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The Walt Disney Co., reopened its theme parks in the U.S. on Wednesday, one day after a terrorist attack on the World Trade Center towers in New York, Reuters reports. The last time Disneyland was closed was in November 1963 following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The theme parks have apparently heightened security to safeguard guests.
The Toronto International Film Festival on Wednesday canceled all of its social events, including its closing party. Many stars were prevented from attending the festival, including Mick Jagger, who was to promote two of his films, The Man from Elysian Fields and Enigma. The legendary rocker was set to arrive at the festival on Tuesday from London via New York.
New York’s much anticipated Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, which takes place twice a year at midtown’s Bryant Park, has been tentatively rescheduled for Oct. 22-24. According to Reuters, one show was held on Tuesday before the tragic events unfolded, but all remaining shows were canceled. The firm that has organized the event since 1993, 7th on Sixth, has offered use of the Bryant Park tent for emergency services.
In General
Laura San Giacomo, who stars in the NBC comedy Just Shoot Me, is talking publicly for the first time about her son’s struggle with cerebral palsy. In the October issue of Rosie magazine, San Giacomo said that while she wanted to protect herself and her son, she did not want people feeling sorry for them.
Robert Pisano, a former MGM executive, has been named the new director for the Screen Actors Guild, The Associated Press reports. Pisano was hired Monday and was appointed chief executive officer and national executive officer.
Rapper Timbaland has announced plans to release a duet with Aaliyah and Beck on his upcoming album Indecent Proposal, Sonicnet.com reports. “I’m Music” will appear as a single on Timbaland and Magoo’s second album due out Nov. 20. Though Aailyah’s label Background Records confirmed the song will appear on the album, they said they had no knowledge of the song being released as a single.
While Metallica postponed recording sessions for their new album following guitarist James Hetfield’s treatment for substance abuse, they are still apparently keeping busy. According to Sonicnet.com, guitarist Kirk Hammet and drummer Lars Ulrich invited rapper Ja Rule into the studio to record a rap for a new track. DreamWork Records would not provide any details on the compilation, but did say the album would likely hit shelves in early 2002.
After a commanding performance at the MTV Video Music Awards last week, sales of Alicia Keys’ album Songs in A Minor rose to the No. 1 spot after 11 weeks in the rankings, Variety reports. The album has sold more than 2.1 million copies to date. Several other star saw their albums climb back up the charts following their VMA performances, including Break the Cycle from Staind, Hybrid Theory from Linkin Park and J.Lo from Jennifer Lopez.
Country singer Kenny Chasney had been scheduled to shoot a video for his single “The Tin Man” on Tuesday in New York, just blocks from the World Trade Center towers. The video shoot was canceled after executives at BNA records decided the song was doing well and didn’t need further promoting. Chesney told The Tennessean Wednesday he feels terrible for all the families affected by this, but was glad he wasn’t there.
Bob Dylan‘s childhood home sold on eBay for $82,000. The house where Dylan lived the first six years of his life sold after a 15-week bidding war on the Internet. According to AP, the former owner Kathy Burns bought the house, which is located in Duluth, Minn., in 1996 for $62,000.
Concert promoter Clear Channel Entertainment, which canceled or postponed most events at its 120-venue network, said shows would resume on a case-by-case basis, Variety reports. Some shows reported canceled include Maxwell’s Washington concert and shows by Janet Jackson, Stevie Nicks, 98 Degrees, P.O.D. and Blues Traveler. The Backstreet Boys’ Toronto concert as well as Weezer’s Oakland show will continue as scheduled.
Pierre Hugo, the great-great-grandson of author Victor Hugo, has lost a bid in Paris courts to ban a contemporary sequel to the 1862 novel Les Miserables, Reuters reports. Francois Ceresa’s Cosette or the Time of Illusions takes the villain Javert and turns him into a hero. Hugo alleged that that Ceresa’s novel broke a French law that protects the integrity of works of art. A Paris civil court ruled that Hugo could not pursue the case on behalf of his great-great-grandfather and instead noted that Victor Hugo had insisted his classic should go on into the public domain upon his death. Hugo’s descendants also contested Disney’s version of Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame in 1997.
