(Watch my interview with Mary Poppins herself, plus some clips from the show.)
Mary Poppins the Musical started its four-week run at The Segerstrom Center for the Arts on Friday night. The hit Broadway musical first premiered in London in 2004 and has swept through the world performing in the most delightful way to over seven million guest.
"It the best of both the book and the movie," Stephanie Leigh, who plays Mary Poppins in the OC run, told me. With all the classic songs written by the Sherman Brothers for the movie--Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, Spoonful of Sugar, Let's Go Fly a Kite, Chim Chimmery--and fantastic new songs like "Practically Perfect" that fit seamlessly into the story of our favorite flying nanny, Mary Poppins.
If you're a fan of the movie Mary Poppins the stage show will deliver the same toe-tapping, sassy goodness you love from the film, plus stunning sets, colorful costumes and fantastic little surprises--at one point Bert tap dances on the ceiling!
My daughter, Emily, and I enjoyed every magical minute. It's the kind of show where we kept elbowing each other and smiling. At one point Emily whispered in my ear "Thank you for brining me to see this, Mom. I love it!"
The Lowdown:
Tickets for Mary Poppins start at $22 and special packages are available. Head on over to Segerstrom's web site, here, to order.
The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel's Undersea Adventure opened to the public on June 3--and they were lined up waiting. It's been 22 years since Disney released the movie (can you believe that?), but from the masses of eager Disneyland guests who waited hours to ride in the little clam shells into Ariel's world, you would think The Little Mermaid was this week's blockbuster.
I suppose that's the magic of Disney movies--the songs, story and love is passed down from generation to generation, making them timeless.
Exploring Ariel's undersea world will take about 5-minute and the adventure begins with a dive into the water and through the bubbles, past a giggling Ariel who swims above you, and then the music starts--"I want to go where the people are..." The ride incorporates four of the remastered songs from the movie--Part of Your World, Under the Sea, Kiss the Girl, Poor Unfortunate Souls--along with an original soundtrack that's woven throughout and fits nicely with the songs we know and love.
To me, that's the clincher of the ride--the music. Though I enjoyed how colorful, vibrant and alive Ariel's underwater world felt, it's the music that tugged at my heart and endeared me once again to all the characters I knew from the movie. They're all there--Flounder, Prince Eric, Scuttle, Sebastian, and that witch Ursula and her cronies Flotsam & Jetsam--and they tell the story from beginning to end of our little redheaded mermaid Ariel--following closely the storyline of the movie.
Parents will be happy to hear that Ursula, though big and impressive, isn't too scary for the kids. Even the little ones who I interviewed as they came off the ride said they weren't afraid of her. Which is a relief since I have two kids who get frightened easily--sometimes even on Peter Pan. I feel confident to bring them on The Little Mermaid. The mood of the ride is light and festive and at five minutes long, it's going to leave the kids humming all the tunes and smiling from ear to ear.
Watch my video interviews with the Disney Imagineers who helped create the ride.
Little Mermaid ~ Ariel's Undersea Adventure isn't going to be Fasspassed, but the line moves pretty quickly. You can fit "as many people on a clam as is safe." So a family of four can ride together if they like. I like.
The Little Mermaid is located in Disney California Adventure next to Paradise Bay where the San Francisco Palace of Fine Arts building used to be. The part of the structure still looks the same, though when you look further you'll see detailed reliefs of Ariel's sisters on the side along of the ride along with the statue of King Triton who was taken from his watery home in Fantasyland at Disneyland to now sit right atop his daughter's new ride. Very cool.
Browse all of my photos from Ariel's Undersea Adventure on my Flickr page, here.
The music of The Little Mermaid is beyond iconic and the voice behind that music is actress Jodi Benson. She performed at the opening ceremony and it was...magical, okay. It really was. Watch the video here provided by my friend and all-around good guy Mr. Daps, Opening Ceremony Ariel's Undersea Adventure.
After that ceremony a few bloggers were asked if we wanted to meet Jodi for a private Q & A upstairs at Wine Country Trattoria...and yes I wanted to meet her! She was gracious and friendly; just one of the gals. We talked at first about how perfect her dress was for the occasion and she told the story of finding it and how excited she was about it. She talked about her kids--9 and 12--and how they reacted to the first time they realized "Mommy was Ariel."
When she was asked about the ride, that she had only first seen that day, this is what she said: "Thinking about what Walt (Disney) wanted the theme parks to be and how he wanted them to bring so much joy to the kids, I'm beside myself thinking about that--about all the kids who are going to enjoy this ride."
