Following in a long line of legendary television musical performances, The Happy Monster Band is poised to rock the preschool set by introducing young viewers around the country to their own magical, musical world of rhythm, rhyme and artistic expression. There's no telling what heights they'll reach as they perform their monster-style music for the judges and Playhouse Disney viewers at home.

Each of the 10 music-filled vignettes (4 minutes each) will showcase a different song from the band, including "I'm the Best at Being Me," "Do the Monster Stomp," and "Even Monsters Cry Sometimes." Starting October 12, preschoolers and their caregivers will be able to go online at www.playhousedisney.com/happymonsterband to vote for their favorite songs. The highest rated songs will be revealed on-air in a special Halloween Happy Monster Band Top Five Countdown.

The "Happy Monster Band" characters were created by Don Carter. Loris Kramer Lunsford ("Johnny Test") and Jason Netter ("Wolverine & the X-Men") are Executive Producers. "Happy Monster Band" is a Kickstart production in association with Disney Channel.

The program is intended to prevent or reduce highway crashes by high-risk adolescent and young adult participants by measurably improving driver skills, attitudes, knowledge and behavior. In 2006, Richard Petty Driving Experience formed a partnership with Clemson University to provide the educational foundation for this program. Clemson, through its Automotive Safety Research Institute (ASRI), takes a research-based interdisciplinary approach to improving driver safety through the critical human – vehicle – road interface. Clemson’s experience in the areas of highway safety research and education, curriculum development, course delivery and course evaluation enhances the core elements for this program.

The research-based Safe Driving Program, initially designed for high-risk drivers aged 15 to 25, will teach safe driving skills and safety education to participants through on-track experiences by placing students in compromising driving situations in a controlled and safe environment. Professional driving instructors will coach the students through corrective responses during each stage of the safe driving modules.

The program begins with a brief classroom session followed by six (6) behind-the-wheel driving modules. Students will participate in a variety of exercises such as skid control, braking skills, crash avoidance, two-wheels-off, and tailgating/following distance. Other elements of the program will highlight issues such as distracted driving, vehicle maintenance and impaired driving, which are key areas of concern with young drivers.

“Richard Petty Driving Experience has all the tools to make a difference by educating young drivers. We operated over 3,000 event days, ran almost 2 million miles on track last year and have a staff of professional drivers, so we have the knowledge to teach and the infrastructure to take the program to many markets. We want to address the leading cause of death for 15 to 20 year-olds in the United States – motor vehicle crashes,” said Kyle Petty, an eight-time winner in the NASCAR Cup Series and son of seven-time NASCAR Cup Champion, Richard Petty.

“We are thrilled that the Richard Petty team has chosen the Walt Disney World Speedway as a location for this new program, offering a unique opportunity for our guests, as well as our Cast Members and their families,” said Keith Bradford, vice president, operating participants, Walt Disney World Resort.

The safe driving program, which ranges from $329 to $399 per person, will also be held this year in Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago and Los Angeles. Young drivers can reserve their place in the Safe Driving Program by calling 1-800-BE-PETTY.

About Richard Petty Driving Experience

Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba, judges for ABC's "Dancing with the Stars," will be featured in the six-week series airing later this season, the network owned by The Walt Disney Co. announced.

Open auditions will be held this month in New York, Nashville and the Los Angeles area for amateur performers who can dance and sing. The contestants will work with Tonioli and Inaba to form "the ultimate dance team," with viewers picking the winning group, ABC said Thursday.

Playhouse Disney, targeted at preschoolers aged 2 to 5, promotes child development by offering educational content and encouraging viewer participation. The channel also features award-winning Disney series like Disney Johnny and the Sprites, Disney My Friends Tigger & Pooh, Disney Little Einsteins, Disney Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, JoJo's Circus, Higglytown Heroes and Handy Manny. Toon Disney offers Disney cartoons for all ages, ranging from classic animations featuring Donald Duck, Goofy and Mickey Mouse to new productions like Recess, American Dragon, Lilo & Stitch and Kim Possible.

Premiere Star bundles and distributes new and existing pay-TV channels. It offers the packages Premiere Thema (via cable and satellite) and Premiere Star (satellite only). A total of 16.7 million households in Germany and 1.8 million in Austria have access to Premiere Star via satellite; Premiere Thema currently has 1.6 million subscriber households.

Wolfram Winter, the CEO of Premiere Star, commented: "Premiere Star is delighted to welcome Playhouse Disney and Toon Disney on board, two channels from a trusted partner. With their programs for kids and families, the two channels are the perfect addition to our programming. Premiere Star is targeted at a fresh young audience, and we want to offer a diversity of programs that will grow along with them."

As previously reported, the studio ended months of speculation when it finally confirmed that 'Lost: The Complete Third Season -- The Unexplored Experience' would make its Blu-ray bow on December 11.

Now, the studio has released specs for the seven-disc box set, which is sure to please fans with a wealth of bonus feature.

Among the supplements are audio commentaries with cast & crew on select episodes, a "Lost on Location" documentary going behind the scenes of ten episodes, a "Lost in a Day" video diary, two featurettes ("World of the the Others" and "The Lost Book Club"), deleted and alternate scenes, a blooper reel, and additional "Lost Flashbacks" offering ever-before-seen glimpses of the castaways' past lives.

In addition, the Blu-ray edition will exclusively include an as yet unnamed, BD-Java-enhanced interactive feature which Disney promises will allow fans to "..rethink what they know about Lost and change the way they watch the show -- viewers will decipher truth from conjecture through an interactive control panel unlocking the mysterious world of Lost."

Tech specs include 1080p transfers and uncompressed PCM 5.1 Surround audio on all 22 episodes.

"We have titles that are for a younger audience, but there are more titles, such as High School Musical that could gather the family, after the Sunday lunch maybe, and we can imagine them singing together."

"This is Disney – this inclusive way to bring the family together and have fun."

Braille went on to detail the company's development budgets, with 70 per cent spent on existing character franchises, 20 per cent on developing new characters, and 10 per cent that can go on new game areas – with the exception of sports and extreme-rated content.

"In the sports market we have our ESPN brand and an existing deal with Electronic Arts there, and for the extreme-rated area, we as a company don't want to touch these kinds of products."

As I’ve written in our exclusive news story, both men were adamantly in favor of selling their shows for download via Apple’s iTunes service. The ability to download shows via iTunes has been available in the US for some time now, but only came to the UK this week. Disney Channel, as well as the Disney-owned ABC network, are selling a number of series through the store. Unlike some of the VOD services through Channel 4, Sky and the BBC, which are rental services that only allow you to view your purchases for a short length of time, iTunes purchases are yours to keep. They’re still limited by DRM code that prevents you from sharing your purchases with others, but the service is one of the most reliable I’ve used. And it works on my Macs, too…

But I digress. The reason both Gilby and Marsh were so positive was that they see iTunes as fitting their viewers’ needs. Says Gilby:

I’ve had my video iPod for ages, and I haven’t been able to get my own Disney shows on there. Now I can get them all.

