World Premiere of Disney Live! presents Mickey's Magic Show A New Way to Experience Disney Magic

Download image

Download image

    VIENNA, Va., May 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Led by Master Magician Mickey, an
 all- star cast of Disney celebrities will step into the spotlight today for
 the world premiere of Disney Live! presents Mickey's Magic Show. This brand
 new show, featuring world class illusions and produced by Feld
 Entertainment, will launch its traveling showcase at the National Theatre
 in Washington, DC, this evening.
     (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060518/DCTH053LOGO-a )
     (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060518/DCTH053LOGO-b )
     In partnership with First Book -- an international non-profit
 organization dedicated to making sure every child has the opportunity to
 read and own their first new book -- Disney Live! will kick off Making
 Books Appear Wherever We Go at a special VIP reception prior to the opening
 night performance. Through Making Books Appear Wherever We Go, Disney Live!
 will promote literacy and raise funds to provide new books to children
 across the country. The program will begin with an initial donation of
 $5,000 to Washington, DC-based First Book, and over the course of the
 show's run, this national partnership will donate more than $40,000 to
 First Book programs to fund thousands of new books for children in need.
     Disney's fabulous five -- Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy and Goofy --
 take the stage with professional illusionists Brad Ross and Alex Gonzalez,
 and together they showcase a stunning sequence of magical acts. From the
 breathtaking levitation of Minnie and Aladdin's Princess Jasmine to the
 transformation of Cinderella's rags into riches, the illusions will astound
 children and adults alike.
     "Disney Live! presents Mickey's Magic Show gives children the
 opportunity to believe, to wonder and to imagine a world where anything is
 possible," said Kenneth Feld, producer of the Disney Live! shows and
 producer of the most successful live illusion show of all time, Siegfried &
 Roy. "And, because of our partnership with First Book, not only will our
 show give families a whole new way to experience Disney magic, it will also
 give children the chance to discover the magic of reading."
     "We're thrilled to partner with Disney Live! to promote literacy
 throughout the country," said Kyle Zimmer, president of First Book. "Disney
 has been a core supporter of First Book throughout our history, and we're
 excited about this latest facet of our relationship. Partners like Disney
 help us to get those vitally-needed books into the hands of underserved
 children."
     The importance of this issue is paramount. A 2006 study by Susan B.
 Neuman and David K. Dickinson indicated that only 1 out of 300 children
 from low-income families own a book of their own, versus an average of 13
 books owned per child from middle-income families. Additionally, research
 by Jeff McQuillan shows that children who own their own books have much
 higher literacy rates.
     To bring Disney Live! presents Mickey's Magic Show to the stage,
 Kenneth Feld had the talents of an elite creative team up his sleeve. The
 team consisted of:
     Director Jerry Bilik, who has been a member of the creative team for
 every Disney On Ice and Disney Live! production since their inception, and
 has been involved in the creation of each new edition of Ringling Bros. and
 Barnum & Bailey(R). Bilik is the recipient of the Annual Composers' Award
 from ASCAP and has scored songs for the movies Real Life and Best Man. A
 former professor, he arranged music for a number of television series,
 including "Starsky and Hutch" and "Charlie's Angels";
     Production Designer James Youmans who has constructed sets for
 Broadway, off-Broadway and Regional productions, in addition to Barry
 Manilow's Showstoppers tour and NBA all-star halftime shows;
     Costume Designer Scott Lane, whose credits include Disney On Ice --
 Disney presents Pixar's The Incredibles in a Magic Kingdom Adventure,
 Disney On Ice presents Disney/Pixar's Finding Nemo, Disney On Ice presents
 Disney/Pixar's Monsters, Inc., and seven years with the Tournament of Roses
 Parade;
     Lighting Designer John Morgan, winner of two Emmy(R) Awards for
 Outstanding Lighting Direction and six Emmy(R) Award nominations, whose
 projects span from awards and comedy shows, live events, and concerts to
 the Olympic Games, Fox's American Idol, and shows for magicians David
 Copperfield, Brett Daniels and Lance Burton.
     Illusion Designer Jim Steinmeyer, who has consulted for such talents as
 Siegfried & Roy, David Copperfield, and Lance Burton. In addition,
 Steinmeyer has earned critical acclaim for his work in Disney's Beauty and
 the Beast on Broadway and was the youngest person ever to receive The
 Creative Fellowship award by "The Academy of Magical Arts;" and
     Choreographer Bart Doerfler, a former dancer whose work extends from
 television, music videos and tours to film and stage; he recently
 coordinated the movements in the 134th Edition of Ringling Bros. and Barnum
 and Bailey.
     To find out more about Disney Live! presents Mickey's Magic Show,
 including tour dates and locations, the public should visit
 http://www.disneylive.com.
     Feld Entertainment, Inc., is the worldwide leader in producing and
 presenting live entertainment experiences that lift the human spirit and
 create indelible memories, with 25 million people in attendance at its
 shows each year. Feld Entertainment's productions have appeared in 50
 countries and on six continents to date and include Disney On Ice, Disney
 Live! and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey(R).
     For more information about Disney Live!, members of the media should
 visit our Press Room at http://www.feldentertainment.com.
     First Book is an award-winning international nonprofit that gives books
 to children from low-income families. In neighborhoods across the country,
 First Book Advisory Boards unite leaders from all sectors to provide books
 to children in literacy programs, housing project initiatives, after-school
 programs and other community-based efforts reaching children living below
 the poverty line. The First Book National Book Bank, a subsidiary program
 of First Book, is the first centralized system enabling publishers to
 donate large quantities of new books and educational materials online to
 reach millions of children in need. First Book has provided more than 40
 million new books to children in need in thousands of communities
 nationwide. For more information on First Book, please visit
 http://www.firstbook.org.
     The Emmy(R) Award is a registered trademark of the Academy of
 Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS) and the National Academy of Television
 Arts & Sciences (NATAS).
            Disney Live! presents Mickey's Magic Show and First Book
 