As we continued to talk to her about her family, the experience of being Ariel and all of the things it has lead to in her career it hit me that she was just as excited as we were. That she was still thrilled and felt honored to be part of Disney and The Little Mermaid. It was so refreshing to hear someone who could be "over" the whole animated character thing or who might be jaded from the years of recognition, but she wasn't. She was obviously still stoked about being the voice of Ariel. It was fantastic to meet her.
At the last minute I pulled out my FLIP and recorded this question. I'm glad I did, you can see for yourself how humbled and honest she is:
With the D23 Expo coming to the Anaheim Convention Center Aug. 19-21, you've probably been seeing Mickey smiling at you from billboards and busses everywhere inviting you to come. But what is D23 anyway?
D23 is a membership, fee-based club created by The Walt Disney Company for fans who love Disney --from the parks, to the movies to collectibles. The year-round fan club celebrates Disney's rich history, informs its members on what's happening in all aspects of the company at the moment and gives them a sneak peek at what's on the horizon. The name is a combination of "D" for Disney and "23" for the year the Walt Disney Company was founded, 1923.
"It's all about access and experience," Steven Clark, VP of Corporate Communication for Disney and Head of Programing for the D23 Expo, told a group of bloggers recently as we toured the Disney Studios in Burbank. When Bob Iger took over as President and CEO of the Walt Disney Company in 2000 one of his goals was to create a fan club that had "all things Disney under one roof."
And why not? If any company can capture the hearts of their guests, consumers and fans it's Disney. A fan club seems like a natural step. D23 offers two levels of membership, Gold ($74.99) and Silver ($34.99). Each level offering members exclusive merchandise, special offers, access to seasonal event and a subscription to Disney Twenty-Three Magazine.
During our tour of the Walt Disney Studio I met a really Goofy guy...I mean, literally, Goofy. Bill Farmer has been the voice of Goofy for over 25 years. He took the time to have lunch with us and he talked about his work with Disney (he was officially made a Disney legend in 2009) and chatted about D23 and the upcoming D23 Expo.
Though he was fun and silly, breaking into character throughout the lunch, a wave of sincerity and appreciation came over him when he talked about Disney and D23. "The fans are what the whole company is about," he told us over iced tea. "History is important to the fans...like visiting an old friend."
I guess that's why D23 is a natural move for a Disney fan. You get the inside scoop on what's happening with your beloved company, plus all the old stories and history, just like an old friend, but ...you know...without them ever tagging you in a picture on Facebook from your 1985 Senior Prom.
This week I'm attending the Disney D23 Expo, a three day event produced by D23. So look for updates and flagrant bragging about all the cool things I'm going to see and do.
With the D23 Expo coming to the Anaheim Convention Center Aug. 19-21, you've probably been seeing Mickey smiling at you from billboards and busses everywhere inviting you to come. But what is D23 anyway?
D23 is a membership, fee-based club created by The Walt Disney Company for fans who love Disney --from the parks, to the movies to collectibles. The year-round fan club celebrates Disney's rich history, informs its members on what's happening in all aspects of the company at the moment and gives them a sneak peek at what's on the horizon. The name is a combination of "D" for Disney and "23" for the year the Walt Disney Company was founded, 1923.
"It's all about access and experience," Steven Clark, VP of Corporate Communication for Disney and Head of Programing for the D23 Expo, told a group of bloggers recently as we toured the Disney Studios in Burbank. When Bob Iger took over as President and CEO of the Walt Disney Company in 2000 one of his goals was to create a fan club that had "all things Disney under one roof."
And why not? If any company can capture the hearts of their guests, consumers and fans it's Disney. A fan club seems like a natural step. D23 offers two levels of membership, Gold ($74.99) and Silver ($34.99). Each level offering members exclusive merchandise, special offers, access to seasonal event and a subscription to Disney Twenty-Three Magazine.
During our tour of the Walt Disney Studio I met a really Goofy guy...I mean, literally, Goofy. Bill Farmer has been the voice of Goofy for over 25 years. He took the time to have lunch with us and he talked about his work with Disney (he was officially made a Disney legend in 2009) and chatted about D23 and the upcoming D23 Expo.
Though he was fun and silly, breaking into character throughout the lunch, a wave of sincerity and appreciation came over him when he talked about Disney and D23. "The fans are what the whole company is about," he told us over iced tea. "History is important to the fans...like visiting an old friend."
