Disney’s descendants open family museum

Disney’s descendants open family museum

SAN FRANCISCO — A new museum by the descendants of Walt Disney is open in San Francisco to give visitors an up-close view of the man behind the mouse.

Disney’s daughter, Diane Disney Miller, greeted the first visitors Thursday as she cut a ribbon to formally open the Walt Disney Family Museum.

Exhibits follow Disney’s life from childhood to his struggles getting established as an artist and his later successes.

Items on display include his many Academy Awards and a World War I ambulance similar to the one he trained to drive as a 17-year-old.

Disney’s grandson, Walter E.D. Miller, says Disney spent his life as a storyteller and now it’s time for the family to tell his story.

The museum is in a refurbished building at the former Presidio Army base.

Lucas, Spielberg team up with the Smithsonian

WASHINGTON — Filmmakers George Lucas and Steven Spielberg are joining forces with the Smithsonian American Art Museum, combining their collections of Norman Rockwell’s art in a Washington exhibit next year.

The plans announced Thursday will culminate in the first major exhibit to explore connections between Rockwell’s images of American life and the movies.

It will be on view from July 2010 until January 2011, showing more than 50 rarely seen Rockwell paintings and drawings.

Lucas is contributing the oldest painting, taken from a Life magazine cover in 1917.

Curators interviewed Lucas and Spielberg about Rockwell, and video excerpts will be shown.

Museum director Elizabeth Broun says Rockwell’s art and storytelling captured universal truths about Americans.

Cook, others to help with ‘Sondheim on Sondheim’

NEW YORK — Get ready for more Stephen Sondheim on Broadway this season — with a little help from Barbara Cook, among others.

“Sondheim on Sondheim” will take a look at the man through his music and through film and videotape interviews with the composer.

Besides Cook, the cast for the Roundabout Theatre Company production will include Vanessa Williams, Michael Arden and Leslie Kritzer. Other performers will be announced.

“Sondheim on Sondheim,” directed by James Lapine, opens April 22 at Studio 54. Previews begin March 19. It will be the second Sondheim musical on Broadway this season. A revival of “A Little Night Music” opens in December.

Today’s birthdays

Country singer Leroy Van Dyke is 80. Actor Eddie Applegate (“The Patty Duke Show”) is 74. Author Jackie Collins is 72. Author Anne Rice is 68. Actress Lori Saunders (“Petticoat Junction”) is 68. Actor Clifton Davis (“Amen”) is 64. Actress Susan Sarandon is 63. Actor Armand Assante is 60. Actor Alan Rosenberg is 59. Actor Bill Fagerbakke (“Coach,” “Spongebob Squarepants”) is 52. Rap producer Russell Simmons is 52. Keyboardist Chris Lowe of The Pet Shop Boys is 50. Keyboardist Gregg “Hobie” Hubbard of Sawyer Brown is 49. Singer Jon Secada is 48. Actor Liev Schreiber (“The Manchurian Candidate,” “Scream 2”) is 42. Actor Abraham Benrubi (“Men In Trees,” “ER”) is 40. Country singer-guitarist Heidi Newfield (Trick Pony) is 39. Actress Alicia Silverstone is 33. Singer-guitarist Marc Roberge of O.A.R. is 31. Actress Rachel Leigh Cook (“Josie and the Pussycats,” “She’s All That”) is 30. Singer Jessica Benson of 3LW is 22.