Legendary Broadway producer Thomas Schumacher is stepping down from his post at Disney Theatrical Group. In a message to staff, Entertainment Co-Chairman Alan Bergman announced that Schumacher would be ending a nearly four-decade run with the company. This started when he began as a producer for The Rescuers Down Under at Walt Disney Animation Studios. He would go on to become president of the animation studios, while also leading Disney Theatrical Group for a good portion of that time.
In 2002, Schumacher shifted his focus solely to Disney Theatrical Group. Throughout his run at DTG, he has helped create the most successful stage producer of all time. Along with winning many awards, he also has grown Disney on Ice.
Schumacher will step down from his role as Chief Creative Officer by the end of this month. In a statement, he shared that Please join me in recognizing Tom for all he’s brought to Disney over the years. Disney Theatrical has had an amazing road to this point thanks to the foundation he built, and with Andrew, Anne, and the talented DTG team, we will be creating unforgettable live entertainment experiences on stage, in arenas, and elsewhere around the world for many, many years to come.“
During his tenure, Disney Theatrical Group’s produced three of the 15 longest-running shows on Broadway in history. These were Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, and Aladdin. DTG’s 10 Broadway titles have been seen by nearly a quart of a billion people globally. Disney shows have also won 20 Tony Awards and garnered 60 nominations. On Broadway alone, Disney shows have run collectively over 28,000 performances. Five of the seven Broadway musicals that Schumacher initiated with normal lifespans have been hits. This is a 70% success rate that defies the norm. If it weren’t for the pandemic, Frozen would also be a part of this ranking.
While Schumacher is leaving the role of Chief Creative Officer, he will still continue with Disney Theatrical Group as a consultant. Below is the message that Alan Bergman sent to staff.
It’s the end of an era – after nearly 40 years at Disney, the one and only Thomas Schumacher, who helped build our stage business from the ground up, is transitioning out of his role as Disney Theatrical’s Chief Creative Officer to begin his next chapter. He will continue shaping the face of the global theatrical landscape as a behind-the-scenes force focused on the next generation of artists and audiences.
Through the years, Disney Theatrical Group has grown to be such an important part of how we bring Disney storytelling to the world, and it remains in incredibly capable hands. Managing Director Andrew Flatt and Executive Producer Anne Quart have worked closely with Tom for many years and have built a strong partnership in their leadership roles over the past couple of years. They will continue to report to Cathleen Taff, with Anne overseeing creative and production for theatrical productions and Andrew leading strategy and business operations for our shows, licensing efforts, live immersive events, and various partnerships including Disney on Ice.
Tom has had an incredible career here at Disney. As some of you know, he started at Disney Animation as a producer on The Rescuers Down Under. He eventually served as president of the animation studio for several years, overseeing another 20 original films (and plenty of sequels) and simultaneously leading Disney Theatrical Group for most of that time. In 2002, he shifted his focus solely to DTG and has made it the most successful stage producer in history by virtually any metric, bringing the magic of Disney storytelling to stages of all sizes, all over the world, for more than 30 years.
I met Tom right around the time he was about to deliver The Lion King in 1997, which was his first Broadway show! Now, 30 productions later, it is the most successful single entertainment property in box office history. And there have been many more successes since then, including 20 Tony Awards, 28,000 Broadway performances, 240 million audience members globally, Disney shows on every continent except Antarctica – the list goes on. He has grown Disney on Ice, pioneered sensory-friendly Broadway shows, and developed an expansive program to enable schools to produce Disney musicals on their own stages. He has been a tireless supporter, advocate, and leader of the theatre community, playing a key role in turning Broadway’s lights back on during the unprecedented pandemic shutdown. It’s a truly remarkable record.
He’s not done yet, but his legacy is secured, thanks to his vision, boldness, and most importantly, the team he has built. We have an exceptional group of theatremakers at Disney Theatrical, Anne and Andrew among them. They have both been with DTG every step of the way for more than 20 years and have been instrumental in building this business under Tom’s leadership. Cathleen and I are both excited to continue working closely with them to shape the future of Disney Theatrical, not only bringing new productions to the stage but continuing to showcase the productions currently delighting audiences in every corner of the globe. And as we make this transition, we look forward to continuing to work with Tom as a consultant after he departs his role at the end of September.
Please join me in recognizing Tom for all he’s brought to Disney over the years. Disney Theatrical has had an amazing road to this point thanks to the foundation he built, and with Andrew, Anne, and the talented DTG team, we will be creating unforgettable live entertainment experiences on stage, in arenas, and elsewhere around the world for many, many years to come.