I guess that's why D23 is a natural move for a Disney fan. You get the inside scoop on what's happening with your beloved company, plus all the old stories and history, just like an old friend, but ...you know...without them ever tagging you in a picture on Facebook from your 1985 Senior Prom.
This week I'm attending the Disney D23 Expo, a three day event produced by D23. So look for updates and flagrant bragging about all the cool things I'm going to see and do.
You've seen the billboards alongside Orange County's freeways. Maybe you've seen the construction going on next to CHOC Children's in Orange--the new building getting taller and taller, taking shape. The CHOC Children's tower will open in 2013 and will serve the children of Orange County in new and more efficient ways.
CHOC Children's cares for over 250,000 children in our community every year and that number will expand when CHOC adds over 450,00 square feet of state-of-the-art pediatric services. Committed to safety and whole-family care, the new tower will bring all of CHOC's services under one roof for the first time.
I was given the privilege of taking an exclusive tour of the facility for a segment of OC Family TV. The video will give a glimpse inside the tower still under construction. Jan Lansing from CHOC guides me through the new patient rooms, emergency room, pediatric surgical suites and paitent life areas.
I didn't even realize I was a Caddie Girl until General Motors asked me what kind of car I wanted to test drive for a week. "Pick any car you want!" They told me. I had an Escalade that I loved, but traded down to a smaller 2005 Cadillac SRX about a year ago. Man I love that car. Zippy and with the raddest license plate ever.
Right? (I'm a little bit of an Anaheim Ducks fan) So I thought I'd give the new 2011 Cadillac SRX a spin. I made the right choice. With its V6 turbo pick up, in blue frost metallic and soft leather seats it quickly drove itself right up to the top of my "next car" list. Equipped with a GPS that allowed me to simply key in "Ruby's" and it pulled up the address and sent me right there. I love that! We drove it up to stay at The Georgian in Santa Monica. My kids loved the DVD system and I loved that the whole trip--OC to LA and back--didn't even take a whole tank of gas. We even drove around Los Angeles, hitting the Skirball Center, Mel's Diner and The Grove. Watch the video for the play by play of that trip.
After the week was up all five of the blogger spent one last morning with our cars shooting this video in Newport Beach. We all loved our cars and when the cameras stopped rolling, we schemed together on ways we could keep them for longer. We had a blast shooting this and check out Marcy's trip in the opening sequence. Classic.
Need proof you say? Check out me and five other OC Mom Bloggers dorking it out in this lip dub.
*******
Sheesh! Mom bloggers are sure getting a beating in the traditional media and online world lately. With articles like this one from the New York Times and the following comment and commentary bloodbath that followed, you'd think we are advocating tossing our children into a rushing river, instead of simply reaching for our dreams and expressing ourselves--in small and big ways--through our blogs. Who knew creative, smart, driven women could be so divisive? (Said with sarcasm, naturally.)
I believe in the power of the mom blogger. I think blogging is revolutionary for women. I honestly do. It's radically extended the reach of some women who before blogging, didn't have much of a voice. I'm proud as all get up to be a mom blogger, because I've seen first hand how it's transformed the lives of women--in a positive way. In an empowering way. Again, sometimes in little ways, like giving her a creative outlet or building a community of support, and sometimes in larger ways, like leading to a new career. It's all good stuff and all equally important in my opinion.
Here's the thing, as moms we have more things in common than we have differences. I try to embrace the differences and then get all giddy and syrupy when I meet (read) a mom who has the same struggles, triumphs and burns with the same hatred for laundry as me. Blogs can function as a conduit for these connections.
So, now you know my stand on mom bloggers and you've been properly primed for this video. Six OC mom bloggers, including moi, dorking it up in a lip dub we made to "Our Lips Are Sealed." Because whenever a PR person or brand representative asks me, what's the best way to reach moms, I always tell them the same thing: '80s music.
I'm not going to even *try* to hide it...The Anaheim Ducks?...CHOC Children's?...all on the same night? It's one of my favorite events of the year. I'm an unabashed Ducks hockey fan and adore CHOC Children's because of all they do for the kids here in OC. (Read more about that here) So when CHOC Night goes down at The Honda Center I have to be there...with a camera guy. (Here's last year's CHOC night segment.)
