'The Lion King' is the new Broadway box-office champ surpassing 'The Phantom of the Opera'

(photo credit: broadwaytour.net)

As Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'The Phantom of the Opera' rules the Broadway long-run chart surpassing 10,000 performances earlier this year, the mega-musical hit has had to yield one of its longtime records to Disney's New York production of 'The Lion King.'

'Lion' has now grossed $853.8 million since its opening in 1997. 'Phantom' which opened in 1998 has grossed $853.1 million since opening in 1988. With Disney's marketing strength and title recognition, 'The Lion King' weekly gross is over one million while 'Phantom' (still profitable) last topped one million over the New Year's weekend and in 2011 only reached that benchmark seven times. The recent average ticket price at 'Lion' was $155.09 while the average for 'Phantom' was $98.97. Also 'Lion' which is currently housed at the Minskoff Theatre has 1,677 seats (it moved from the 1,801-seat New Amsterdam Theatre in 2006). The Majestic Theatre where 'Phantom' is playing its 25th year holds seats for 1,605. In the Broadway performance count, 'Lion' ranks sixth and is nearing 6000 performances.

Keep in the mind that the gross for both shows is astounding considering these numbers are only for the New York production and does not include the gross from any touring or international productions or even the sales of merchandise from each show's souvenir booth.

(photo: Peter James Zielinski/BroadwayWorld)

Abandoned Fake Disneyland in China

(photos: David Gray)

Several news outlets have published images by photographer David Gray of the abounded construction site of an amusement park called Wonderland in China. Despite the economic and construction boom in China, these photos are haunting and sign that some of the country's growth is poorly managed.

Gray discovered the late 1990s remains of the Wonderland amusement park last December. Starting in 1998 it was planned as the largest theme park in Asia by Reignwood Corp (a Thai-owned property developer), the site is now a ghost town surrounded by the reclaimed crop land of local farmers. Wonderland, located 20 miles outside of Beijing, was to be 120 acres.

Trouble begin in 2000 when the developer, local government and farmers could not agree on the value of the land. Attempts to restart the project in 2008 also failed. The developer eventually moved its concentration to a golf course and a chain of luxury hotels while Wonderland lay in waste.

Today those willing to access the abandoned site will find the skeletal remains of a palace, a castle and the steel beams of what was to be an indoor playground.

Click HERE to view David Gray's blog post on the Reuters news website.

Malaysia Airlines A380: Infant and Child Free Zone

Rendering of the Malaysia Airlines A380.

Malaysia Airlines has made a controversial announcement that the economy section on the upper deck of their forthcoming A380 super jumbo jet will be a kids-free zone. Last year the airline announced it will not accept infants in the plane's first class cabins.

The upper deck economy cabin hold 70 passengers. Also on the upper deck is business class and it is yet unclear if any infants or children will be allowed to fly in the part of the plan. If the same rules apply to business, then all infants will be only be allowed on the lower deck.  The airline's A380 is scheduled to make its debut on July 1st.

It's heated debate between parents who travel with their children and others who seek a respite on the plane away from any young ones. The airline already bans infants from the first class of their 747 jumbo jets.

Visit malaysiaairlines.com to learn about the Asian government-owned carrier. The airline is based in Kuala Lampur and flies in Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, Middle East and between Europe and Australasia. The airline also operates transatlantic flights to Los Angeles via Tokyo.

Harry Potter Studio Tour Opens Near London

Studio tour entrance

The massive miniature model of Hogwarts Castle.
(all photos by: Frantzesco Kangaris/The Guardian; except those marked by
asterisk by thisisfakediy.co.uk))

In contrast to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios's Orlando Island of Adventure, is the studio tour that opened this week outside of London where fans can get a behind-the-scenes tour of the Leavesden Studios in England where Warner Bros filmed the seven-book series. Five years after the last book by J.K. Rowling and one year after the last movie, the magic of Harry Potter lives on.

Thank goodness for digital cameras. Fans of the books and films like myself will be snap happy trying to capture the experience in photos.

Visitors to the attraction will experience a three-hour self-guided tour of the sets, props, costumes, models and special effects exhibits from each of the eight "Harry Potter" films. The main attraction is a 50-foot-long model of Hogwarts Castle used primarily to film aerial photography seen in the movies. The castle was created by 86 artists and crew who worked on the 1:24 scale model that features 2,500 lights, hinged doors, miniature birds and live plants. Visitors will be able to view the castle in a day-to-night cycle every four minutes.

