Beanyland "Blast to the Past"

Anyone out there remember the Beany & Cecil cartoon from the early 60's?  No, I didn't either... until I started watching this video clip.  Something strangely familiar about this video, in more ways that one. 

See if you recognize these characters and furthermore, see is you catch all the Parodyland references!

Hawaiian Days

Bailey wiggles out of any type of collar or harness. Apparently, he doesn't mind a Hawaiian lei.

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Introducing DL-CA Report CLARIFICATION!

The BAILEYBLOG at SimbaSpot.BlogSpot.Com IS a cat blog, first and foremost.  It will continue to be.  Although I am gonna try to branch out a bit (if Bailey lets me), I think that the entire Disney topic should be addressed elsewhere...

...so, I am introducing the "Disneyland California Report" Blog.  This is where I will post Disney news and Disney-inspired graphic art.

(FYI: Truman, this blog is for YOU!)

Disneyland California Resort Report

I have decided to focus my Disneyland posts at a new blog named the Disneyland California Report

 (DisneylandCaliforniaReport.blogspot.com)

Be sure to check it out!!

BTW. The more visit traffic I see on both of these blog sites, the more likely I am to post frequently!!!

Mormons Win on Broadway!!

I am currently following less than 10 Twitter accounts.

No really.

Even less follow me... (FYI: @SimbaSpot)

Daniel Tosh, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Duffy Bear, Jim Henson Company, Neil Patrick Harris... which is actually the reason I checked out my Twitter account today (bonus points if you get the "In Joke" regarding that sentence)... but there is one Twitter account I follow, Stephen Fales (@MormonBoy), who posted a great homage to Mormons on Broadway... let me share it with you.

Oswald, Pluto and Figment

One day when I was about 14 years old, I decided I liked Disney.  This decision was made mostly so that friends and family had a default concept built in for birthdays and Christmas gift ideas... I mean it made sense, as I grew up in and around Disneyland.  In high school, Toni Basil's "Oh Mickey" became my theme song and I acquired the nickname "Mick- the Mouse".  I even ended up working at Disneyland for a summer when I was 17-18 years of age.

P L U T O

Ironically though, as much as I do like Mickey Mouse, he doesn't rank as one of my top 10 favorite Disney characters.  Actually my very favorite Disney character is Pluto, a Mouse's best friend.  Why?  As near as I can figure, I am a lot like the loyal pup.  I am a Gemini, which means I have two distinct personalities... much like Pluto (who is actually a Virgo, as he premiered on September 5, 1930).  See, Pluto is an insanely loyal canine companion to Mickey, yet the moment Chip 'n Dale appear he's aggressive in defending his environment.  I see perfectly eye-to-eye with Pluto on that philosophy.

F I G M E N T

My next two favorites, in no particular order, start with Figment.  Actually, Figment of Imagination.  Figment is a wide-eyed, child-like purple dragon with an active and creative imagination, from the EPCOT attraction "Journey into Imagination", which opened on March 5, 1983.  Figment, along with his creator, Dreamfinder, explore creativity and imagination to the song "One Little Spark"---a song with my name in it! Cool!  Although Disney closed the original attraction 1998, and had to alter the replacement in order to add Figment back into the newest version, Figment remains one of my favorite characters ever created by Disney, and since he only resides in one location on the planet, he remains understated and quite special to me.

O S W A L D

To round out the Holy Trinity of favorite Disney characters, I go to the oldest of all the Disney characters... no, not Mickey... Oswald.  If you know the story already, skip the next paragraph.  If not, let me share the details.

The first fully developed animated character Walt Disney created was Oswald, the Lucky Rabbit.  (He premiered on September 5, 1927-- thus sharing a birthday with Pluto!)  After a year of creating Oswald cartoons, Walt went to New York to request a financial increase for future episodes.  Instead he was told he would either accept less money, or the character would be animated elsewhere, as the studio actually owned the Lucky Rabbit.  Walt did not accept those terms, and as a result, the Oswald-less train trip back to California was where he came up with a new character, Mortimer Mouse Mickey Mouse.

