A Tale As Old As Time That Has No Plans to Let It Go When it Comes to Broadway

     Greetings, readers, and welcome to another Monday from the mind of Mike. If you've happened to make the trek to the Great White Way in the past two decades on Broadway, you may seem to have noticed that the Theater District has seemed a bit more, shall we say. magical. This may be attributed to one of the world's biggest corporations establishing, and maintaining a foothold in the world of Broadway. I speak, of course, of the Walt Disney Company's theatrical division, Disney Theatrical Productions.
     Disney first emerged on Broadway with its stage adaptation of Beauty and the Beast. Opening at the Palace in 1994, the show would garner 9 Tony nominations and enjoy a lengthy run on Broadway before closing at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in 2007, amassing 5,461 performances. Disney moved the show from its original home at the Palace in 1999 to make room for their adaptation of Aida, which would enjoy a four year run at the Palace as well, before closing on Broadway after 1,852 performances. However, it would be another stage adaptation of a hit Disney film that would create a lasting legacy for the Mouse House on Broadway.
      Opening in 1997 after Disney revitalized the New Amsterdam Theatre (as well as so much of the Times Square area we've come to know today), under the direction of Julie Taymor, The Lion King would prove to be Disney's best adaptation for the stage yet. The show would win six Tony Awards, including Best Musical. In a move similar to the one made with Beauty and the Beast, Disney would move The Lion King from its original home at the New Amsterdam to the Minskoff Theatre in order to bring a stage adaptation of Mary Poppins to Broadway. The Lion King has continued its reign of Broadway at the Minskoff ever since, becoming the third longest running musical in Broadway history, as well as the highest-earning title in box office history in both stage and film production.
        Disney would enjoy moderate to less success in the new millennium with new stage productions. As mentioned, Aida would play a respectable run on Broadway, winning five Tony Awards. as well as Mary Poppins, which would enjoy a lengthy run on Broadway, opening in 2006 and then closing in 2013, after 2,619 performances at the New Amsterdam. Mary Poppins would only win one Tony Award. A stage production of Tarzan would be, arguably, Disney's biggest misfire, running at Broadway's Richard Rogers Theater for only a year and 286 performances on Broadway. A stage adaptation of The Little Mermaid would follow Beauty and the Beast into the Lunt-Fontanne in 2007, though would not replicate the success of its predecessor, closing in 2009 after 685 performances.
        This decade, however, perhaps may welcome new beginning for the folks at Disney Theatrical. Though a box office failure at the cinema, a stage adaptation of Newsies would open on Broadway in 2012 to great success, garnering two Tony Award wins, and playing over 1,000 performances at the Nederlander Theatre. Disney would also have a hand in bringing the play Peter and the Starcatcher to the stage, where it would enjoy a brief run on Broadway, earning three Tony wins, before moving Off Broadway. Following Mary Poppins into the New Amsterdam would be Aladdin, which currently enjoys a sold out run at the New Amsterdam. The show earned five Tony nominations, including Best Musical, and would see James Monroe Iglehart win a Tony for his portrayal of the Genie. However, it may be Disney's next theatrical adaptation that has the biggest buzz on the Great White Way, despite it being projected to not reach Broadway for another two years.
          This month came reports of Disney's next projected Broadway musical adaptation. A recent workshop was held of Frozen, directed by Alex Timbers, who helped craft Peter and the Starcatcher for the stage. Numerous reports indicate that the show will debut on Broadway in the summer of 2018, after a 2017 tryout in Denver. This would be a quick turnaround for Disney Theatrical, which only saw the film premiere in 2013. The one show that Disney did a quick turnaround on was its first, with the stage production of Beauty and the Beast opening on Broadway only three years after premiering on the silver screen. With the film attaining worldwide acclaim, however, it was only a matter of time before Disney brought the film to production.
        It is difficult to say what the next stage endeavor will be for Disney after Frozen. This is not due to the shortage of material that Disney possesses, but rather the plethora of product currently in possession of the Walt Disney Company. There are even some shows that have yet to reach Broadway, one in particular that fans hope will make its way eventually to the Great White Way. Perhaps, with a certain live action film set to be released next year, Broadway could see Disney produce its first musical revival?? Who can say. What can be said is that Disney, for the past two decades, has established a (mostly) successful foothold on Broadway with no end in sight. That just about does it for this week's post. Feel free to follow me on Twitter at @mfhallinan for first looks into future posts. Until the next time, this is Mike signing off, ghost light lighting on.