The stage division of The Walt Disney Company, producing Broadway hits like The Lion King, Aladdin, and Frozen.
Disney Theatrical Productions, established in 1993 as part of The Walt Disney Company’s studio group, develops and produces stage adaptations of Disney stories. While it does not own its own theater buildings, the company creates and presents the shows widely known as “Disney on Broadway.”
Following the 1966 passing of Walt Disney, the animation business slowed through the 1970s and 1980s. A turning point came with the worldwide success of the 1989 film The Little Mermaid, driven by the work of Peter Schneider, Howard Ashman, and Alan Menken. Building on that momentum, Disney formally launched its stage-producing unit in 1993, announcing its first in-house musical for Broadway.
Beauty and the Beast opened on April 18, 1994 at the Palace Theatre, then transferred to the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on November 16, 1999, concluding on July 29, 2007 after a total of 5,461 performances. Its production budget was approximately $12 million, exceptionally large for its time. The score by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken earned multiple Tony Award nominations, and Ashman’s lyrics remained central to the show even after his passing during development.
In 1995, Disney entered into a 49-year agreement with New York City to restore and operate the long-vacant New Amsterdam Theatre on 42nd Street. After an extensive restoration, The Lion King premiered there on November 13, 1997, winning six Tony Awards including Best Musical. The production later moved to the Minskoff Theatre, where it continues its record-setting run. At the New Amsterdam, subsequent hits such as Mary Poppins and Aladdin helped anchor the revitalized Times Square theater district.
Following The Lion King, the theater hosted Mary Poppins and, beginning March 20, 2014, Aladdin, solidifying the venue as a flagship Broadway house.
On the heels of The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast, the period from 1989 to 1999 saw major hits including Aladdin, The Lion King, Hercules, and Tarzan, often called the Disney Renaissance. On stage, global success for The Lion King was followed by titles like Mary Poppins and Tarzan. After The Little Mermaid opened on Broadway in 2007, Disney paused new Broadway launches for a time, returning on March 29, 2012 with Newsies. In February 2018, Frozen began its Broadway run at the St. James Theatre.
The journey of Disney’s stage division is documented in the film Waking Sleeping Beauty. Today, Disney Theatrical Productions is a defining force in contemporary Broadway.
Beyond producing stage adaptations of Disney stories, Disney Theatrical Productions handles ticketing for titles such as The Lion King and Aladdin on Broadway and develops tours and co-productions around the world.
After its Broadway launch, Beauty and the Beast toured and played internationally across numerous countries and more than 100 cities including Melbourne, London, Toronto, Mexico City, Madrid, Milan, São Paulo, and a comprehensive U.S. tour. The production has been seen by tens of millions of audience members worldwide, generating an estimated multi-billion-dollar global box office over its many engagements.
In addition to international presentations of Broadway titles, DTP develops region-specific productions. Notable engagements include The Hunchback of Notre Dame at Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey, The Jungle Book at Goodman Theatre in Chicago and Huntington Theatre in Boston, and Pinocchio at London’s Royal National Theatre.
Below are selected Broadway productions. Follow the links for details.
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Wicked |
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MJ The Musical |
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Mamma Mia! |
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Chicago |
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The Lion King |
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Moulin Rouge! |
