Disney Theatrical Productions is celebrating 30 years on Broadway with an exhibit at Epcot in the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. Part of the park’s annual International Festival of the Arts celebration, the exhibit runs through February 24th. Check out our photos from the event below, as well as Disney’s rundown of their past three decades on the Great White Way.
“Welcome to a celebration 30 years in the making.
For the past three decades, Disney has entertained audiences on Broadway with nine hit musicals: Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Aida, The Little Mermaid, Tarzan, Mary Poppins, Newsies, Aladdin, and Frozen. Each of these acclaimed productions – alongside The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Freaky Friday, Hercules, and other titles produced for licensing – have been mounted around the world, welcoming over 200 million theatergoers in 24 countries across six continents.
It all started in 1991, when the animated classic Beauty and the Beast hit the silver screen. The Broadway production opened its 13-year run in 1994 and remains in the top 10 longest running shows in Broadway history.
After the success of Beauty and the Beast, it was on to the next venture, and all sights were on adapting The Lion King. When President of Disney Theatrical Group Thomas Schumacher brought on director Julie Taymor, the Pride Lands could finally make its way from screen to stage. Julie and a team of extraordinary artists created the world-wide phenomenon that continues to roar across the Broadway stage 27 years later. The production opened in 1997 and went on to win six Tony Awards, including Best New Musical, cementing Disney’s position on Broadway and carving a path for more musicals to come.
On March 20, 2014, Disney on Broadway made theatrical magic with Aladdin. Based on the Academy Award-winning animated film, the hit musical debuted at the New Amsterdam Theatre to critical acclaim and quickly established itself as one of New York’s biggest blockbusters in recent years. Since then, Aladdin has played nearly 4,000 performances on Broadway and has welcomed nearly 20 million guests worldwide with productions in Japan, South Korea, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
With dozens of ongoing productions both produced and licensed, a Disney musical is performed professionally somewhere on the planet virtually every hour of the day.
So, what does the next act hold for Disney on Broadway?
In 2025, Hercules will make its heroic debut in London’s West End. A brand-new production of Beauty and the Beast will enchant 80-cities on a three-year North American tour. Meanwhile, development continues apace on a stage musical based on the beloved film The Greatest Showman.”
Had no idea Hercules was happening until I saw a bus shelter ad just before Christmas, but looks like they're going to continue to mine the catalog for more shows. I wonder whatever happened to The Jungle Book? And I love how Newsies went from being this obscure and pretty loopy flop movie to a massive stage hit.