from an imaginary culprit. It turns out to be a very busy day for a bear who simply set out to find some honey. Inspired by three stories from A.A. Milne’s books in Disney’s classic, hand-drawn art style, “Winnie the Pooh” hits theaters in the U.S. on July 15, 2011.

 

Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Present “Fully Charged” at the Staples Center to Benefit Starlight Foundation Children

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Who doesn’t love the circus? Ever since I was a child, I always looked forward to going to see the circus when they came to town. My father would take us and I can remember the excitement of the acts, the smells of the animals and the squeals of delight with the clowns and their antics. That makes this post and our upcoming coverage that much more special because it is to help support children and families in need.

Starlight Children’s Foundation

We’re proud to support the special event planned for the 21st of July for the Starlight Children’s Foundation at Fully Charged! Next Thursday, the 21st, families battling serious medical conditions and celebrity supporters from Starlight Children’s Foundation will experience The Greatest Show On Earth® like never before, as they are treated to a private charity reception and personal performer meet-and-greet, followed with an electrifying performance of the newest Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus production, Fully Charged.

About Starlight Children’s Foundation™

As any parent can tell you, when a child is not feeling well, distracting them can help take their mind off their pain or condition. That’s what the Starlight Children’s foundation has been doing for more than 25 years, helping families get “distracted” through entertainment, education, and activities to help them cope with the illness and fear they face.

Starlight provides ongoing support to children, parents and siblings in all U.S. states and Canadian provinces with an array of outpatient, hospital-based and Web offerings and even has programs through affiliates in Australia, Japan and the United Kingdom. To learn more visit www.starlight.org. 

About Fully Charged

The new show is is led by dynamo newcomer, Brian Crawford Scott, the Ringmaster, who energizes audiences throughout the show as he introduces amazing acts from around the world and masterfully guides circus-goers on a remarkable journey while singing original songs.

Fully Charged celebrates all kinds of “performance power”:  horse-power, man-power, athletic power and features amazing circus acts that can only be seen at The Greatest Show On Earth®. 

Ringling Bros. and Barnum Bailey Fully Charged

What should you do right now?

First, if you’re not a fan on Facebook – click here to join them. Next, you should also sign up for special offers – if you’re not here in Los Angeles, they’ll be coming to a location near you soon, so be the first to know.

Fully Charged performs in the Greater Los Angeles area, July 20 – August 14 at the following venues:

  • STAPLES Center, Downtown L.A.:  July 20 – 24
  • Honda Center, Anaheim:  July 27 – August 7
  • Citizens Business Bank Arena, Ontario:  August 10 – 14