Theatrical Release Date: June 27, 2008
Running time: 5 minutes 14 seconds

Cast
Presto DiGiotagione (The Magician) & Alec Azam (The Rabbit)

Credits
Music by: Scot Stafford
Story By: Ted Mathot, Valerie LaPointe & Justin Wright
Executive Produced By: John Lasseter & Andrew Stanton
Produced By: Galyn Susman
Written By: Doug Sweetland
Directed by: Doug Sweetland

Tidbits

• First-time director Doug Sweetland has worked on every Pixar feature up to Ratatouille (including Animation Supervisor on Cars), as well as the Boundin’ short.
• Sweetland was inspired by Tom and Jerry, the classic Warner Bros. Looney Tunes shorts, specifically the battles between Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam/Elmer Fudd and Charlie Chaplin.
• The original version of the story was radically different. Here’s what Sweetland had to say about that. “I originally came up with a scenario about a magician whose rabbit dumps him, so we feel sorry for the magician. Then an autograph-hound bunny knocks on the stage door, and he incorporates this bunny off the street and into his act. Kind of like A Star Is Born. But the bunny gets stage fright, all sorts of complications arise . . .”The main issue was it was too long and complicated. If Pixar could’ve made an 8-minute cartoon, it might’ve worked! But we needed an instantly relatable set-up, to establish each character as quickly as possible, get that antagonism, and get them onstage ASAP.”
• The theater was modeled after such places as the London Opera House, Paris Opera House and classic vaudeville theaters such as the Geary in San Francisco (which they actually toured).
• Presto was nominated for an Academy Award in the Animated Short category.
• The Disney store was selling an Alec Plush. Here’s a pic:

• A Little Golden book was also released as a tie-in with artwork by Teddy Newton.

• Here’s the theatrical poster: