Judith Ivey will portray Ann Landers in play

Judith Ivey will portray Ann Landers in play

NEW YORK — Ann Landers will be dispensing advice off-Broadway this fall.

Judith Ivey will portray the legendary problem-solving columnist in “The Lady With All the Answers,” David Rambo’s play drawn from Landers’ life and letters. The one-woman show begins performances Oct. 7 at the Cherry Lane Theatre.

Ivey, a two-time Tony winner, will have a busy summer. She is directing the musical “Vanities,” opening July 16 at off-Broadway’s Second Stage Theatre.

“The Lady With All the Answers” will be directed by B.J. Jones, who runs the Northlight Theatre in Skokie, Ill., where Ivey starred in the play last year. “Lady” had its world premiere in 2005 at San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre.

Landers died in 2002.

Expo will offer peeks at upcoming Disney films

LOS ANGELES — Fans can get an early look at “TRON,” “Toy Story 3” and Tim Burton’s take on “Alice in Wonderland” this fall at Disney’s first fan expo.

The four-day “D23 Expo” will be Sept. 10-13 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif.

The event will feature sneak peeks of new Disney films, celebrity appearances, props from past Disney shows, an eight-room “Disney Dream Home” and various products.

Publicist John Singh said tickets go on sale Wednesday.

Whitney Houston CD gets Sept. 1 release date

NEW YORK — The date for Whitney Houston’s comeback has been set.

Arista Records says her long-awaited album will be released Sept. 1. Houston hasn’t released a CD in seven years.

So far, there’s no word on a title for the album.

The 45-year-old superstar is one of the best-selling artists of all-time, but in recent years, she’s been defined more by drug problems, marital woes and erratic behavior than by her Grammy-winning voice.

Today’s birthdays

Singer Tom Jones is 69. Actor Ken Osmond (Eddie Haskell on “Leave It To Beaver”) is 66. Talk-show host Jenny Jones is 63. Actor Liam Neeson is 57. Singer-songwriter Johnny Clegg is 56. Actor William Forsythe is 54. Record producer L.A. Reid is 53. Musician Prince is 51. Singer-guitarist Gordon Gano of Violent Femmes is 46. Rapper Ecstasy of Whodini is 45. Drummer Eric Kretz (Stone Temple Pilots) is 43. Guitarist Dave Navarro is 42. Comedian Bill Hader (“Saturday Night Live,” “Pineapple Express”) is 31. Actor Michael Cera (“Juno,” “Arrested Development”) is 21.