Here's an awesome video that shows how everything went down in the late 1920's, at least how Oswald saw it!

(Also, this video clip is animated to music, "Oswald's Theme", created for the Epic Mickey video game that features Oswald)

In 2006, the Disney Company negotiated to bring Oswald back home to Disney for the first time in nearly 70 years.  That's his story and that's why he's one of my favorites.

 

So just remember,

despite what the official corporate statement might be...

really, "it all started with a Lucky rabbit!"

* * * * *

IF YOU LIKE POST, PLEASE VISIT MY OTHER BLOG

DisneylandCaliforniaReport.BlogSpot.com

Not Just for Gays Anymore

Neil Patrick Harris did a sensational job as the host of the 65th Tony Award show, definitely kicking it off in high gear with the intro musical number, "Broadway! Not Just for Gays Anymore!"

I was rooting for The Book of Mormon for most of the Musical categories, and for War Horse for the Play categories, so overall, I was pleased with the results.  It did kind of suck that the show ran long, and the DVR broadcast cut off the final award, Best Musical... not to mention Harris' awesome Tony recap rap.

Here are the results of the Tony Awards 2011.

Best Play
    Good People              Author: David Lindsay-Abaire
    Jerusalem                 Author: Jez Butterworth
    The Motherf**ker with the Hat    

                                   Author: Stephen Adly Guirgis
    War Horse               Author: Nick Stafford

   
Best Musical 

    The Book of Mormon       
    Catch Me If You Can       
    The Scottsboro Boys       
    Sister Act    

   

Best Book of a Musical
    Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson

                                     Alex Timbers   
    The Book of Mormon Trey Parker, Robert Lopez 

                                        and Matt Stone   
    The Scottsboro Boys   David Thompson   
    Sister Act                   Cheri Steinkellner, Bill Steinkellner

                                     and Douglas Carter Beane    

 
Best Original Score Written for the Theatre
    The Book of Mormon  M&L:Trey Parker, Robert 

                                          Lopez and Matt Stone   
    The Scottsboro Boys   M&L: John Kander & Fred Ebb   
    Sister Act                   M: Alan Menken  L: Glenn Slater   
    Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown 

                                     Music & Lyrics: David Yazbek    

 
Best Revival of a Play
    Arcadia       
    The Importance of Being Earnest       
    The Merchant of Venice 
    The Normal Heart        

 
Best Revival of a Musical
    Anything Goes       
    How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying        

 
Best Performance by an Actor

    in a Leading Role in a Play
    Brian Bedford        The Importance of Being Earnest   
    Bobby Cannavale   The Motherf**ker with the Hat   
    Joe Mantello          The Normal Heart   
    Al Pacino               The Merchant of Venice   
    Mark Rylance       Jerusalem   

Best Performance by an Actress

    in a Leading Role in a Play
    Nina Arianda          Born Yesterday   
    Frances McDormand  
                                 Good People   
    Lily Rabe               The Merchant of Venice   
    Vanessa Redgrave  Driving Miss Daisy   
    Hannah Yelland      Brief Encounter   

Best Performance by an Actor

    in a Leading Role in a Musical
    Norbert Leo Butz  Catch Me If You Can   
    Josh Gad               The Book of Mormon   
    Joshua Henry         The Scottsboro Boys   
    Andrew Rannells     The Book of Mormon   
    Tony Sheldon         Priscilla Queen of the Desert   

Best Performance by an Actress

    in a Leading Role in a Musical
    Sutton Foster       Anything Goes   
    Beth Leavel            Baby It's You!   
    Patina Miller           Sister Act   
    Donna Murphy       The People in the Picture   

Best Performance by an Actor

    in a Featured Role in a Play
    Mackenzie Crook     Jerusalem   
    Billy Crudup            Arcadia   
    John Benjamin Hickey  
                                  The Normal Heart   
    Arian Moayed          Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo   
    Yul Vázquez            The Motherf**ker with the Hat   

Best Performance by an Actress

    in a Featured Role in a Play
    Ellen Barkin          The Normal Heart   
    Edie Falco               The House of Blue Leaves   
    Judith Light             Lombardi   
    Joanna Lumley        La Bête   
    Elizabeth Rodriguez The Motherf**ker with the Hat   

