Sunday, March 18, 2012

Disney Theatricals Not Just for Broadway

Peter and the Starcatcher and Newsies, the two new shows Disney is bringing to Broadway this year, were never intended to Broadway. They also have a production of Aladdin in the works, being produced by Seattle's 5th Avenue Theater, and The Jungle Book is on the schedule for Chicago's Goodman Theater rather than Broadway. While most people know Disney Theatricals for their big budget Broadway productions of The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, and Tarzan, this set up is showing Disney's more conservative side. There are also shows that are being written just for the sake of licensing out -- like Freaky Friday and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. But then you have to consider their Broadway-bound productions of Dumbo (with a book to be written by Michael Chabon) and Alice in Wonderland, which Variety Magazine says "underscores the unusual fluidity with which Disney -- as a corporate stage division with access to a deep catalog of well-known titles -- can custom-tailor a project's legit path based on each individual title and its evolving needs."

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