Giving people a choice of where and when and how they access our programming is important to us. If they want it on their iPod, we’re going to give it to them on their iPod.

Obviously with less than a week of data, Gilby didn’t want to commit to judging how sales were progressing so far, but Marsh was able to provide a US perspective, where sales have been running for much longer:

I can speak for the model from the US perspective, where our shows have been on [iTunes] for quite some time. Routinely, Hannah Montana and the Suite Life of Zach and Cody have been in the top fifteen shows that have been selling episodically. Concurrent with that, we’ve never had higher ratings. For the last five months, we’ve had our highest months ever. Clearly the availability of these programs, if anything, is helping the linear channel.

Compare this approach with that of NBC Universal, which has announced that it will not be renewing its iTunes contract when it expires in December, ostensibly in a dispute over pricing policy. Apple wants a one-price-fits-all price scheme which makes it easy and understandable for users; NBCU wants to be able to charge different rates for different shows, possibly incorporating special deals such as bundling films with TV series that share the same star.

Currently, NBCU shows account for some 40% of US TV sales on iTunes, so its departure may hit the store’s appeal to its users. However, I do think that iTunes’ ease of use and lack of time limits on viewing will still remain a compelling reason to use it even if NBCU doesn’t change its mind.

Of course, you may wish to point out that Disney shares a board member with Apple in the form of Steve Jobs, so that they would be unlikely to rock the boat; you’d be right. And as Disney Channel is a subscription service that doesn’t take advertising, the availability of shows on iTunes is not such a concern to them as it to NBC, whose broadcast channel is advertiser-funded.

But ultimately what they say is true: they should be putting their programs wherever the viewers want to see them. And when they do that, their broadcast ‘linear’ channel grows. Maybe NBC Universal should bear that in mind.

Despite her recent denials about being interested in an acting career, Beckham, aka Posh Spice, is taking a first step by playing herself on an episode of the ABC comedy "Ugly Betty" this coming TV season.

In announcing the casting Thursday, the network owned by The Walt Disney Co. said Beckham will play a celebrity bridesmaid at the wedding of Wilhelmina Slater (Vanessa Williams) and publisher Bradford Meade (Alan Dale).

Posh moved from England to L.A. in July after her soccer-star husband, David, signed a five-year contract to play for the Galaxy of Major League Soccer.

At the time, she denied that she had aspirations for an acting career. She's slated to take part in a Spice Girls reunion tour beginning in December, and has launched her own fashion label called dVb and her own line of fragrances.

Napa Rose is just one of many tempting dining options that create dreams-come-true experiences for guests during the ongoing Year of a Million Dreams celebration at the Resort. Other restaurant choices, all delivering Disney's unique brand of quality and service, include Steakhouse 55 at the Disneyland Hotel and Yamabuki at Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel.

Michael Jordan, general manager and chief sommelier of Napa Rose, noted that it's especially gratifying to be receiving the award. "We are ecstatic that Napa Rose has been selected to receive a DiRoNA Award once again," he said. "The award is only bestowed upon an elite group of restaurants that have undergone rigorous evaluations and we are thrilled to be among such a choice group."

Only those restaurants that pass inspection by the Distinguished Dining Advisory Council, an anonymous, specially-trained group of hospitality and food industry professionals, food critics and distinguished dining connoisseurs, are eligible for the DiRoNA Award. Restaurants are evaluated on a 75-point scale, and those with the highest scores are then nominated for DiRoNAs.

At Napa Rose, the Distinguished Dining Advisory Council and guests alike enjoy Chef Andrew Sutton's holistic dining philosophy through California Wine Country cuisine made with only the freshest ingredients. In addition to delighting guests with a one-of-a-kind food experience, staged within a striking Arts and Crafts architectural-style setting, Napa Rose houses an impressive 16,000-bottle wine cellar that features more than 900 vintages, and offers 50 wines by the glass. Napa Rose claims the distinction of staffing 42 top-ranked Level One Master Class sommeliers, the most of any one restaurant in the world.

The DiRoNA Quality Assurance Program is the only independent and anonymous restaurant inspection program operating across North America. DiRoNA utilizes an extensive list of criteria to evaluate all aspects of a distinguished dining experience. The Distinguished Restaurants of North America was formed in 1990 by a high-profile group of experts who wanted to promote, preserve and recognize superior dining establishments in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The pass was announced at the same time as reports claimed attendance in the park's second year might not reach four million, falling below government and company expectations and the 5.2 million visitors recorded in the park's first year.

The park's vice president for sales and travel trade marketing, Josh D'Amaro, would not, however, confirm the reports and also denied the latest strategy was designed purely to boost attendance.

D'Amaro said: "The annual pass we introduced about a year ago is extremely successful, with 85,000 passes sold to date, so the logical next step is to refine that program to new segments and to the next level.

The center has dropped the reference to the Small Business Administration from its name and adopted a new logo highlighting its connection to its main private-sector sponsor, Walt Disney World. Disney, having already contributed $1 million to the center, has pledged another $350,000 over the next three years.

The University of Central Florida and Orange County government are also high-level sponsors of the center, which provides counseling and resources to small businesses throughout Central Florida.

The center previewed a new promotional video Tuesday night during the event at its Robinson Street headquarters. In the segment, Disney World President Meg Crofton called the center "a dynamic facility, which provides a one-stop solution for entrepreneurs that otherwise would not have access to the types of tools and resources that are available here."

In its second year, Disneyland Half Marathon events are expected to draw about 18,000 people, who will learn about fitness, join family events and run in the half-marathon race this weekend.

Organizers upped the maximum number of participants in the half marathon by 1,000 to 13,000. Sign-ups filled by July, drawing runners from 49 states and 13 countries.

The 13.1 mile race winds through Disneyland, Disney's California Adventure, Angel Stadium and surrounding streets, where spectators can watch. Roads will be closed as early as midnight to as late as 11 a.m. Monday. Other events include:

• Disneyland Health and Fitness Expo, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at the Disneyland Hotel, 1150 Magic Way in Anaheim. The event is free and open to the public.

• Family Fun Run 5K and Kids' Races on Sunday. All slots are booked.

Disney, which has distributed the film, for a long time wore the mantle that Pixar now seems to be taking over. It is important to note that Disney owns Pixar, but the two have a tumultuous relationship. They are still learning to get along.

Pixar's first six releases - between 'Toy Story' in 1995 and 'Cars' in 2006 - have earned more than $3 billion worldwide with such hits as 'Finding Nemo' (2003) and 'The Incredibles' (2004) in between.

These films have even won seven Oscar awards on the way to becoming cultural phenomena. Kenneth Turner of Los Angeles Times even went on to label Pixar as 'the most reliable creative force in Hollywood'.

Since it is here to stay, a little background into the workings and success of Pixar is warranted for any film fan. You are sure to end up watching a Pixar film sometime, especially if you are in any way connected to children.