Best Performance by an Actor

    in a Featured Role in a Musical
    Colman Domingo    The Scottsboro Boys   
    Adam Godley          Anything Goes   
    John Larroquette  How to Succeed in Business

                                     Without Really Trying   
    Forrest McClendon  The Scottsboro Boys   
    Rory O'Malley         The Book of Mormon   

Best Performance by an Actress

    in a Featured Role in a Musical
    Laura Benanti         Women on the Verge

                                     of a Nervous Breakdown   
    Tammy Blanchard   How to Succeed in Business

                                     Without Really Trying   
    Victoria Clark          Sister Act   
    Nikki M. James     The Book of Mormon   
    Patti LuPone           Women on the Verge

                                     of a Nervous Breakdown   
   
Best Direction of a Play
    Marianne Elliott & Tom Morris
                                  War Horse   
    Joel Grey & George C. Wolfe
                                 The Normal Heart   
    Anna D. Shapiro      The Motherf**ker with the Hat   
    Daniel Sullivan        The Merchant of Venice   

Best Direction of a Musical
    Rob Ashford            How to Succeed in Business

                                     Without Really Trying   
    Kathleen Marshall    Anything Goes   
    Casey Nicholaw & Trey Parker
                                  The Book of Mormon   
    Susan Stroman       The Scottsboro Boys   

Best Choreography
    Rob Ashford            How to Succeed in Business 

                                     Without Really Trying   
    Kathleen Marshall  Anything Goes   
    Casey Nicholaw       The Book of Mormon   
    Susan Stroman       The Scottsboro Boys   

Best Orchestrations
    Doug Besterman     How to Succeed in Business

                                    Without Really Trying   
    Larry Hochman       The Scottsboro Boys   
    Larry Hochman & Stephen Oremus    
                                  The Book of Mormon   
    Marc Shaiman & Larry Blank
                                 Catch Me If You Can   

Best Scenic Design of a Play
    Todd Rosenthal       The Motherf**ker with the Hat   
    Rae Smith              War Horse   
    Ultz                        Jerusalem   
    Mark Wendland       The Merchant of Venice   

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
    Beowulf Boritt         The Scottsboro Boys   
    Derek McLane          Anything Goes   
    Scott Pask             The Book of Mormon   
    Donyale Werle         Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson   

Best Costume Design of a Play
    Jess Goldstein         The Merchant of Venice   
    Desmond Heeley   The Importance of 
                                       Being Earnest   
    Mark Thompson       La Bête   
    Catherine Zuber       Born Yesterday   

Best Costume Design of a Musical
    Tim Chappel & Lizzy Gardiner   
                                   Priscilla Queen of the Desert   
    Martin Pakledinaz     Anything Goes   
    Ann Roth                 The Book of Mormon   
    Catherine Zuber       How to Succeed in Business 

                                     Without Really Trying   

Best Lighting Design of a Play
    Paule Constable    War Horse   
    David Lander           Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo   
    Kenneth Posner       The Merchant of Venice   
    Mimi Jordan Sherin  Jerusalem   

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
    Ken Billington          The Scottsboro Boys   
    Howell Binkley         How to Succeed in Business 

                                     Without Really Trying   
    Peter Kaczorowski    Anything Goes   
    Brian MacDevitt    The Book of Mormon   

Best Sound Design of a Play
    Acme Sound Partners and Cricket S. Myers   

                                  Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo   
    Simon Baker            Brief Encounter   
    Ian Dickinson for Autograph  Jerusalem   
    Christopher Shutt   War Horse   

Best Sound Design of a Musical
    Peter Hylenski            The Scottsboro Boys   
    Steve Canyon Kennedy Catch Me If You Can   
    Brian Ronan               Anything Goes   
    Brian Ronan             The Book of Mormon

Finally, if you were able to watch the Tony Awards, you got to see the musical number for Stephen Sondheim's Company(clip above).  The entire show was filmed on Broadway during the Spring, and the entire production will be showing in movie theaters during this next week at only 4 very special showings...  I'll be there, will you? 