                       Making Books Appear Wherever We Go
     Making its world premiere May 18, 2006, at the National Theatre in
 Washington, DC, Disney Live! presents Mickey's Magic Show is kicking off a
 partnership with First Book to promote literacy throughout the show's tour.
 The program, Making Books Appear Wherever We Go, will donate more than
 $40,000 to fund thousands of new books for underserved children over the
 course of the tour.
     *  About the Partners
          *  Disney Live! presents Mickey's Magic Show is the newest stage show
             produced by Feld Entertainment.  The production features Mickey
             and Minnie, and pals Goofy, Donald and Daisy showcasing a stunning
             sequence of magical acts.  From the breathtaking levitation of
             Minnie and Aladdin's Princess Jasmine to the transformation of
             Cinderella's rags into riches, the illusions are world class and
             utterly amazing.
 
          *  First Book is an international non-profit organization dedicated
             to making sure every child has the opportunity to read and own
             their first new books.  The organization provides an ongoing
             supply of new books to children participating in community-based
             mentoring, tutoring, and family literacy programs.
 
     *  Why Literacy?
          *  61% of low-income families have no books at all in their homes for
             their children.  As a result, direct access to books is extremely
             limited for these children -- a fact that significantly impacts
             their educational growth and development, as well as their sense
             of creativity and imagination.
 
          *  A recent study indicates that the average ratio of books to
             children from low-income families is 1 book to 300 children,
             versus an average of 13 books per child from median-income
             families.
 
          *  An analysis of a national data set of nearly 100,000 United States
             school children found that access to printed materials -- and not
             poverty -- is the critical factor affecting literacy.
 
     *  About the Program
          *  The Making Books Appear Wherever We Go partnership will include a
             donation of $1,000 for the first 1,000 tickets sold in every
             market that Disney Live! presents Mickey's Magic Show appears to
             First Book to fund hundreds of new books for children in need in
             that city.  In larger markets, a donation of $5,000 for the first
             5,000 tickets sold will be made.
 
          *  Disney Live! presents Mickey's Magic Show and First Book will
             launch the program at the World Premiere of Disney Live! presents
             Mickey's Magic Show on Thursday, May 18, at the National Theatre
             in Washington, DC.  To launch the program, Disney Live! will
             donate $5,000 to Washington, DC-based First Book.
 
          *  Between the touring shows and the world premiere, more than
             $40,000 will have been donated to First Book.
 
          *  Additionally, children in local markets will have a special visit
             from the stars of Disney Live! presents Mickey's Magic Show.  The
             stars will host a magical reading where one of the show's
             magicians will perform "book-inspired" magic.  Additionally,
             children from First Book programs will have the opportunity to
             attend the show while it is in town.
 
 

SOURCE Feld Entertainment, Inc.