On an elementary level, Pixar's formula for success is pretty simple. It has an incredibly nuanced understanding of acting, human body and movement. On the thematic side, Pixar stalwart John Lasseter puts it best saying, 'It's gotta be about the growth of the main character, and how he changes.

'It's all about self-improvement. Add to this that moviegoers prefer psychologically complex cartoon characters; it is easy to see why children and adults lap it up.'

For a long time, moviegoers enjoyed cartoon characters like Bugs Bunny, Batman and Superman, thinking they were watching zany antics. But the creators of those cartoons delicately loaded their works with the psyche and the environment of those times, thus allowing the audience to connect on a subconscious level.

Pixar has mastered this as their modus operandi. Whereas Disney spoon-fed audiences mainly childish fare, Pixar has boldly delved into more graphic, serious and mature themes. While Disney focused more on magic, Pixar has chosen to explore inner struggles.

The wildly funny and entertaining 'Finding Nemo' on closer look is about the death of a mother, loss of home, the cruel and unfair world and the search of the father and son for each other. Not exactly fun and fluff, but it is the genius of Pixar that can pull off the theme by making it appealing.

As has been in the case ever so many times in show business, the Pixar dream run could end. There are already some clear challenges up ahead. Its continuity will depend on how well it will handle them.

The all-too familiar dangers for animated films lie in dealing with the business aspect of filmmaking. Since animation relies too heavily on cutting edge technology, the studio is forced to be competitive and showcase innovation. This comes at the cost of story, character and themes. The balancing of business and art becomes increasingly difficult. Profit soon begins to trump meaning.

Theme Park Rangers - Today's Photo Treasure Hunt is also a shout-out to Commander Coconut. It's birthday season for the Commander, who used to entertain the office with a rendition of the song from "If You Had Wings," a long-gone attraction from the Magic Kingdom.

Sing with us: "If you/had wings (had wings, had wings, had wings)"

Back in the day, the attraction (sponsored by Eastern Airlines) was E-ticket quality but for "free." And it featured excellent air conditioning and an exhilirating big-screen climax, which gave the overall sensation of landsailing, motorcycling, airboating in the Everglades, flying and others. This was a similar effect to what we get today in Soarin'.

Finally, after the jump: If You Had Wings. (Happy Birthday, Commander)

This photo was taken by Sentinel photographer Red Huber in April 1982. Not to point out the obvious, but note the bird.

Hosted by the Red Bluff Art Association, the classes are Sept. 6 and Sept 13, 6 to 8p.m. at the Snug Harbor Mobile Village recreation room, 600 Rio Vista Way. The fee for the two-series class is $30.

According to Edmonds, "Gesture drawing is the single most important element of drawing. It constantly needs to be relearned, reestablished and reinvigorated. This class is for beginners and professionals alike." Edmonds will reacquaint you with the proper way to see things and draw, for artists and want-to-be artists. This is the same hands-on lecture series taught at Walt Disney Feature Animation. Bring a sketch book and something to sketch with.

RBAA member, Edmonds has worked on such classics as "The Little Mermaid", "Beauty and the Beast", and "The Lion King".

Disney on Ice is presenting "Finding Nemo" at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont Sept. 20-23 and then at the United Center in Chicago Sept. 26-30.

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday.

The Allstate Arena is located at 6920 N. Mannheim Road in Rosemont. The United Center is located at 1901 W. Madison St., Chicago.

"Finding Nemo" features the adventures of the curious clownfish Nemo, his overprotective father, Marlin, and their absent-minded yet lovable pal, Dory.

The live production features a vibrant aquatic world on ice.

Produced by Feld Entertainment, the spectacular takes audiences to great depths on a comical escapade alongside the improbable duo of Marlin and Dory as they search the big blue ocean to reunite father and son.

Audiences will ride the current with "super-dude" turtle Crush and make waves with Nemo's new friends -- the Tank Gang -- as they plot an escape from the dentist's aquarium in this whale of a tale full of laughter and fun.

Disney on Ice's Nemo production features an international team of award-winning figure skaters, artistic choreography, innovative costume design and a breathtaking aquatic backdrop.

"In this show, we create a living sea on the ice in such a way that audiences feel as if they are actually underwater," said Kenneth Feld, producer. "We combine digital projection, choreography and the most unbelievable costumes ever seen, and the result is a visual masterpiece that truly transforms the ice surface and takes audiences through the ocean and into the aquarium."

Yet all is not peaceful. The gates may have swung shut, and the boys and girls been packed off to bed, but there is one group of singers and dancers still going strong - and they'll keep it up right through to 7am. This is the cast of High School Musical, forced to rehearse through the small hours for the simple reason that this is the only time the park is closed to visitors.

As the temperature drops, 12 performers glide through this empty fantasy world to sing and dance in the shadows and echoes. Strobe lights finger the sky while, off in the distance, huge pumpkins can be seen grinning out of a scrap yard for redundant floats. The humble £2m TV movie High School Musical has quietly taken over the world. This sugary tale of teenage romance and basketball broke ratings records when first shown on the Disney Channel, with British tweens joining the craze when the DVD was released on this side of the Atlantic.

So when Disneyland Paris was looking for a live production to celebrate its 15th birthday this summer, High School Musical seemed ideal. But this world created to satisfy the whims of six-year-olds is governed by its own rules: live musicals in Disneyland Paris are sung in a mix of French and English, and shrunk to fit the concentration spans of their young audiences.

The Legend of the Lion King has played in the Paris park since 2004, squeezing the tale of Simba into 30 minutes. With High School Musical, Disney does it in just 11 minutes. Though the TV movie's producer, Bill Borden, claimed the plot was a modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet, it does not plumb Shakespearean depths of complexity; nevertheless, it is still a challenge to distil its hit songs into such a short production, which is playing up to 10 times a day until next month.

They work at a frenetic pace, cramming in five songs, from teenybop pop to Latino funk via a ballad. The male dancers among the French, British, American, Italian and Portuguese performers were trained by a basketball coach so they could bounce balls in their dance routines - no easy task. Meanwhile, singers had one-to-one tuition with a voice coach, a luxury several West End veterans on Disney's books say they never experienced in the likes of London show-land.

"They have to sing live," says Katy Harris, the director. "They have to understand two languages, they have to be young, they have to have the right look and be energetic and dynamic. It's very challenging."

For Melanie Roberts, 20, from Staffordshire, Disneyland looks rather different to how it appeared to her as a six-year-old when she first visited with her family. She remembers when the Mary Poppins float went past: she was one of the little girls who joined the performers. Years later, when she saw adverts for auditions to perform here, she decided to give it a try.

Eleven minutes of high-velocity entertaining in the open air brings its own challenges. The performers leap about on tarmac roads, and there is no offstage time to catch your breath. "You can't step into the wings and compose yourself," says Roberts. "It may only be short, but you can be doing those 11 minutes 10 times a day, five days a week." Part of the buzz, she says, is being so close to your audience, who are encouraged to join in the slam-dunking.