Speaking of Star Wars

After last week's Darth Vadar post, it only seemed appropriate to add this great video...

George Lucas Strikes Back helps explain the hidden back story about the decline of the Star Wars prequels (and other Lucas films), the Hollywood mafia, and how Short Round helped to save the day! Enjoy!

50 State Stereotypes in 2 Minutes

Need to learn all 50 states?  Here's a great video to help you remember each of the 50 states via the stereotypes that clearly make identification so darn easy.

HAPPY ICE CREAM DAY to me!

Friday, June 8 2007... I spent the morning in class.  It was my very last class at Art Institute ever, as I was graduating the next week.  Because I was graduating, final exams were given earlier than the other students (to make sure we'd actually pass classes) and so when the rest of the class spent the last hour reviewing for their exam the following week, I was allowed to leave early.

The day was now free.  Quickly, I made a plan for me and Mike to drive up to Anaheim, and meet up with Lorrie and Bill at Disneyland.  You see, the Submarine Voyage had been closed for over a decade, sitting empty, until recent construction began to transform it into the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage.  The official opening date for the revamped attraction was set for Monday the 11th, but they were previewing it on this Friday.  (Any new attraction at Disneyland gets me giddy, and Nemo happens to be one of my 5 favorite Disney films, so you know I had been counting down the days til it would open).  It did not disappoint.

After Nemo, a bit of shopping was to be done.  Lorrie and her Disney pin fascination led us to a pin shop nearby in Tomorrowland.  While checking out the limited edition pins, I noticed some 2007 calendar selections.  Fittingly, January, February, and March were no longer available... there were still a few April pins and even more May pins, but the newest and most available was the June pin.  It seems that each month had a traditional holiday theme, however I don't think Flag Day or Father's Day translated too well into an easily marketable theme so June, as a representation of the start of Summer, was dedicated to "Ice Cream Day"--- with the very day we were there, June 8, highlighted as the actual Ice Cream Day!

I bought the pin, and the image above is my drawing of it with all it's details.  And did I mention I now celebrate Ice Cream Day every year?

...because that day also happens to be my Birthday!

Darth Vadar's Disneyland Day

On May 25th 1983, I was working at Disneyland... it was the morning in which the "New Fantasyland" was being re-opened and I was in the Grand Re-Opening ceremonies.  In fact, as the drawbridge was lowered for only the second time in history, I was the third person to walk across the bridge, costumed as Toy Soldier #3.  Apparently, even Sleeping Beauty used the Royal Guard services of the Babes in Toyland Toy Soldiers.

After clocking out around noon, I raced back into the park solo, and rode only one ride, the brand new Pinocchio attraction.  I would have liked to have stayed longer, but my day was just barely beginning.

That particular day was also Senior Ditch Day at my high school... and you guessed it, I was a Senior in High School.  I had already planned to miss the day at school because of my Disneyland work opportunity, but as it turned out, Ditch Day was planned for this particular day because it was the same day "The Return of the Jedi" opened in theaters... so after my Castle encounter, I had to rush back to my home town and join my friends in line at the movie theater for the Jedi premiere.

Which makes this Disneyland video clip all the more awesomely awesome to me.

War Horse on Broadway

The Tony Awards are next weekend, and it is no surprise that I am favoring "The Book of Mormon" to win the Best Musical award.  It is written by the South Park guys, along with one of the "Avenue Q" writers... so really, it is already the winner in my eyes.

However, I am writing this post in order to express my thoughts on the Best Play category.  I admit I wouldn't mind it if "The Motherfucker with the Hat" won--the show sounds great and has a great title!  Rather, I really favor the WWI period play, "War Horse".  The show is about the friendship between a young man and his horse, but the horse is sent off to the war front. The equine puppetry is absolutely mesmerizing.  There really are no words to explain how awesome the emotions are expressed by the horses through amazing puppetry.  

I'll be rooting for "War Horse" to win next weekend and I found a video clip that does it some justice, so that maybe you'll be rooting for it too.