Disney Broadway Production

Final Paper

DISNEY THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS From Film to Broadway Production

Disney Theatrical Productions Limited, which is also referred to as Disney on Broadway, is the stage, play and musical production company of the Disney Theatrical Group. This is actually a self-contained division of The Walt Disney Company. The company was founded in 1993, as Walt Disney Theatrical. This fairly new Walt Disney division has gained a reputation within the industry for creating professional and popular, both critically and financially booming performances, starting with Beauty and the Beast in 1994, then The Lion King in 1997, Mary Poppins
The musical was the first Broadway adaptation produced by Disney, and was based on the 1991 animated film by Linda Woolverton with music and lyrics by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman and Tim Rice. The Broadway show differed from the original film in several interesting and impressive ways, adored by audiences. Several new songs were written for the Broadway musical, including “Home”, which was a ballad sung by Belle, which quickly became the well known hit song of the musical. The change of songs and addition of the new ballad gave a different look and feel to the Broadway version of the popular film. The characters who were animations on film, were now portrayed by humans, which added a new dimension to the live performance. The performers had the responsibility of bringing these inanimate objects to life on stage through movement, costume and choreography. Beauty and the Beast had a continuous run, until the final performance took place on July 29, 2007 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. This beloved Disney musical had 5,461 performances, and the show is currently the eighth-longest run in Broadway history. Beauty and the Beast has been performed internationally first in Melbourne, Australia and has also been performed in London, Toronto, Kyoto, Seoul, Stuttgart, Sydney, Mexico City, Guayaquil, Johannesburg, Madrid, Moscow,
The show debuted at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. The difference between the film and Broadway Show was the addition of new songs as well. Tarzan 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. Yet, after playing at the Richard Rodgers Theatre for over a year the show quickly closed on July 8, 2007. On April 15, 2007 the musical made its debut in Europe in the Netherlands following The Lion King in Scheveningen. A Broadway musical had never previously arrived in the Netherlands so soon after its Broadway premiere and Phil Collins was a special guest at the 2006 Johnny Kraaijkamp Musical Awards. There 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, which was a big change from the original production, as well as the film. Tarzan is another example of how adaption to stage can create constructive and appropriate changes, as the show transforms from film to