This kind of show might once have been seen as the kind of embarrassing first step that singers and dancers go quiet about when they make it to the West End. While most of these young performers, living in student-dorm style accommodation with the rest of the 12,200 staff, are keen to move on to bigger stages and full-length shows, many are increasingly proud of working at the resort, says casting manager Madeline Aveson-Gruber. "People who have performed in The Legend of the Lion King are proud of it and they are putting it on their biographies."

Disney's entertainers say High School Musical is not simply an attempt to appeal to teens dragged to Disneyland; its director believes the mini-musical will, just like the film, appeal to the increasingly sophisticated pre-teen market.

The rest of the field:

-- Melanie Brown, aka "Scary Spice" and Mel B.

-- Sabrina Bryan of Disney Channel's "Cheetah Girls."

-- Indianapolis 500 champion Helio Castroneves.

-- Actress Jennie Garth ("Beverly Hills, 90210").

-- Model-actress Josie Maran.

-- Soap star Cameron Mathison ("All My Children").

-- Singer Marie Osmond.

-- Model Albert Reed.

-- Actress Jane Seymour ("Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman").

As in past seasons, each celebrity will be paired with a professional dancer. In the contest that ended in May, Olympic gold medalist Apolo Anton Ohno beat out former 'N Sync star Joey Fatone to win the dance-off's mirror-ball trophy.

Other champions were soap opera star Kelly Monaco, NFL record-holder Emmitt Smith and former 98 Degrees member Drew Lachey.

The Disney Insider - Ever since "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" first graced the screen in 1937, little girls everywhere have been enchanted by Disney Princesses. But don't be fooled into thinking that these ladies, with their sparkly dresses and long cascading hair, are just another bunch of pretty faces. They make strong choices, help those less fortunate, and ultimately champion the underdog.

The success of "Snow White" shows that princess appeal is nothing new. It was the highest-grossing film ever until the release of "Gone with the Wind." The worldwide gross for "Snow White" was $8.5 million - in an era when a child's ticket cost 10 cents.

The princess tradition continued after "Snow White," with Disney film versions of the enduring fairy-tales "Cinderella" and "Sleeping Beauty." Although "Sleeping Beauty" was Walt Disney's most extravagant animated feature ever at the time of its release, the princess genre quieted after its release. It wasn't until the late '80s and early '90s that the Princesses returned -- in what has been called an animation renaissance at the Walt Disney Studio. Belle, Ariel, and Pocahontas led the way in new classics like "Beauty and the Beast," "The Little Mermaid," and "Pocahontas." This revival introduced a new generation of princesses to a new generation of princess followers.

The Insider decided to talk to young girls to find out what it is that makes Disney Princesses as appealing in 2007 as they were in 1937. Here's what they had to say.

Ellie, 4, loves Aurora from "Sleeping Beauty" because she likes "her pink sparkly dress." Her sister Hazel chose Mulan as her favorite because "she is sporty and I like her black hair."

Like Ellie, many girls are drawn in by the sparkly dresses and princess couture. Let's face it, these ladies have outfits to envy! Whether it's Ariel with her crimson hair and pearls fresh from the ocean adorning her neck, or Cinderella in her shimmering blue ball gown and glass slippers, there is a look for every aspiring fashionista.

There is more to these princesses though, than stylish wardrobes. They teach kids to be kind to others, to be true to themselves, and to never stop dreaming. They aren't just living the life any little girl would dream of - they're also great role models.

Ruby, 6, said her reason for loving Disney Princesses is that "every princess is very helpful and nice. Sleeping Beauty helped the fairies and the fairies helped her because she was nice to them."

While all Princesses might be nice, they aren't all alike. Mulan, Pocahontas, and Jasmine are all princesses who show little girls that no matter what culture you come from or what you look like, you can embrace what makes you special and still be a princess. They send the message that "It's great to be unique," both in how you look and what you choose to achieve.

According to Cameron, that is exactly why Ariel from "The Little Mermaid," is her favorite. At 9 years old, Cameron identifies with this princess of the sea because "she believes in herself. If she dreams something, she makes it happen." She says that she likes Ariel because "she's sort of different from all the other princesses because she's a mermaid - and she has a great voice."

Every showing of the beloved 1967 Disney favorite will also feature a special appearance by Baloo, who will entertain and lead the audience in a sing-along of "Bare Necessities," and "I Wanna Be Like You." Kicking off the engagement at 6:00 pm on Thursday, September 6th will be a special opening night filmmakers panel, hosted by veteran Disney producer Don Hahn ("The Lion King," "Beauty and the Beast"). The evening is scheduled to include an on-stage reunion of four of the original voice talents from the film -- Bruce Reitherman (voice of Mowgli), Darlene Carr (voice of Shanti), Chad Stuart (voice of Flaps the vulture), and Clint Howard (voice of Junior the elephant) -- along with a live performance by Academy Award®-winning songwriter Richard Sherman, and an appreciation by acclaimed contemporary animator/animation expert Andreas Deja. Beginning September 7th, "The Jungle Book" will show daily at 10:00 am, 12:15 pm, 2:30 pm, 4:45 pm, 7:00 pm, and 9:15 pm. Tickets for all performances can be purchased at the El Capitan box office, on-line at www.elcapitantickets.com, or by calling 1-800-DISNEY6. Special group rates for parties of 20 or more are available by calling 1-818-845-3110.

Adding to the fun, Disney's Soda Fountain and Studio Store (located adjacent to the El Capitan Theatre) is getting into the swing of things by serving up a wild new "Jungle Book Sundae." This irresistible offering features two Baloo-sized scoops of chocolate chip ice cream, a layer of bananas (worthy of King Louie himself), a coating of chocolate sauce topped off with candy pebbles, whipped cream and a cherry.

Commenting on the announcement, Breier said, "Disney's animated classic 'The Jungle Book' has been a favorite film for several generations of moviegoers and we're thrilled to have an opportunity to show it on the big screen in all its digitally restored splendor. Audiences are really going to enjoy seeing this heartfelt and hilarious film again, and to reacquaint themselves with Mowgli, Baloo, King Louie, and all those great characters. Add in a special appearance by Baloo at each showing and you've got more than the bare necessities for a magical experience at the El Capitan Theatre."

