Disney Theatrical Productions
Disney Theatrical Productions Limited, also known as Disney on Broadway, is the stageplay and musical production company of the Disney Theatrical Group, a subsidiary of Disney Entertainment, a major division and business unit of The Walt Disney Company.
Founded in 1993 by longtime Disney Entertainment veteran Ron Logan as Walt Disney Theatrical, the division has gained a reputation within the industry for creating several professional and popular performances, starting with Beauty and the Beast on April 18, 1994. Its 1994 investment in taking over the New Amsterdam Theatre spurred a revitalization of Broadway theatre. The company is a division of Disney Theatrical Group, led by Anne Quart, Executive Producer and Andrew Flatt, Managing Director.
History
Walt Disney Theatrical Production, Ltd. was formed on, with Ron Logan, Disney Park's live production head, as president to produce Beauty and the Beast. Beauty and the Beast opened on Broadway at the Palace Theatre on. Disney Theatrical signed a 49-year revenue based lease for New Amsterdam Theatre in. The building was renovated by Disney Development Company. With The Lion King under consideration for the next Broadway adaption, Eisner ceded DTP to theatre-rooted Disney Animation president Peter Schneider and Thomas Schumacher, at their request, making them president and executive vice president of DTP respectively. In 1997, DTP re-opened the New Amsterdam Theatre with King David followed by The Lion King musical.Peter Schneider was promoted to Disney Studios president in January 1999, while Thomas Schumacher was promoted to president of Walt Disney Feature Animation and Walt Disney Theatrical Productions, while both are made co-presidents of Disney Theatrical. On, the corporate name was changed to Buena Vista Theatrical Group Limited, with Disney Theatrical Productions becoming a division of the group with the formation of Hyperion Theatricals in.
Schneider left Disney Theatrical in June 2001 to form his own theater production company partly funded by Disney. His first project was developing and directing the stage version of Sister Act with Michael Reno. The musical had its official world premiere on November 3, 2006, at the Pasadena Playhouse, with DTP as an associated presenter during its Broadway run.
In 2013, Disney Theatrical revealed that a show based on The Muppets was in exploratory development and that a 15-minute show had been conducted by Thomas Schumacher to evaluate the technical components. Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn in November 2013 created a deal for Disney Theatrical Productions to develop a The Princess Bride stage adaptation, possibly either a musical or play.
Freaky Friday musical was developed by Disney Theatrical Productions from the book and Disney films for theatres to license. The musical premiered in October 2016 at Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia followed by three other theatre productions. Coinciding with the August 10, 2018 release of the Disney Theatrical Productions Disney Channel Original Movie adaptation, a one-act version of the stage musical was made available for licensing.
Disney Theatrical Productions' Newsies debuted in Australian and New Zealand cinemas on February 19, 2017.
On September 28, 2023, Schumacher announced to the staff of Disney Theatrical Productions that he was taking a new role within the subsidiary as Chief Creative Officer. The day-to-day management over producing and development has shifted to former Senior Vice President, Anne Quart, who now holds the title of Executive Vice President and Executive Producer. The business operations of the subsidiary now rests with Andrew Flatt, who was also formerly a Senior Vice President. Flatt's new title is Executive Vice President and managing director.
In September 2025, Schumacher departed Disney Theatrical Productions after more than three decades with the company. Following his exit, Quart and Flatt were formally appointed to lead the organization as Executive Producer and Managing Director, respectively, marking a new leadership era for the division.
Animation adaptations
''Beauty and the Beast''
The show began previews in New York City on March 9, 1994, and officially opened at the Palace Theatre on April 18, 1994. The musical was the first Broadway adaptation by Disney, based on the 1991 animated film by Linda Woolverton and with music and lyrics by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman and Tim Rice. Several new songs were written for the Broadway musical, including Home, a ballad sung by Belle which quickly became the signature song of the musical. It ran until July 29, 2007, at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, to make room for another Disney production, The Little Mermaid. At 5,461 performances, the show is currently the tenth-longest run in Broadway history.It has been performed internationally first at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne, Australia and has also been performed in London, Vienna, Toronto, Kyoto, Seoul, Stuttgart, Sydney, Mexico City, Guayaquil, Johannesburg, Madrid, Moscow, Milan, São Paulo and has also toured around the United States and the United Kingdom. In the Netherlands this production was co-produced by Joop van den Ende's Stage Entertainment with new sets and costumes. On April 24, 2019, Disney Theatrical Groups revealed that Beauty and the Beast would return to Broadway. Thomas Schumacher announced that the Broadway revival would be updated. Theatre and dates have not been announced. The musical will be revived in London's West End at the London Palladium for a limited engagement lasting from June through September 2022.