Other sets in the tour include:

• The Great Hall where the tables have been aged with axes and chains and carved with graffiti by Hogwarts pupils.
• Dumbledore's Office geatures the Sword of Gryffindor, the Sorting Hat, the Pensieve memory basin and portraits of former Hogwarts headmasters.
• The Ministry of Magic which is the largest set created for any of the "Harry Potter" movies where visitors can walk past the "Magic is Might" statue.
• Diagon Alley where visitors will find Ollivander's wand shop, Flourish and Blotts, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, Gringotts Wizarding Bank and Eeylops Owl Emporium
• Gryffindor Common Room and Boys' Dormitory features the beds of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Neville Longbottom and Seamus Finnigan.
• Professor Umbridge's pink office filled with cat plates
• Hagrid's Hut and his flying motorcycle.
• Professor Snape's potions classroom.
• Hogwarts Bridge that was destroyed in the last movie.
• The Dursley's Prive Drive house which reveals Harry's cupboard under the stairs.
• The Weasley's kitchen with special effects props (self-washing frying pan, self-knitting needles, self-chopping knives).

Some of the props on display includes: the triple-decker Knight Bus; Harry's Nimbus 2000; 160 pairs of glasses and 70 wands Daniel Radcliffe used during the eight films; and creatures (Buckbeak the Hippogriff; Aragog the giant spider; Fawkes the phoenix, the giant Basilisk snake).

The studio is located 20 miles outside of London and tickets must be purchased in advance and cannot be pursed at the door. Visit wbstudiotour.co.uk for more information.

Yule Ball set
(photo credit: Warner Bros.)

*Triple-Decker Knight Bus.

The set of the Great Hall at Hogwarts.

*The entrance to the Great Hall.

The majestic Hogwarts gates.

Diagon Alley
 (photo credit: alexkorting)

*Harry's cupboard under the stairs.

*The clock tower pendulum.

*Magic Is Might statue on the Ministry of Magic set.

*Professor Umbridge's office set.

*Crystal props from the Yule Ball.

*Costumes used for the Yule Ball.

*Boys Dormitory on the Gryffindor set.

*The Great Hall

*The Gryffindor Common Room.

The set of Dumbledore's office.

Visitors ride a broomstick in front a green screen.

Masks of the house elves.

New ABBA Musical Not A Sequel to 'Mamma Mia!'

The long-awaited follow-up to the successful 'Mamma Mia!' stage musical utilizing the songs of ABBA will not be a sequel and will involve a new creative team including director Matthew Warchus. Titled "While The Music Still Goes On," producers announced that twenty-two ABBA songs will be featured and will include the group's hit songs, album cuts, B-sides and songs released as extras on compilations or special editions. The confirmed numbers include:

"I Am The City"
"Another Town, Another Train"
"Two For the Price of One"
"People Need Love"
"Angeleyes"
"Love Isn't Easy (But It Sure Ain't Hard Enough)"
"Hasta Mañana"
"I've Been Waiting For You"
"Lovelight"
"Summer Night City"
"Why Did It Have To Be Me"
"Cassandra"
"Fernando"
"Dream World"
"You Owe Me One"
"Intermezzo No. 1" (titled "Intermezzo" for the musical)
"Arrival" (new lyrics)
"From A Twinkling Star To A Passing Angel"
"My Love, My Life"
"Move On"
"Dance (While The Music Still Goes On)"
"The Way Old Friends Do"

In contrast to 'Mamma Mia!' the book of the new musical by American playwright Perry Lawrence ("Old Schoolyard") will not be a comedy but a bittersweet romance between two people who thought that true love for each of them was long lost. They find themselves neighbors when she moves into an apartment in the same brownstone where he resides. They learn they share a common fondness for the music of a '70s group called the Hep Singers (a reference to the Hep Stars and Hootenanny Singers to which Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, respectively, belonged early in their careers) upon which they build a friendship. Of course love finds a way into their lives. They share a secret that ultimately will test their love beyond this world. The action is set to take place in New York City.