Originally released in 1967, "The Jungle Book" was the last animated feature to be personally supervised by Walt Disney himself. Based on the classic Rudyard Kipling tales, the Disney story team and seasoned animators crafted a unique, music-filled version that follows the misadventures of a human boy named Mowgli, who is raised by wolves in the jungle. When the vicious tiger Shere Khan vows to kill the "man cub," it is deemed unsafe for the boy to remain and Bagheera the panther is chosen to accompany him on his journey back to civilization. Along the way, Mowgli meets the lovable "jungle bum" Baloo the bear who befriends him and teaches him the "bare necessities" of life. He also encounters the mad King Louie of the Apes, who yearns to be like the humans and discover the secret of man's "red fire." Mowgli also meets a pack of pachyderms, a hypnotic snake named Kaa, and a quartet of vocalizing vultures before his climactic confrontation with Shere Khan. Richard and Robert Sherman wrote five songs for the film ("I Wanna Be Like You," "Trust in Me," "My Own Home," "That's What Friends Are For," and "Colonel Hathi's March"), while composer Terry Gilkyson provided the Oscar®-nominated tune, "Bare Necessities." "The Jungle Book" boasts one of Disney's greatest all-star vocal ensembles that included Phil Harris, Louis Prima, George Sanders, Sterling Holoway, Sebastian Cabot, J. Pat O'Malley, along with the El Capitan's special guests Bruce Reitherman, Darlene Carr, Chad Stuart, and Clint Howard.

The director of the annual show, Debi Barr, visited Roseville June 29 and saw the DG2's original stage production of "The Headlines" at the Mesa Verdi Performing Arts Center. Impressed by the dancing, she later called DG2 director "Miss" Lucy McLemore and extended the invitation to the dancers.

Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa will host the show, which airs worldwide on Christmas morning.

The DG2 dancers were one of 10 dance studios chosen from hundreds across the U.S. and Canada.

Participants in the events are sure to experience activities that will get them moving, plus healthy snacks, games and plenty of prizes.

Get Healthy Kentucky, Disney and parks and recreation offices around the state are sponsoring the events throughout the rest of August and September. Young people of all fitness levels are encouraged to get in on the fun.

The camps will include family-inspired activities that incorporate Disney's eXtreme Team cast members playing interactive games and providing activities for children and their families. The eXtreme Team will kick off the events by leading a warm-up round of dancing and stretching. Participants will then go into breakout sessions that include a variety of activities such as jump rope, soccer, basketball, a nutrition lesson, tennis and backyard games.

At each station, participants will receive a star or check-off with the goal of each participant visiting every station by the end of the event.

"Fitness should start at a young age, and these events are a great way to bring families together for activities and games that make getting healthy fun," said Governor Ernie Fletcher, who launched the Get Healthy Kentucky initiative.

"Get Healthy Kentucky strongly encourages the young people of our state to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity. Not only are the camps fun, but they'll also help you get in shape and learn valuable tools to help keep you healthy," said Chris L. Corbin, executive director of the Governor's Office of Wellness and Physical Activity.

The MOVE IT! events will be in the following cities:

Owensboro, 9-11 a.m. Sept. 8, opening of new soccer field. For more information, call (270) 685-6142.

Paducah, 6-8 p.m. Sept. 8, Noble Park, Shelter 10. For more information, call (270) 444-8508.

The network, buoyed by the cable-record-shattering sequel to High School Musical, won the primetime summer ratings race, according to Nielsen Media Research data released Tuesday.

Disney Channel averaged a 2.5 household rating this summer, up 9% from last summer's 2.3, placing it No. 1 among basic-cable networks in primetime, according to a Disney ABC Cable Networks analysis of Nielsen data. Disney Channel's High School Musical 2's debut on Aug. 17 scored a 10.2 rating and attracted 17.2 million viewers, making it basic cable's most-watched telecast of all time.

Finishing second was USA Network, which posted a 2.2 rating, down 8% from a year ago. Turner Network Television ranked third in primetime this summer, with a 2.0 rating, down 9%, followed by TBS, with a 1.4 rating, flat versus summer 2006.

Lifetime Television and Fox News Channel were tied for fifth, with each garnering a 1.3 rating this summer. Lifetime was down 13%, while FNC was flat.

ESPN, Cartoon Network and Hallmark Channel were knotted in a seventh place tie, all with a 1.2 primetime average. ESPN and Hallmark both dipped 8%, while Cartoon Network was down 14% when compared with last summer.

Next in the primetime rankings were Nick at Nite, A&E Network and Court TV, all of which averaged a 1.1 rating. Nick at Nite dropped 15%. A&E was up 22%, while Court TV saw a sizable 38% gain.

They were followed in turn by Discovery Channel, HGTV, FX, Spike TV and Sci Fi Channel, with a 1.0 rating each. All five networks were flat in primetime households compared with last summer.

Among all-news networks, CNN was down 13%, to a 0.7, while MSNBC saw a gain of 67%, to a 0.5 rating.

During some of their bad seasons, the Giants often fell far behind by the fourth quarter. A friend, John Angelo, would suggest leaving early, according to Eisner's memoir, "Work in Progress."

Eisner would have none of it.

"The Giants have to score four times and get a field goal, but there are five minutes left, and they're going to do it," Eisner told his pal.

The Giants didn't do it. But Eisner tried to stay positive.

"I was always convinced things would turn out well in the end," Eisner wrote. "As I grew up, I discovered that I was more comfortable dealing with crisis than I was with too much success."

Good thing. Eisner took over Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:DCQ) (NYSE:DIS) DIS in 1984, when it was short on profit growth, short on hit shows and looking for a rebirth 18 years after the death of legendary founder Walt Disney.

Eisner's efforts would turn around the American icon and put it on the path to growth. Sales would rise from less than $2 billion in 1984 to more than $34 billion in 2005.

"Michael took a deeply undervalued franchise and -- particularly in the first dozen years -- in a rational manner ... (built) the franchise to be one of three or certainly four great media companies in the world," said David Londoner, a former Wall Street analyst who covered the industry and Disney during much of Eisner's time there.

Although Eisner might have led a modern megamedia company, he used old-fashioned values such as hard work, tenacity and being careful with the checkbook.

Grasping Customers

Eisner had the guts to go against convention. He had a sixth sense crucial to entertainment-firm chiefs: knowing what the masses like.

"He demonstrated great skill and creativity," said Hal Vogel, author of "Entertainment Industry Economics" and an analyst who's covered the industry for three decades.

The first half of Eisner's time at Disney receives more accolades than his second, which ended in 2005. He had a falling out with key executives and shareholders tired of his leadership, says James Stewart, author of "Disney War."

Still, it's hard to argue with the company's growth.

The stock reflected the boom, rocketing about 3,500% from his start in September 1984 to its peak in the spring of 2000. Employee numbers went from 28,000 to more than 133,000 during his tenure.

"He did a great job," Robert Daly, a former co-chairman of Warner Bros. and an Eisner friend, told IBD. "Look at where Disney is today compared to where Disney was when he took over."

Eisner writes that he came from comfortable beginnings. His family had a nice apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. He went to private schools. He wore a tie and jacket to dinners. Still, Eisner said "money wasn't to be treated frivolously" in his home.

Eisner jumped at his first post-college break into television at NBC in 1964. He would get a slight promotion to a new job at CBS. Even after another step up, he began to "hunger for something bigger," he wrote.

He sent letters to anyone who might hire him.

"I received form letter after form letter of rejection -- more than 75 in all," he wrote.

