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Mattel, Inc. has announced that Barbie®, the world's most popular fashion doll, will make her stage debut in "Barbie™ Live in Fairytopia!," a live theatrical stage show for girls and their families. In partnership with Clear Channel Entertainment Productions, Mattel will bring the magical world of Fairytopia™ to life in approximately 80 cities across North America beginning in Spring 2006.

Mattel's venture into live theatrical entertainment follows the successful release of five Barbie™ movies that represent a combined 24 million units sold worldwide and more than 25 weeks of No. 1 status on the Nielsen Video Scan Charts (posted by Billboard.com). The March 2005 release of "Barbie™ Fairytopia™" is the Barbie™ Entertainment brand's most recent direct-to-video success, introducing girls and moms to a new fantasy world of adventure filled with playful pixies and fantastical fairies. The "Barbie™ Live in Fairytopia™!" tour will similarly feature a captivating storyline, original songs and an elaborate stage production with glittery "flying" fairies to delight and enchant audiences of all ages.

"This exciting move into live entertainment is part of our long-term brand franchise plan for Barbie®, and it allows girls to experience Barbie® in even more ways that are relevant to them," said Matt Bousquette, President of Mattel Brands. The 'Barbie™ Live in Fairytopia™!' tour builds on the success of the Barbie™ Entertainment franchise, which includes five chart-topping films, a smash hit CD and now live entertainment."

"We are proud to extend our expertise as a leader in family programming to this new and exciting partnership with Mattel," says Scott Zeiger, Chairman/CEO of Clear Channel Entertainment Productions. "Mattel has been able to consistently delight consumers with bold new entertainment offerings, and we are pleased to partner with them to present this highly anticipated tour."

With a core audience of girls three to eight years old, "Barbie™ Live in Fairytopia™!" will be presented at theaters in major markets across North America, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Dallas. In addition, exclusive show merchandise will be available for purchase at show venues. Performance schedule and ticket information will be available on Barbie.com in the coming months.

For more details visit the Mattel.com web site.

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