CHOC Children's partnered with the Anaheim Ducks about 7 years ago and together they've helped raise money for OC's only children's hospital--CHOC. The Ducks not only host this night at The Honda Center, but the organization also funds their own wing in the hospital and the players participate in a fashion show, put on by the Lady Ducks, annually to raise money.
This year I thought it would be fun to follow CHOC's 2011 Child Ambassador around for the night. Tommy Conforti is a CHOC patient who was elected CHOC's very first Ambassador in February. You might remember Tommy from this OC Family TV segment about Radio Lollipop. It was his first hockey game and I'm pretty sure he's not a solid fan--though he was zonked by the end of the night.
The May OC Family TV is showing every Monday at 6:30 and Saturday at 5:30 throughout the whole month on Cox3. You can also catch some of the segments here on my blog. This is one of my favorite from this month's show. It's the Kids Eat the OC segment at the PCH Grill inside the Paradise Pier Hotel at Disneyland Resort.
PCH Grill is the only place outside of the parks that you're going to see Mickey. So, if you need a little Disneyland fix without venturing into Disneyland or Disney California Adventure, make a reservation at PCH Grill and spend some time with your favorite characters--Mickey, Minnie, Daisy, and Stitch. Goofy just stopped by to see me on the day of this shoot. He usually can only be found down at his own restaurant, Goofy's Kitchen.
PCH Grill offers buffet-style breakfast foods for kids and adults and has some specialty items found only there. You'll have to watch the video with Chef Toby Hollis to see what they are. You'll also see me get interrupted by that rascal Stitch while I try to interview a representative from the Disneyland Resort.
***** Other segments from OC Family TV this month****
I suit up as a Washington General and play the Harlem Globetrotters at The Honda Center.
Oh, I'm loving Whrrl.com. Here is my first story using the application--click on the picuture to see my trip to PCH Dog. It is, naturally, about man food.
If you are on Whrrl please add me as your friend. I will also be your friend on Facebook, or Twitter, or YouTube or Blip.FM...I'm like flippin' everywhere.
My family and I were invited to be among the first to experience the newly enhanced "it's a small world" ride at Disneyland last week. The purpose was two-fold; to ride through numerous times to try to spot the new residents of the ride, and also to have our pictures taken while experiencing "the new magic." And when I say "numerous" time, I mean SIX TIMES.
We did spot the new citizens--including Jasmine, Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Mulan, just to name a few--and we also confirmed some of our old school favorites are still there. In the video below I ask some other bloggers (Marcy, Jenny, Cupcake) and their husbands what their favorite classic doll characters are and there seemed to be a theme in all the husband's answers. hummm....
The new "it's a small world" is now open to the public, so you can go and check it out for yourself. The new music enhancements, the addition of the "Spirit of America" scene, and the new dolls, designed to blend in with Mary Blair's vision, have all added to the attraction's spirit.
I made this video yesterday as I went about voting, getting my free cup of coffee at Starbucks, and watching the election results. It has been a whirlwind of excitement and pride as we elected our first African American President.
I've watched the end of the video with clips of both speeches 20 times and it still gives me chills. It was a historic day for our Country.
This is one of those things we said we would do with our kids...before we had kids.
Before we had to scrape our son off the ceiling of an upscale restaurant after appeasing him with Coke all night. Before we tried carrying a sleeping seven-year-old up the stairs after a late night out. Before we realized how incredibly difficult it was going to be to explain the concept of irony to a child.
We thought we would be taking our chubby babies to art shows swaddled in Bjorns, but, sadly, this was our first one.
We hauled them off to The Santiago Art District's Art Walk in Santa Ana on Saturday night. We met Chris (Dharma Bum) and his wife Michele there to walk the open studios. Chris served as our censor for the evening. Venturing ahead of us to make sure we wouldn't stumble upon something more than a PG-13 rating.
Only once did he come out of a back room, shaking his head from across the studio, "No, don't go in the back, naked ladies in there." He was a real champ for doing such treacherous scouting for us--Thanks, Chris.
Ben did get a little bored, so I gave him my Flip video camera so he could do some shooting himself. I have added a little of his "work" in the "Four-year-old cam" sequences.
He had the most fun running around in the loft of one of the artists. We were lucky enough to get a tour of the living space.
Enjoy. Hope you like Blondie...and dogs...two of my favorite things.
The May OC Family TV is showing every Monday at 6:30 and Saturday at 5:30 throughout the whole month on Cox3. You can also catch some of the segments here on my blog. This is one of my favorite from this month's show. It's the Kids Eat the OC segment at the 
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