Eventually he got his break as an assistant to ABC's Ted Fetter, who was in charge of specials. It was the fall of 1966.

By the time Disney came calling, he was president of Paramount Pictures.

Eisner made the move and immediately became Disney's chief executive and chairman. Frank Wells, vice chairman of Warner Bros. Inc., joined him as president.

Wells gets credit from Daly and others for helping Eisner be an effective leader in the early days.

Wells would die in a helicopter crash in 1994.

"I think the two of them were a great team," Daly said.

When Eisner took over, Disney was hungry for fresh leadership.

Walt's shadow was long, and the company was sometimes caught between its history and the changing dynamics of the media industry.

"The problem was that America's viewing public had changed, but Disney hadn't," wrote Ron Grover in "The Disney Touch." Profit had fallen from $135 million in 1980 to $93 million in 1983, he writes.

Eisner took the tack of changing what needed to be fixed while using Disney's reputable name and library to drive up sales and profit.

One thing that had to be corrected: pay scales. "To attract the kind of executives the company needed, Eisner and Wells told the board, they would have to loosen the purse strings," Grover wrote.

The new salaries would "have made Walt wince," he wrote. But they were especially needed in the movie studio, which had turned out the forgettable "Trenchcoat" and "Running Brave."

Vogel says Eisner knew what grabbed the average buyer.

"Steve Jobs (Apple's AAPL chief executive) had the same kind of intuition about the consumer," Vogel said.

As part of that effort, Eisner paid special attention to the animation unit, which some call the soul of the Disney. In 1989, the firm released its first classic in a few decades: "The Little Mermaid."

"Animation started to come alive," Vogel said. "They realized they had fallen down on that."

Eisner also saw when to tap the Disney of the past. He lifted the firm back into prime-time TV with "The Disney Sunday Movie" on ABC.

Another move on the living room: home videos. The firm had long released animation hits every seven years, figuring any more than that would water down the franchise.

Eisner, with encouragement from other Disney executives, decided to put movies such as "Pinocchio" on videotape and later DVD. The move was a hit with kids and parents, delivering tens of millions in profit.

Other successes included Disney stores and Broadway hits. And in one of Eisner's biggest moves, Disney bought Capital Cities/ABC in 1996. It gave Disney a hammerlock on its TV programming.

Yet competition heated up from players such as DreamWorks Animation. Shareholders grew restless as sales growth sputtered. Between fiscal 1998 and 2002, Disney's sales grew more than 2% only one year.

Up And Down

After Disney's stock peaked in 2000, it lost more than 60% before recovering some. Eisner was catching criticism as a poor manager, especially without Wells, Stewart writes. The CEO let hits such as "CSI" and "The Lord of the Rings" go to other firms. Roy Disney, Walt Disney's nephew, called for his exit.

Eisner stepped down from Disney on Sept. 30, 2005. Robert Iger, his chief operating officer and president, replaced him.

Today Eisner, 65, still plays in the media world. His "Conversations With Michael Eisner" is on CNBC.

His firm, Tornante Co., has invested in Veoh Networks, an Internet broadcasting system.

And he still receives plaudits for turning around a company that many see as the face of America.

This will be the first official appearance of the STS-118 crew after returning to Earth on Tuesday.

Disney's Epcot and Magic Kingdom theme parks will be the backdrop as park guests and schoolchildren interact with the Endeavour astronauts.

Fans of the top-rated Disney Channel Original Movie will want to watch again and again as the gang from East High takes the stage at the local country club summer talent show! Scheming drama queen Sharpay is at the center of intrigue once more, using her influence to get Troy a job at the club in order to make him her singing partner at the annual show. When Troy arranges jobs for Gabriella and the Wildcats too, Sharpay has to do some fancy maneuvering to keep the others off the stage. To get Troy to go along with her plan, she makes him an offer she thinks he can't refuse -- a chance at a college basketball scholarship -- forcing Troy to choose between his friends and his future.

Directed and choreographed by Kenny Ortega ("High School Musical," "The Cheetah Girls"), "High School Musical 2: Extended Edition" is an exuberant celebration of youth, friendship and music.

"High School Musical 2: Extended Edition" comes with a grab bag of exclusive-to-DVD and Blu-ray Disc® bonus features that will have fans out of their seats and dancing along in seconds, including:

Sing Along with "High School Musical 2" - On-screen lyrics for all the songs from the movie let viewers join in with their favorite stars.

"High School Musical" Karaoke - Anyone can be a star with this interactive, highly entertaining bonus feature.

Rehearsal Cam - An unprecedented opportunity to watch the rehearsal footage in sync with the movie.

Bloopers - Nobody's perfect and that's half the fun! Watch as the movie's stars try to cover their hilarious missteps.

Music Videos - Including a performance by popular Canadian artist Nikki Yanovsky singing "Gotta Go My Own Way" in French and English.

"High School Musical 2" premiered on Disney Channel on August 17, and with 17.2 million Viewers, the premiere of "Disney High School Musical 2" now stands as the most-watched cable telecast of all-time, easily beating TNT's "Crossfire Trail" to become the No. 1 basic cable original movie ever. Furthermore, the Disney Channel original movie ranked as the most-watched TV telecast ever in Kids 6-11, and most-watched entertainment telecast ever in Tweens 9-14. Impressively, two-thirds of all Kids 6-11 and Tweens 9-14 watching television tuned in to watch "Disney High School Musical 2." Compared to broadcast programming, "Disney High School Musical 2" outperformed every telecast of Fox's "American Idol" and CBS' "Survivor" in Kids 6-11 and Tweens 9-14. Among Girls 6-11, a remarkable 4 out of 5 were watching "Disney HSM2." Moreover, "Disney High School Musical 2" was TV's most-watched entertainment Friday telecast in more than 5 years.

The "High School Musical 2" soundtrack rewrote chart history with its spectacular debut at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 album chart, a first for a television movie soundtrack. The album also entered three other Billboard charts at No. 1: Top Soundtrack Albums, Top Kid Audio and Top Digital Albums. In its first week of release, the CD shipped over 2 million units and is a leading candidate to be the best-selling album of 2007.

"High School Musical," the movie that launched the franchise, was the 2006 #1 TV movie on DVD. An international smash hit in more than 100 countries, "High School Musical" earned two Emmy Awards, a DGA Award, a Television Critics Association Award, an Imagen Award, a Director's Guild of America Award and a Humanitas Prize nomination. Its soundtrack was the Quadruple Platinum best-selling album of 2006, received a Billboard Music Award for Soundtrack of the Year and was nominated for an American Music Award in the Favorite Album (Pop/Rock) category. It inspired a best-selling junior novel, a popular themed show at Disneyland Parks and Resorts, a sold-out 42-date arena concert tour in North America and Latin America, and a touring ice show.

