Not directly Aladdin related but many Disney animators worked on both movies so here’s the trailer of Beauty and the Beast in 3D. No need to take out your 3D glasses though because it’s in classic 2D. I’m blown away by the beautiful and rich colors the ballroom has never looked so beautiful. The Lion King is rumored to be next if successful it’s paving the way for a potential Aladdin 3D conversation in a few years.

Aladdin’s expression is cute as to say “So is it good?” refering to Belle’s book.

As you might have heard the Broadway version of The Little Mermaid will close August 30, 2009 after only 685 performances and 50 previews. According to Disney Theatre Production head Thomas Schumacher he didn’t see a way to keep earning money from it. He also says his division is setting up a tour version to start somewhere around 2010. Also you’re sure recall that Disney shutdown the successful Beauty and the Beast that ran from 94 to 07. Since 1999 It’s home was the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre.

Rumors say that a musical adaption of The Adams Family might be next to setup shop at Lunt-Fontanne. Depending of it’s a success it could hold out there for a few years let’s say 3 before Disney has to develop another production. I’ve a feeling a serious attempt to sculpt Disney’s 31st animated feature into a Broadway worthy musical is coming within the next few years. I love if Aladdin gets the musical it deserves around it’s 20th anniversary in 2012.
Let’s cross fingers.

Ok so not exactly Aladdin but this MOC is too beautiful and genius not to mention here. Besides I’ve a weak spot for Beauty and the Beast anyway. Look at the builder’s Brickshelf account for more pictures there’s even a movie showing that Belle and Beast dance on the music when turning a handle around.

Trough Variety Disney brought the news that they are re-doing Beauty and the Beast in 3D for it’s 2010 re-release in theaters. Under the supervision of the films producer Dohn Hann and directors Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale the post production team goes back to core by using original animation files seperating the film by it’s elements, character, background and effects.

Can you imagine scenes like the wolf attack, Be Our Guest and Beauty and the Beast will look like? I don’t (the current Imax 3D film is Madagascar 2, didn’t like the first one) but I trust those guys know what theyr’e doing and eagerly awaits Beauty to return to the silver screen and hope that if it’s a success my Aladdin will follow along with The Lion King and other 90′s films made with the CAPS system.
Aladdin’s showstoppers Friend Like and Prince Ali will look amazing not to mention the feeling you are on Carpet with Al and Jas to experince A Whole New World.

“Op Zoek Naar Joseph” or “J?” is the Dutch version of the television audition show “Any Dream Will Do” where 11 consterest are fighting for the viewers sympthy and support to win the leading male role of Joseph in Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. The famous hit Andrew Lloyd Webber musical based on the Bible story “Coat of Many Colors” You’re probably famillair with the show as it was co-written by Tim Rice. Who we all know as lyricst on Aladdin.
The format was used first for the British revival of The Sound of Music searching for the leading lady Maria and in 2008 Nancy was found for Oliver! In the US NBC viewers voted Laura Osnes and Max Crumm as the new Sandy and Danny in Grease That’s the backstory on to J?

It happens not much that Disney songs are heard on mainsteam Dutch television/media. Dutch Disney voice actors and actresess who have stage success as musical preformer do their promo songs but like Tarzan even got a short TV audition for the lead male and the Dutch Beauty and the Beast stage show got lots of promo gigs. I heard Kala and Belle solos in last year’s “Op Zoek Naar Evita”. The way Belle/Jane understudy won and is now finalishing her tour as Evita.
But those are musical versions of the film not the film songs themselves (the lyrics changed) so you can imagine the delight to hear a reasonable Go To The Distance 3 weeks ago. The same finalist, Mathijs, got to sing Proud of Your Boy last Sunday on the 4th live show. Rumors go that he might make to the final 3 but eventunally will be voted out in favor of Freek (Enjolras in Les Miz) or John (Tarzan understudy). He doesn’t have enough control over his voice, he trembeles in the long high tones and his text control like he puts the accent on the wrong words and his overal English isn’t that great.

Mathijs version

Clay Aiken version

Alan Menken demo version

Deviant artist Anamated did a evil Mozenrath drawing for her friend Cassie August last year. Browsing her gallery I found Jas hangs out with Belle and Ariel having a tea party and Harry Potter likes to go as Aladdin for Hogward’s costumed ball.
Commission for Cassie by ~Anamated on deviantART

Dreamworks CEO Jeffery Katzenberg sat down with AOL Entertainment to talk about his career in line of an upcoming Dreamworks film I personally have no interest in. The last time I went to theater to see a Dreamworks animated film was Shrek 2 a few years back or was it Madagascar? Can’t remember you do the math how much Dreamworks animated division interest me.

Anyway in the interview he says he did know nothing about animation or had any affinity with the genre before he joined Disney in 1984. Learning along the way with each new film until, after 5 years, he learned enough that his input nudged Disney feature animation back to the leading animation studio it was a couple decades earlier.

After all he had major influence on Aladdin helping turn it into the final beloved product we know today. I know he was the one saying it was better aging Aladdin so he would match better with the final form of Jasmine. There’s some footage on that meeting on the DVD under the title “Designing the Lead Character” and I believe the making of book mentioned that as well.

Still, for someone who didn’t had anything to do with animation Mr. Katzenberg didn’t do bad 24 years later. I mean he’s the big chef on the second biggest animation studio in the world with a turnover of multi-million dollars a year. Kudos.

Youtube’r Chrissy4jc made a Sims 2 music video of Aladdin’s theme. She cleverly uses Sim actions to make it appear the characters are singing and expressing. Using Genie on the drums and playing guitar and camera
Angles kept the music video fresh prevented from becoming boring.

Her Part of That World video is worth a recommendation because Chrissy recreated a believable underwater world by using floor titles and wallpaper plus the standard Sims 2 furniture. Ariel gestures are distracting from the song. The unknown singer isn’t very good and brings the video down. More or less the same goes for her Pocahontas video, too much gesture, bad singer.

Her Beauty and the Beast video is so awesome I can’t begin to describe it you’ve to watch it yourself.