''The Lion King''
The show, based on the 1994 animated film, debuted July 8, 1997, in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the Orpheum Theatre, before premiering on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theater on October 15, 1997, in previews with the official opening on November 13, 1997. On June 13, 2006, the Broadway production moved to the Minskoff Theatre to make way for the musical version of Mary Poppins, which later was replaced by Aladdin. It is now Broadway's third longest-running show. The show uses a range of theatrical techniques, and is not a conventional musical. It has consistently been one of the highest grossing musicals on Broadway every week. Besides running in various venues around the world, it also runs eight times per week on Broadway. The production won the Tony Award for Best Musical at the 1998 Tony Awards.''The Hunchback of Notre Dame''
The musical opened on June 5, 1999, for the opening of the Musical theater Berlin. After a successful run, it closed in June 2002. Directed by James Lapine, the German translation was by Michael Kunze, choreography by Lar Lubovitch, set design by Heidi Ettinger, costume design by Sue Blane, lighting by Rick Fisher, sound by Tony Meola and projections by Jerome Sirlin.This was Disney's first musical to premiere outside the US, and it became one of Berlin's longest-running musicals to date. As with Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King, The Hunchback of Notre Dame opened three years after the release of the movie it is based on.
The musical is a darker, more gothic adaptation of the film and is more heavily based on Victor Hugo's 1831 novel. According to translator Michael Kunze, he was "campaigning to allow Esmeralda to die at the end, as she does in the book. There was a feeling that the audience would be depressed if Esmeralda dies. I feel that a European audience would see this as a very romantic ending... two lost souls finally find each other. People will cry, but they'll be moved. And it is a very romantic ending." The producers wanted to see how "preview audiences react before making the final decision."
In 2008, Stephen Schwartz said, "I think we're starting up The Hunchback of Notre Dame, hopefully, next year. Rumor has reached my ear that it's happening." Thomas Schumacher, head of Disney Theatrical, discussed current and future stage productions in an article published by the Columbus Dispatch on September 21, 2008, including an English-language production of Hunchback.
The musical had its US premiere at La Jolla Playhouse from October 28 through December 7, 2014. The production was directed by Scott Schwartz and the creative team includes Chase Brock as the choreographer, Michael Kosarin as the music supervisor and arranger, Michael Starobin as the orchestrator, Alexander Dodge as the scenic designer, Alejo Vietti as the costume design Howell Binkley as the lighting designer, and Gareth Owen as the sound design. The Hunchback of Notre Dame had a workshop in February 2014. The La Jolla Playhouse production transferred to the Paper Mill Playhouse from March 4 through April 5, 2015. In 2017, the German version, with the same set decor, is playing in Berlin and München, Germany. In 2018, the production transferred to Stuttgart.
''Tarzan''
The show was based on the 1999 animated film and the novel Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs, and debuted on Broadway on May 10, 2006, at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. The show was heavily publicized with Phil Collins and the lead actors promoting the new musical on several media shows including The Today Show, Good Morning America, and Live with Regis and Kelly. After playing at the Richard Rodgers Theatre for over a year the show closed on July 8, 2007.On April 15, 2007, the musical debuted in Europe in the Netherlands as the successor of The Lion King in Scheveningen. A Broadway musical had never previously arrived in the Netherlands so soon after its Broadway premiere. Phil Collins was a special guest at the 2006 Johnny Kraaijkamp Musical Award s, where he announced the news that Tarzan was coming to the Netherlands. Due to the size of the Circustheater, the show was expanded beyond the original Broadway production.
In 2008, a new production opened in Germany. A casting show on TV called "Ich Tarzan, Du Jane" searched for actors for the roles of Tarzan and Jane.
A revamped tour version had previously been announced to debut in January 2009 in Atlanta at the Theatre of the Stars. The new production was supposed to feature the same music and book, and directed and choreographed by Lynne Taylor-Corbett, with scenic design by Kenneth Foy, aerial design by Paul Rubin and lighting design by Ken Billington. The production was ultimately cancelled.