Zac Efron ("Troy"), Vanessa Hudgens ("Gabriella"), Ashley Tisdale ("Sharpay"), Corbin Bleu ("Chad"), Lucas Grabeel ("Ryan") and Monique Coleman ("Taylor") all reprise their original roles in "HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 2: EXTENDED EDITION." Kenny Ortega ("High School Musical," "The Gilmore Girls") directs from a script by Peter Barsocchini ("High School Musical," "Drop Zone"). Bill Borden ("High School Musical," "End of Days") is the producer and Barry Rosenbush ("High School Musical," "Get on the Bus") is the executive producer.

Filmed utilizing one stationary camera, the 15 vignettes (2-5 minutes each) introduce six friends -- Tiffany, Danny, Charlotte, ToeJam, Brooke and Skipper. The stories follow their exchanges, antics and occasional tween drama in the school hallway during classroom breaks.

In making the announcement, Gary Marsh, President, Entertainment, Disney Channel Worldwide, said: "Each adaptation of this series is a proven winner, and its bite-sized format is ideal for showcasing wherever and whenever our young viewers want to consume it, from television and online to mobile platforms and portable devices."

Disney Channel Italy's series has inspired locally-produced adaptations that currently air on Disney Channels in the UK, France, Germany and Spain, and soon on Disney Channel Australia. By the end of the year, it will premiere across Europe and, on a global basis, 779 episodes will be produced.

In "As the Bell Rings," the action takes place in a school corridor, just outside the principal's office where the window into the students' world is literally the window of the school building. The students use their break time to chat, conspire and collaborate on various school happenings, including Tiffany's quest to enter a teen fashion design contest; ToeJam's discovery of a survey he mistakenly believes was completed by Charlotte; Skipper's intention to impress his friends by trying out for school mascot; and Brooke's declaration that she'll run for student body president.

The series was filmed at Del Valle High School in Del Valle (Austin), Texas.

But there are some new things this year.

Hollywood woke up this past week with a case of whiplash. Sure, everyone with a child -- particularly a girl child -- has had some awareness of High School Musical Mania, generally lumping it in with Hannah Montana-mania, Cheetah Girls-mania, Webkinz-mania, tween phenomenon's that have evoked passionate devotion among their followers. For grown-ups and groovsters, those fads exist in an alternate pop-culture universe, profitable for sure but without the global panache of more muscular, older-skewing brands like "Spider-Man" and "Harry Potter." But the sheer numbers of "High School Musical 2's" opening weekend audience -- $33 million -- has reverberated around town . . . aahhh, if only each of those viewers were paying $10 apiece. And then there are the 5 million or so audience members who've tuned into the first "High School Musical" every one of the 24 times it's aired on the Disney Channel.

For better of worse, Efron, he of the swivel hips and evaporating eyebrows, is the breakout star. The guy who just a few weeks ago wouldn't be on any casting director's short list has suddenly zoomed into the rarefied climes of Emile Hirsch and James McAvoy, right behind the king of the 20-year-old set, Shia LaBeouf, star of "Transformers" and Spielberg's designated It boy. LaBeouf's asking price is already in the range of $8 million to $10 million. An eclectic cross-section of Hollywood insiders think Efron should get a cool $5 million for "High School Musical 3," the theatrical version of the franchise, which Disney is hoping to make pre-strike -- i.e. in the next nine months, before a possible Writers Guild and Screen Actors Guild strike shuts down Hollywood.

Efron declined to comment for this article, and although contract negotiations are still ongoing, sources say Efron is being offered a salary closer to $3 million, not $5 million, for the follow-up, which focuses on senior year at East High. Whatever the price, he's still perceived as a steal. "Because without him, they don't have a movie," says one top talent agent who doesn't work at CAA, home to Efron's management team. "He's the reason why they're going to sell tickets for the opening weekend. That's a bargain even at $5 million, just for DVD sales alone. Plus they owe it to him."

"Zac was generally the star of 'High School Musical 2.' He drove the story, and he clearly drove the movie alongside Ashley [Tisdale] and Vanessa [Hudgens]. He's the BMOC. If there is a first among equals, I would say that Zac would be that," says Richard Ross, president of the Disney Channel, though he adds, "It's very much an ensemble. Zac would be the first to say it himself. One of the magical factors is that there is a tremendous relationship among the cast that developed on the first movie and was maintained on the second."

Ross declines to elaborate on the development of the new movie, except to say, "I can't imagine that Zac would not be a prominent part of it. I can certainly say on my own behalf, I'd love to have him on board and headlining."

Efron, who has a stack of offers on the table, is also slated to do the comedy "Seventeen," for New Line, a kind of spin on "Big" or "Back to the Future," in which a 38-year-old becomes young again and attends his school -- with his own children. "Hairspray" director Adam Shankman, who's producing, developed it specifically for him, and Efron's salary, according to one studio source, is slightly less than $1 million.

He's also attached to the remake of "Footloose," which in its previous incarnation featured Kevin Bacon. Another project chasing him is "Bridge and Tunnel," written by Greg Berlanti and to be produced by Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal.

Making 'Hairspray' According to sources, Efron received only about $100,000 for his role as teen idol Link Larkin in "Hairspray," and director Shankman, now his biggest booster, didn't even know who Efron was when he auditioned last February.

"He came in flip-flops and Bobby Sherman hair. He smiled and did his audition. I smiled and said, 'Eh, forget it.' My sister [Jennifer Gibgot], who's my producing partner, called me and said, 'Are you out of your mind? He's going to be the biggest TV star.' She read me the numbers and said, 'I want you to go to the magazine rack. I saw him literally on the cover of every single young magazine.' She said, 'You get him back in here. You make him good, and you must put him in the movie.'

"I brought him back and worked with him," Shankman says. The director told Efron that his smile was "too sweet and soft" and said, "Stop smiling. Give me smoke in the eyes."

Producer Craig Zadan says that by casting Efron they were able to reshape the role of Link for the movie. "The role of Link is a narcissistic, conceited character on stage. It's a little cartoony. In the movie, by casting Zac, because Zac has so much warmth and soul, we were able to go in a different direction, give [the character] a conscience."

Shankman and Zadan and his producing partner, Neil Meron, credit Efron with bringing in much of the film's repeat business, the tween girls who have driven its box-office take to more than $104million in the U.S. Says Meron, "They're coming back nine times to see Zac and swoon. It's like Frank Sinatra."

"In a land of spectacular young male future-star flameouts, Zac's been a nice surprise for the business and moviegoers," adds producer J.C. Spink, who's made such films as "Monster-in-Law" and TV shows like the Disney hit "Kyle XY." "Since I got here in '97, celebrity culture has shifted tremendously -- people have gotten to be stars before they've had the chance to act, and the level of flameouts. . ." he says with a groan.

Indeed, in the last couple of years, Hollywood has embraced and then quickly upchucked out such talents as Orlando Bloom, Josh Hartnett, Paul Walker, let alone someone like Brandon Routh, who's career has not ignited even though "Superman" was a hit. Although Efron might currently grace the cover of Rolling Stone as America's heartthrob, Luke Perry once garnered the cover of Vanity Fair in a pic by Annie Liebowitz. That was before Perry's movie career sputtered out with "8 Seconds."

