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August 3

August 3, 2004 – The Soundtrack for The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement is Released Through Walt Disney Records

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“I’ll spread my wings and learn how to fly, I’ll do what it takes til I touch the sky.”

On August 3, 2004, the soundtrack for the live-action feature film The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement was released through Walt Disney Records. Released eight days before the film, the soundtrack featured a song by Julie Andrews; this is the actress’s first song performance since her vocal surgery in 1997. The soundtrack also features performances by popular artists Kelly Clarkson, P!nk, and Avril Lavigne, as well as Disney artists Raven-Symoné and Christy Carlson Romano. The album peaked at number 15 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, as well as topping the U.S. Top Soundtracks chart; the album would go on to be certified Gold by the RIAA.

July 24

July 24, 2001 – The Soundtrack for the Film The Princess Diaries is Released

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“Miracles happen once in a while, when you believe.”

On July 24, 2001, the soundtrack to the live action feature film The Princess Diaries was released. The album featured a mix of songs featured in the film and those inspired by the film. The artists varied from popular boyband Backstreet Boys to film actress Mandy Moore. The album reached the peak position of 41 on the Billboard 200 chart, as well as the number 5 position on the US Top Soundtracks chart. On September 21, 2004, the album was certified Gold by the RIAA.

July 19

July 19, 2013 – The Disney Channel Original Movie Teen Beach Movie Premieres

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“Come on. They sing for no reason, they come out of the water and their hair is totally dry, the girls never surf as well as the boys, and they sing for no reason. I had to mention that one again cause even a second time, I don’t get why.”

On July 19, 2013, the Disney Channel Original Movie Teen Beach Movie premiered. It was the only DCOM to premiere in 2013, and became the second highest rated film with 8.4 million viewers on its first airing. The movie was dedicated to Annette Funicello, the original beach movie star who had passed away on April 8, 2013. The film was directed by Jeffrey Hornaday, with story by Vince Marcello and Mark Landry. The film starred Ross Lynch as Brady, Maia Mitchell as Mack, Grace Phipps as Lela, Garrett Clayton as Tanner, Kevin Chamberlin as Dr. Fusion, Steve Valentine as Les Camembert, and Barry Bostwick as Mack’s Grandfather.

The movie centers around teenagers Brady and Mack, a couple who have spent all day surfing. Mack tries to tell Brady something important, but gets distracted by the news of forty-foot waves the next day. In Mack’s grandfather’s house, there is another distraction in the form of Brady’s favorite film: Wet Side Story. Mack’s Aunt Antoinette shows up, revealing Mack’s news in front of Brady: Mack is leaving the next day. Brady is upset, as Mack will be heading to an exclusive private school back East. Mack asks for one more day to surf the big waves, but Aunt Antoinette won’t have it. Brady and Mack argue, but Mack says it’s her choice and she didn’t know how to tell Brady; Mack had made a deal with her Aunt to go to private school after her mother died. Mack wants to fulfill her mother’s dream of going to college, and breaks up with Brady.

Brady  heads out to save Mack from a huge storm that is brewing

Brady heads out to save Mack from a huge storm that is brewing

The next day, as Mack packs to head East, she finds her grandfather’s legendary surfboard and decides to hit up the forty-foot waves. Brady finds her and watches her as she heads out to surf, trying to find the perfect wave. Mack’s grandfather finds Brady and warns him that the sky doesn’t look good, and although it is deemed dangerous to surf, Mack continues to stay in the water. Brady heads out to bring Mack back in, but the two get caught in the large wave. The two manage to reach the surface, and are shocked to find themselves in what seems to be the set for Wet Side Story. Brady embraces it immediately, while Mack thinks they’ve died. The two stick out, and the surfers don’t take well to outsiders. The bikers then enter the bar where the bikers and surfers hang, and find themselves in the middle of a surf and turf war. Brady explains what’s going on to Mack, who is still nonplussed by the situation. Brady then continues to insert himself into the musical numbers while Mack watches, impressed.

Mack is once again thrown by the fact that they are stuck in the 1960s as she needs to get on a plane to the East, and Brady thinks that there needs to be storm to get them home. Mack and Brady end up at the shindig at Big Momma’s, the surfer and biker joint, when the bikers crash the party. Mack is frustrated at Brady’s attitude at the party, and the pair finds themselves dancing. Unfortunately, Mack and Brady end up changing the film, where the two leads, Lela and Tanner, end up falling for Brady and Mack instead of each other. The movie is then thrown off course, and Mack and Brady realize that they’ve changed everything. The two head to the secret hideout of the movie’s villain, Les Camembert, who has created a large weather altering machine. If Mack and Brady don’t fix the film, then the two won’t be able to get home. Brady and Mack come up with a plan to get Tanner and Lela fall for each other instead of them.

