On The List - The Abbey Road zebra crossing in north London - made famous after appearing on a Beatles album cover - has been given Grade II listed status. The crossing - the first of its kind to be listed - is being recognised for its "cultural and historical importance" following advice from English Heritage. The Beatles were photographed on Abbey Road in Ian Macmillan's iconic cover shot for the 1969 album Abbey Road. Sir Paul McCartney said it was the "icing on the cake" in a great year.
King of the Jungle - On 2 January, the New York production of Disney musical The Lion King played its 5,462th performance, making it the seventh longest-running show in Broadway history. Directed by Julie Taymor (currently working on Spider-Man) the show also reached a second milestone on that date as it passed the performance total of Beauty and the Beast, (also a Disney production), making Lion King the longest-running Disney show to appear on Broadway.
"It's enormously gratifying to the whole creative team to see our show move up this rarefied list," said Thomas Schumacher, producer and president of Disney Theatrical Productions. "The Lion King's continued success is a testament first to Julie Taymor's original vision, which continues to astonish, and to the men and women onstage and off who create the magic each night. Thanks to them, performance 5,462 is as powerful as opening night."
Web Update - A cast member injured in a fall during a performance of the troubled Spider-Man Broadway musical is no longer in intensive care, his father has said. Tim Tierney said his son Christopher was able to walk with a brace and has now been discharged from hospital to a New York rehabilitation facility. The actor suffered a skull fracture and cracked vertebrae when he fell 30ft during a show on 20 December.
(Jim Evans)