One of the supporting characters, a female neighbor of the couple, will be an immigrant from Mexico.  Four other characters will include friends and co-workers of the couple. The male lead, named Andrew, is a travel writer and the female lead, named Cassandra, a nurse.

None of the songs used for the 'Mamma Mia!' stage production and movie will be included. Producers announced they want this production utilizing some of ABBA's most profound and dramatic songs to be considered an absolute separate entity. Like 'Mamma Mia', the words to the songs will remain largely unchanged to retain the integrity of Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson's lyrics.

From the press release: "Arrival" is an instrumental number from the ABBA album of the same name. Bjorn has penned lyrics for "Arrival" specifically for this musical. Portions of "Arrival" will also be used as an overture. It should be noted that Sarah Brightman recorded a version of "Arrival" with different lyrics on her "Winter Symphony" album also penned by Bjorn and was initially planned for use in "Mamma Mia!". The creative team is proud of the new version that will be a part of "While The Music Still Goes On."

Where 'Mamma Mia!' had a female lead character, this show will be from the male lead character's perspective. Casting will be announced in the coming months. Alexander Hanson (Broadway revival "A Little Night Music" and London Revival "The Sound of Music") is rumored to be linked to the production.

Tentative plans are for an out-of-town tryout in Manchester before arriving in the West End. Producers suggested that they had hoped for a U.S. West Coast premiere before heading to Broadway and then to London. But due to the current economics of Broadway, they felt the best way to nurture the production was to start in the U.K. Visit musicstillgoeson.com for news and updates for the upcoming musical.

(Important Note: If you've read this post so far, you probably know by now all of this is wishful thinking for some April first fun. None of this information is real and none of the persons mentioned is associated with a new musical based on the songs of ABBA. However I really believe there is another musical waiting in the numerous ABBA songs that were not included in 'Mamma Mia!'. Many of their other hit songs and album cuts have the weight to be part of a dramatic story in lieu of a comedy. I've been a longtime fan of the music of ABBA that every one of their CDs is downloaded to my iPhone and iPad. This post, though all in fun, is a hint of what may be possible.)

The Ten Most Bizarre Vending Machines

Travel to enough countries and you'll learn the world of differences that makes each place unique. This goes for what can be sold and dispensed from vending machines. Smarter Travel has compiled a list of some of the craziest vending machines.

(photo credit: KrisCrockett/flickr)

Live Crabs (China)

These machines are located in subways in China and they dispense live crabs.
Click HERE to watch of video of the machine.

(photo credit: manyone/flickr)

Gold To Go (Dubai)

The machine itself doesn't only dispense gold but is coated with a layer of gold itself. The price of the gold is updated every ten minutes to keep the price current. (gold-to-go.com)

(photo credit: josfiets/flickr)

Bikes (Netherlands)

What's called the "Bikedispenser" is an actual machine that pops out a bike when you've inserted money. (bikeoff.org)

(photo credit: TheJapanChannelD.com)

Sushi (Japan)

Though one has to wonder if one can trust the quality, it's still healthier than chips and candy.

(photo credit: Daily Mail)

Dog-O-Matic (France)

No this machine does not sell dogs. It's an automatic dog washer. Open the door, insert dog and pay based on the dog's size.

Click HERE to watch the Dog-O-Matic do its thing.

(photo credit: ChicagoTribune.com)

Canna Med Box (California)

A marijuana vending machine. 'Nuff said. (cannamedbox.com)

(photo credit: theswellelife.com)

Cupcakes (Beverly Hills)

Restocked daily by Beverly Hills bakery Sprinkles, customers pop in $4 for a sweet treat 24/7.

Click HERE to view a YouTube video of the machine.

(photo credit: greggman.com)

Fingernail-Painting (Japan)

Stick your finger in and get a design painted on.

(photo credit: AutomaticApparel.com)

Automatic Apparel (Boston)

Need an entire new outfit (from shoes to underwear)? This machine can help you out. (automaticapparel.com)

(photo credit: popaitaly/flickr)

Let's Pizza (Italy)

No need for delivery. A fresh pizza is made in two-and-a-half minutes. (UK site: letspizza.co.uk)

Click HERE to watch the machine at work.

Those ProActive acne medication vending machines don't sound so weird now.
Visit smartertravel.com to view the full article.