Mack infiltrates the biker girls' sleepover to get closer to Lela and fix the relationship mess

Mack infiltrates the biker girls’ sleepover to get closer to Lela and fix the relationship mess

Mack ends up at the biker girls’ sleepover, and she questions why the girls let boys decide everything for them. Meanwhile, Brady hangs out with the surfer guys at Big Momma’s, and finds that Tanner doesn’t care if a girl is a surfer or a biker, so long as she has something special. Mack ends up with a biker chick makeover, much to Brady’s amusement. Mack worries that they will remain stuck in the film, but Brady wants to stay because the two of them can stay together. Mack and Brady try to get Lela and Tanner to end up alone so they can get to know each other as people. Mack develops a friendship with Lela, who opens up to Mack with a big secret: she wants to surf. She convinces Lela to start surfing, and offers to have Brady teach her. Meanwhile, Les Camembert is testing his weather altering machine with his assistant, Dr. Fusion, which causes Mack and Brady to panic, as the storm is approaching. The situation is even worse when the two realize they are becoming part of the film, and burst into an involuntary musical number.

As Mack and Brady work on a plan, they are attacked by Les Camembert; meanwhile, Lela and Tanner meet by chance and start falling for each other, realizing that they’re meant to be before realizing that Mack and Brady must be in trouble. Mack and Brady are held captive in the lighthouse, and Lela and Tanner ask for everyone’s help in Big Momma’s, begging for everyone to work together to stop Les Camembert’s plans. Once the surfers and bikers see how much in love Lela and Tanner are, they have no choice but to work together. In the lighthouse, Mack finally admits that she doesn’t want to leave Brady and head to private school. The bikers and surfers show up just in time to save the day, and cause the machine to blow, creating the massive storm needed to get Mack and Brady back home. Lela and Tanner ask them to stay, and Lela gives Mack a special friendship necklace. Finally, Brady and Mack are able to take the giant wave back home, having saved the film. Mack then gets a chance to ride the forty-foot swell, and nails it. In the end, Mack tells her aunt that she doesn’t want to go, and want to stay with Brady and her grandfather, and make her own decisions. The movie ends with a big musical number on the beach.

May 16

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May 16, 2008 – The Reality Series Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream Premieres on Disney Channel

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“The Jonas Brothers are about to hit the road for a sold-out tour, but before we take off, we have a monster to-do list.”

On May 16, 2008, the reality television series Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream premiered on the Disney Channel. The series took a behind-the-scenes look of the popular band The Jonas Brothers, and how they cope with being famous. The episodes were four to six minute vignettes about the boys’ lives. The show had two seasons, with a total of 27 episodes released.

The first episode, “To-Do List,” focuses on brother Nick, who notes that the band has quite a bit to do before they can head out on tour. The first task is a photo shoot for their new Disney Channel Original Movie Camp Rock alongside Demi Lovato. Afterwards, they have to meet their stylist for the tour, with Nick admitting that he’s nervous, but excited about their first headlining show. This is followed by shopping for a new pair of sneakers. They only have two hours to pack before heading out on tour, and quickly rush to get everything together. Unfortunately, right before they go, they have to help their parents move things around the house. Nick notes that they’re just like regular kids in terms of having to listen to their parents and do their chores. Right before they go, Nick has to watch his little brother, as he seems to have problems packing. Finally, they get ready to go on tour, and set off in their plane.

May 11

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May 11, 2010 – The Gipsy Kings Perform “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” on Dancing With the Stars

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“Hay un amigo en mi!”

On May 11, 2010, as part of the promotions for the new Pixar film Toy Story 3, the band Gipsy Kings sang the “Spanish Buzz” version of the song “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” on the hit ABC reality competition Dancing with the Stars. Choreographers Cheryl Burke and Tony Dovolani traveled to Pixar Studios to dance for the animators, which was eventually used in the film for Jessie and Buzz’s paso doble. They, along with Kym Johnson and Dmitry Chaplin, performed the dance alongside the Gipsy King performance.

May 3

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May 3, 2005 – The Box Set A Musical History of Disneyland is Released

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“To all who come to this happy place, welcome. Disneyland is your land.”

On May 3, 2005, a limited edition version of the CD box set A Musical History of Disneyland was released in the Disneyland Park. Released to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the park’s opening, the six-cd set features music from past and present attractions from each land in the park, as well as special seasonal attractions and two tracks especially for the anniversary celebrations. The set also comes with a hardcover book called The Sounds of Disneyland, which provides historical information about the popular attractions of the park, and a vinyl version of the album Walt Disney Takes You to Disneyland. A general retail release of this six-disc set was released in September, 2005.

April 25

April 25, 2009 – The Documentary The Boys: The Sherman Brothers’ Story Premieres at the San Francisco International Film Festival

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“So many people know their songs, but not many people really know the boys.” – Julie Andrews

On April 25, 2009, the documentary The Boys: The Sherman Brothers’ Story premiered at the 52nd San Francisco International Film Festival. The film was then given a limited release in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and Palm Springs, with a release on DVD in 2010. It has received positive reviews from critics, who were surprised at the backstory behind the high-achieving duo. The film was directed by Jeffrey C. Sherman and Gregory V. Sherman.