The road aheadAlthough there are plenty willing to get into the Zac Efron business, many others wonder whether the quality that draw the teeny-boppers -- the kind of androgynous, sex-free cute factor -- will be exactly what prevents Efron from broadening his fan base to include, most crucially, boys and men. Almost all great stars appeal to men and women.

"Whenever girls are so into someone, boys go in the opposite direction and hate that person," says one agent. "He's not helping himself because he looks like he's plucking his eyebrows and spending too much time on his haircut. It's not what guys want to see. If you put him in a movie, you're guaranteed every grade-school girl will want to see it, and you're guaranteed that you could not drag a boy to see him. He's going to be in that conundrum."

"They're purposely looking for a guy's movie for him," says another producer. "I think it's hard to be a guy and be a romantic comedy star or romantic lead only. The way you define success is box-office receipts, and actors who carry a gun end up with higher box office."

Others ask more bluntly: Does he have the acting chops to transcend teeny-bopper adulation? Leonardo DiCaprio's teen fan base helped drive "Titanic" to become the highest-grossing film of all time, but the young star had already earned an Academy Award nomination for "What's Eating Gilbert Grape." Johnny Depp had a patron in quirky director Tim Burton, who put him in movies like "Edward Scissorhands" that allowed him to establish his cool credentials.

Some are not sure that sticking to the genre -- the musical -- that made him will be good for Efron's long-term career prospects. "If I had my druthers, he would stop doing musicals for a little while," Shankman says. "I want him to continue to expand as an actor. It's too hard to connect with male audiences if he keeps doing musicals."

One agent is snarkier -- about Efron even returning to the screen version of "High School Musical." "That's about as smart as making 'From Justin to Kelly' after 'American Idol.' It won't hold up as a feature unless they get really lucky. He has 'Footloose,' which is a really stupid idea. It's playing into exactly what he's doing. He should go do something really different." Or alternately, cash out on his appeal while he's adored by the fickle adolescent audience. "Make hay while the sun shines. Do what you think your fans want you to do, over and over again, and once it's done, you can not have to work for the rest of your life. Of course, your career as an actor will be over."

Disney's Ross is less convinced that Efron needs to rough up his image with an indie film to expand his audience cred. "History has shown a path where you have to go to this dark place to be able to show that you're an adult actor. That's been the case for a lot of actors. Maybe that's the case for him, but Zac has created such a fan base that people will go many places with him." After all, Ross points out, one in 10 Americans saw "High School Musical 2" opening weekend.

The Disney chapterStill, even Disney, the patron saint of Efron's career, is rapidly making plans for a world without Zac. At last count, the original "High School Musical" had officially reached 200 million viewers worldwide, but that was the number trumpeted before it opened in China on Sept. 17. Disney is fast apace plotting local-language productions, with local stars, and has already been running a televised talent show in both Argentina and Mexico to cast the Latino versions of Troy and Sharpay. The new theatrical film reportedly will introduce new characters that can continue the singing and dancing after the original crew graduates. By boosting the ensemble quotient, Disney will be able to avoid a replay of Duff-gate, the implosion of the "Lizzie Maguire" franchise after a negotiating spat with star Hilary Duff.

But for Efron, the teenager from Arroyo Grande who just two years ago was being driven to auditions by his mother, the moment is now. He's popular, wholesome, untainted by the rampant scandal that torched the career of Disney's last sensation, Lindsay Lohan. Big-name directors are going to sniff a lot less dismissively when his name is broached.

This new touring stage adaptation of Disney's High School Musical is directed by Jeff Calhoun (Big River). The show features a book by David Simpatico (adapted from the original movie script by Peter Barsocchini), and a score including all the songs from the original soundtrack plus two new songs. The touring company includes a live orchestra and a cast of 34 professional performers.

Commenting on the announcement, Thomas Schumacher, President and Producer of Disney Theatrical Productions, said, "Our stage version of this great property has been mounted as a direct response to overwhelming demand. As someone who has been passionate about theatre since I was a kid, I am thrilled that we are touring this remarkably popular title as a fully realized stage production, and most certainly introducing countless young people to the world of theatre for the very first time. You can't ask for more than that." Schumacher adds, "It is a great joy and privilege for us to be able to produce and present the Disney Channel's enormously popular property on stage."

Rich Ross, president, Disney Channel Worldwide, said, "To have the great characters, movie and music from our Disney Channel Original Movie adapted for this professional theatre tour is an honor and we hope it will provide an opportunity to introduce kids to the arts."

Disney's High School Musical "is a contemporary musical comedy about a popular high school basketball star and a shy, academically gifted newcomer who discover they share a secret passion for singing. When they sign up together to audition for the lead roles in the school musical, it threatens East High's rigid social order and sends their peers into an uproar. In a desperate effort to maintain the status quo, the "jocks," the 'brainiacs' and even the drama club regulars are soon hatching convoluted plots to separate the pair and keep them offstage. By defying expectations and taking a chance on their dreams, however, the couple inspires other students to go public with some surprising hidden talents of their own," state press notes.

The creative team for this new touring stage production of High School Musical, in addition to aforementioned director Calhoun, are choreographer Lisa Stevens, scenic designer Kenneth Foy, costume designer Wade Laboissonniere, lighting designer Kenneth Billington, sound designer Duncan Robert Edwards and music supervisor Bryan Louiselle.

"High School Musical" premiered on Disney Channel U.S. on January 20, 2006 and posted the highest ratings for a Disney Channel Original Movie up until that time. It went on to become a smash hit internationally and, in 2006, aired on 26 Disney Channels and free-to-air broadcasters worldwide, reaching over 100 million viewers in over 100 countries. It was also the first TV movie to be offered on the iTunes Music Store.

"High School Musical" delivered the #1 album of 2006, the year's #1 TV movie on DVD, licensed amateur and professional touring stage productions, a best-selling junior novel, a popular consumer products franchise at mass retailers, a themed show at Disneyland Parks and Resorts in Anaheim, Orlando and soon, Paris, a sold-out 42 date arena concert tour in North America and soon, Latin America, starring most of the cast, and a touring ice show premiering in late 2007.

Adding to its success, it won the two Emmy Awards, a DGA Award, Television Critics Association Award, an Imagen Award, a Director's Guild of America Award and a Humanitas Prize nomination. Its soundtrack received a Billboard Music Award (Soundtrack of the Year) and was nominated for an American Music Award in the Favorite Album (Pop/Rock) category. Walt Disney Studios announced it will develop a feature film based on the movie for release in 2008.

The musical will play Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center for 16 performances only from December 12 to 23. It plays Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 pm; Saturday matinees at 2 pm; and Sundays at 1 pm and 6:30 pm. There is a special Thursday matinee on December 13 at 2 pm.