Eisner visits Disneyland to promote new musical

Eisner visits Disneylandto promote new musical
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Michael Eisner, the embattled CEO of the Walt Disney Co., made a surprise visit to Disneyland to promote its latest attraction and deflect criticism that the company's parks have declined in recent years.
"The theme parks are in great management hands," Eisner said Saturday while attending the premiere of the new musical "Snow White."
"We have a lot of new attractions, like 'Snow White,' and we have a whole parade of new attractions coming for the 50th" anniversary of Disneyland, he said.
Eisner introduced the show to a crowd that included 250 children dressed in Snow White and dwarf costumes. He said "Snow White" -- Disney's first animated feature film -- and Mickey Mouse are the bedrock of the company.
Eisner declined to answer questions about his company's future or efforts by former board members Stanley Gold and Roy E. Disney to oust him.
The company also faces a hostile takeover bid from Philadelphia-based Comcast. On Feb. 11, the cable operator made the unsolicited bid, but Disney's board rejected the proposal, saying it would consider other bids while expressing strong support for current management.
Celebrities turn out,toast club's anniversary
LAS VEGAS -- Tennis star Anna Kournikova turned heads when she walked the red carpet with actor Mickey Rourke to celebrate Light nightclub's second anniversary at the Bellagio resort.
Publicists swore the two were just friends, and Kournikova was in town to see her boyfriend Enrique Iglesias, who's playing at the Hard Rock hotel-casino this week.
The two weren't the only stars to make the swelling crowds inside the casino let out screams of adoration Saturday night.
Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher showed up hand in hand, along with Angie Harmon and her husband, NFL star Jason Sehorn. The St. Louis Rams safety wasn't able to show any of his gridiron moves thanks to a pair of crutches he was lugging around.
Some stars bypassed the red carpet and came incognito. Actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Wahlberg both donned baseball caps and avoided the throngs of admirers.
Hilton heiress Paris Hilton was also on the scene, showing off her blonde hair extensions. Apparently the socialite yearns to be a mother. She told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that she wants to have "kids in two to four years."
Singer Etheridge talksabout marriage, music
SAN FRANCISCO -- Melissa Etheridge is settling into marriage, though there are a few kinks to be worked out musically between the singer and her partner.
Etheridge, 42, and Tammy Lynn Michaels, 28, got married Sept. 20, 2003, an event captured by cameras for ABC's "InStyle Celebrity Weddings." Their age difference is something Etheridge dismisses.
"It's in the rock 'n' roll handbook," she tells the San Francisco Chronicle on Sunday. "Hit 40, get divorced and marry the young actress. I'm just following the rules."
So far, she insists, the gap hasn't caused any awkward Mrs. Robinson-type moments. "She's actually an old-fashioned girl," Etheridge says.
Today's birthdays
Actor Abe Vigoda is 83. Actor Steven Hill is 82. Actor-singer Dominic Chianese ("The Sopranos") is 73. Movie composer Michel Legrand is 72. Actor John Vernon is 72. Opera singer Renata Scotto is 69. Actor James Farentino is 66. Actor Barry Bostwick is 59. Actor Edward James Olmos is 57. Singer-writer-producer Rupert Holmes is 57. Actress Debra Jo Rupp is 53. Actress Helen Shaver is 53. News anchor Paula Zahn is 48. Country singer Sammy Kershaw is 46. Singer Michelle Shocked is 42. Movie director Todd Field is 40. Actor Billy Zane is 38. Rhythm and blues singer Brandon Brown (Mista) is 21.