The documentary chronicles the often tumultuous relationship between the famous songwriting siblings, and begins in present day, where Richard is at the piano, while Robert is painting. Several people are interviewed about the impact the Sherman Brothers had on the films they worked on, with some acknowledging that people don’t know about the men behind the songs. Unfortunately, the two grew apart, and their sons Gregg (Richard’s son) and Jeff (Robert’s son) never saw each other until 2002 at the premiere of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in the West End, where they reconnected after forty years. There was a lot of animosity between Richard and Robert, with Gregg and Jeff trying to understand why. They head back to the past, starting with their relationship as kids, creating a group called Alley Productions, where they put on performances for the local kids. The two were very close to their father, who was a Tin Pan Alley songwriter. Robert wanted to be a novelist, while Richard was a bit of a troublemaker who ended up in military school. When WWII broke out, Robert enlisted in the Army and went to Europe. When they both went to college, Richard finally decided that his calling was to be a composer. The relationship between the two was more distant while in college, as their life experiences were vastly different.

After college, the two lived together and worked on their respective talents: Richard writing a grand symphony, and Robert working on the great American novel. Their father challenged them to work together to write a song, and they wrote “Gold Can Buy Anything (But Love),” which was later recorded by Gene Autry. Although it wasn’t a smash hit, it gave them a taste of writing. The story then touches on the boys’ respective marriages: Robert to Joyce Ruth Sasner, and Richard to Elizabeth Gluck. The two continued to write music, separately, but they finally got together to write the song “Tall Paul,” which would be recorded by Annette Funicello and become a great hit for the star. The song became a huge hit, and the two started working together from then on. After writing several songs for Annette, Disney asked them to write a song for a film, and had to play it for Walt. The two were soon hired to write the song “Let’s Get Together” for The Parent Trap, and then were asked to work on Mary Poppins, giving them a full-time position at the Disney Studios. The documentary explores the work they did with the studio and for Walt, and how their relationship was splintering. After Walt passed away, the two continued working on special projects in and out of the studio, including Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Aristocats, and for Peanuts animated specials. They didn’t stay at the studio for very long after completing work on The Aristocats and Bedknobs and Broomsticks, as the studio never felt the same after Walt’s passing. The two grew further and further apart, with their families not interacting. After a while, the partnership just grew apart, but would continue to write for special projects, including for The Tigger Movie. After his wife passed, Robert decided to move to London, which Richard remained in California. The two finally reunite at the premiere of Mary Poppins on Broadway, with Gregg and Jeff hoping the documentary will also help reconcile the two.

 

April 23

April 23, 1954 – The Special Cartoon Two for the Record Premieres in Theaters

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“Hop in the old jalop and head for the malted shop and all the cats join in.”

On April 23, 1954, the special cartoon Two for the Record premiered in theaters. The special consisted of two segments from the 1946 package film Make Mine Music: “After You’ve Gone” and “All the Cats Join In.” Both segments heavily feature the work of Benny Goodman, bandleader and jazz musician: “After You’ve Gone” features the music of the Goodman Quartet, set to a scene of dancing instruments, while “All the Cats Join In” features Benny Goodman and his orchestra accompanying a living sketch of a dance party taking place at a nearby malt shop. Although this is one of many specials featuring the segments from Make Mine Music, the film has not been theatrically reissued in its entirety.

April 13

April 13, 1965 – The Score of Mary Poppins Wins a Grammy

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“Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!”

On April 13, 1965, the 7th Annual Grammy Awards were held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. The smash hit film Mary Poppins walked away with two Grammy Awards: one for Best Recording for Children, and one for Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Show, awarded to the Sherman Brothers.

March 25

March 25, 1947 – Singer, Songwriter, and Disney Legend Sir Elton John is Born

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“I sat there with a line of lyrics that began, ‘When I was a young warthog,’ and I thought, ‘Has it come to this?’”

On March 25, 1947, Sir Elton John (born as Reginald Kenneth Dwight) was born in Pinner, Middlesex, England. As a young boy, John showed great promise for music, being able to play the piano starting at the age of three. After taking formal lessons at the age of seven, he was awarded a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music at the age of 11. A keen composer, John met lyricist Bernie Taupin in 1967, and the two collaborated on several hit songs for other artists. John’s first album Empty Sky was released in 1969, but it was the second album Elton John in 1970 that established John as an artist with the top ten hit single “Your Song.” Between the years 1970 and 1982, Elton had 30 hits under his belt from 15 albums. In the early 1990s, John was asked to work with lyricist Tim Rice (known for his work with Andrew Lloyd Weber) for a new Disney animated feature, The Lion King. The film was a smashing success, with John and Rice earning three Academy Award nominations for “Circle of Life,” “Hakuna Matata,” and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” with the latter winning the award. In 1997, the film was then translated to the Broadway stage, with most of the songs intact. John and Rice collaborated again for Disney with the creation of the 2000 Broadway Musical Aida, which would go on to win three Tony Awards, including Best Original Musical Score. John has continued to stay busy in many areas, including theater, charity, and of course, music. He was knighted in 1998 to become Sir Elton John, CBE, for his humanitarian efforts in fighting against AIDS, and was further honored in 2004 with a Kennedy Center Honor. He was honored as a Disney Legend in 2006.