Cruising Attitude: Tales of Crashpads, Crew Drama and Crazy Passengers at 35,000 Feet by Heather Poole

Author Heather Poole offers an insightful look at the career of a flight attendant and many any who will pick up this book will learn something new about the world of flying the friendly skies. Poole offers many amusing experiences starting from chapter one where she wonders who will be the "crazy" passenger on the flight. In her words, there is always one and the one she describes is quite a doozy.

As she describes flight attendant training, she gives up how strict rules had to be followed and how classmates would start disappearing once these rules were not observed. But it's what happens after graduation that is the most surprising: the life of a flight attendant is nowhere as glamourous as many of us would think. She describes how on many flights the food on board was only for passengers and crew would hope that there would be extra trays of food for them. She minces no words about the very low starting wages and how it was nearly impossible for them to enjoy a good meal and their free time without worrying about money.

One amusing observation she makes is about the difference between first class and business class. She mentions flight attendants like working first class because most of these passengers just sleep during the flight. She adds that business class has the most demanding passengers. This is exemplified by a story about how a flight attendant offers spoons to business class passengers which each one takes only for the same flight attendant to just collect the spoons afterwards without offering anything else or any use for the spoon.

Poole doesn't mention the airline for which she worked for during most of her career (I've come to learn it's likely American Airlines) but it's probably best she didn't so we can identity her as possibly the flight attendant we may have met once. Reading the book I'm recalling the many flight attendants who have worked the planes I've flown over the many years. I can only appreciate the smiling face they offer knowing now what kinds of things can happen behind the scenes.

The book does get bogged down in the later chapters when she talks about working with her mother who also became a flight attendant. But for the most part the book is a fun read. Pick it up and see if you don't start saying thank you more often to a flight crew.

"Cruising Attitude" by Heather Poole is available in softcover. Click the adds below to purchase a copy or Kindle version from Amazon. Click HERE to purchase eBook from iTunes.

World's Longest Flights Ranked by Hours

It's 9,500 miles between Los Angeles (left) and Singapore (right).
See below for the number of hours it takes to fly this route.
(photo credit: John Sullivan/Wikimedia Commons/and the Singapore
Toursim Board for U.S. News)

My achilles heel when I travel is it's at least 2,500 miles to the nearest continent from Honolulu, Hawaii. At its shortest the flight to the west coast of the United States is about five hours. That duration is considered a mere fraction of the time to fly some of the longest flights in the world ranked by hours. Now it would be amazing if anyone on these flights doesn't at least get up once to go to the restroom unless they're unconscious for the entire duration or seeking deep vein thrombosis as a goal.

Probably the best thing about these very long-haul flights is there's no layover and it helps to earn elite level on each airline that much easier.

The ranking is determined by U.S. News & World Report. Notice that the miles between destinations does not necessarily determine the longest flights.

16 Hours
New York to Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific (8,059 miles)
Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas to Brisbane, Australia on Qantas (8,584 miles)
Johannesburg, South Africa to New York on South African Airways (7,970 miles)
Newark, New Jersey to Hong Kong on United Airlines (8,065 miles)

16 Hours 15 Minutes
Atlanta, Georgia to Johannesburg, South Africa on Delta Airlines (8,433 miles)
Doha, Qatar to Houston, Texas on Qatar Airways (8,047 miles)

16 Hours 20 Minutes
Dubai, United Arab Emirates to Houston, Texas on Emirates Airlines (8,164 miles)

16 Hours 30 Minutes
Dubai, United Arab Emirates to Los Angeles, California on Emirates Airlines (8,335 miles)

17 Hours 30 Minutes
Los Angeles, California to Bangkok, Thailand on Thai Airways (8,260 miles)

18 Hours
Newark, New Jersey to Singapore on Singapore Airlines (10,371 miles)

18 Hours 30 Minutes
Los Angeles, California to Singapore on Singapore Airlines (9,500 miles)

It should be noted that Singapore Airlines operates a business-class only airplane for 100 passengers on this Los Angeles to Singapore route. The reason this flight is shorter than the Newark to Singapore flight is the route taken by the airline's jets. The Newark flight path across the North Pole subjects the aircraft to less wind resistance, allowing it travel faster than the flight from Los Angeles, which crosses the Pacific Ocean.

Click HERE to read the full article from U.S. News & World Report and learn more about these flights.