Starting in 1949, Ice Capades started adding Disney's segment to their performances. Costumes from those shows were used at the opening of Disneyland in 1955, with some performers hired away for Disney. With the characters a hit at the 1964 New York World's Fair, Walt Disney wanted another outlet for "live" characters.[5]Disneyland put on Disney on Parade, a self-produced live arena show, starting in 1969.[5][6] After several years, Card Walker shut down the show as it was not making enough profit.[5]
Walt Disney Imagineering created Disney Fair, a $30-million U.S. traveling attraction that took up 5 acres. The fair started its 15 city 15-month tour at Puyallup, Washington in September 1996. With poor attendance, the fair was pulled after a few stops. Disney Entertainment Projects (Asia Pacific) Inc., a new Disney Asian Pacific subsidiary, selected a renamed fair called DisneyFest as its first project. The 1,000-ton show was transported by ship to Singapore. The festival opened on October 30, 1997 there during the year-end holiday season for a three-month period.[15]
History
Buena Vista Theatrical Group
Buena Vista Theatrical Group Ltd. was the name of Disney Theatrical Productions as of November 23, 1999[3] with Disney Theatrical Productions becoming its first division. In January 2000, the formation of the group along with Hyperion Theatricals, Disney's second production division, to oversee Hyperion and Disney Theatrical Productions (DTP) was announced. Hyperion's first production was Aida and all other non-Disney animation based productions were placed under Hyperion.[16] In September 2000, all three US DTG shows, both Hyperion and DTP, were placed under the "Disney on Broadway" banner, then under "Disney on Broadway on Tour" when the shows went on national tour.[17]
Schneider's promotion to studio chair left Schumacher as the only president of DTG in January 2000.[18] Schneider left Disney Studio in June 2001 to form his own theater production company partly funded by Disney.[19] In 2003, Music Theatre International became licensing agent for Disney musicals and plays for the school performances.[20]
Disney Theatrical Group
After May 2007, Buena Vista Theatrical Group changed its trade name to Disney Theatrical Group.[4][21] DTG's Disney Live Family Entertainment signed a 10-year agreement with Feld Entertainment for Disney on Ice, Disney Live and other Disney productions in August 2008.[22]
In 2010, Disney Theatrical Group launched its free Disney Musicals in Schools outreach program in New York City. Disney Musicals in Schools allows participating schools to get free performance rights, professional teaching artists and ShowKit materials to one of seven 30-minute Disney musical specifically written for elementary schools. By the end of 2017, the program was available in 18 cities having added 5 more cities, including the first international city London, that year.[23]
On October 31, 2010, the group closed its Glendale, California office and cut staff in a DTG reorganization.[1] In April 2013, Disney Studios initiated a 5% layoffs across all unit including DTG as the Disney conglomerate moves towards a reorganization later in the year.[24] On April 28, 2014, the Group was an honoree at the Actors Fund Annual Gala.[25] Disney India launched its Live Entertainment operations in 2015 with the production of Beauty and the Beastmusical to be shown from October to December in Mumbai and Delhi.[26]
No word before or after Disney's acquisition of 21st Century Fox about Fox Stage Productions' status post acquisition.[27] However, the unit's head, executive vice president Cohen, who was also executive vice president of legal affairs, was laid off immediately after the Disney acquisition of 21st Century Fox in March 2019.[28] On July 3, 2019, Fox Stage Productions was moved into Disney Theatrical Group as Buena Vista Theatrical division with all top executives leaving at that time.[29]
In March 2020, The New York Times stated that 'A trade association representing producers and theater owners, said the 41 Broadway houses would remain shuttered at least through June 7'.[30] Which puts the Disney Theatrical Group's Frozen performances on hold until possibly June 2020.
Disney Theatrical Licensing is DTG's show licensing arm which licenses its shows for performance by local school and community theatres via its agent, Musical Theatre International (MTI). Shows like Beauty and the Beast, Aida, and High School Musical are licensed. Disney also licenses special versions of shows for performance by younger children. Some of these shows include titles like Beauty and the Beast Jr., Aladdin Jr., The Lion King Jr.Mulan Jr, or Mary Poppins Junior. In October 2016, Freaky Friday premiered as a licensed theatrical production in Washington, DC.[2]
This is the former 20th Century Fox theatrical arm, not be confused with Fox Theatricals, an independent theatrical production company, which produced The Humans, Fun Home and If/Then.
Buena Vista Theatrical, formerly Fox Stage Productions, is a theatrical production company of Disney Theatrical Group.
Fox Stage Productions was formed in June 2013 which included the retaining of Isaac Robert Hurwitz as a consultant.[36] In August 2013, 20CF started a theatrical joint venture with a trio of producer-executives, both film and theater, Broadway producer Kevin McCollum, film producer John Davis and Tom McGrath. McCollum would handle day-to-day operations of the joint venture while [32] The joint venture was Fox contributing 50% and the trio 50%. The trio of individual would do productions outside the venture. The development slate based on Fox films would consist of nine to 12 musicals.[34] Hurwitz was hired in July 2015 as senior vice president of Fox Stage Productions reporting to the division head Bob Cohen.[36]
No word before or after Disney's acquisition of 21st Century Fox about Fox Stage Productions' status post acquisition.[27] However, the unit's head, executive vice president Cohen, who was also executive vice president of legal affairs, was given a laid off notice after the Disney acquisition of 21st Century Fox in March 2019.[28] On July 3, 2019, Fox Stage Productions was moved into Disney Theatrical Group as Buena Vista Theatrical division with all executives, including Cohen, Connor Brockmeier and SVP Hurwitz, leaving at that time.[29][38][39] Instead of a production company on Working Girl, the musical adaptation was switched to a license production by Aged in Wood Productions since Disney took over ownership.[29]
The Devil Wears Prada musical (in development for Broadway) produced by Kevin McCollum, Fox Stage Productions and Rocket Entertainment; slated director: Anna D. Shapiro; music by Sir Elton John, lyrics by Shaina Taub and a book by Paul Rudnick[42]
Hyperion Theatricals was Buena Vista Theatrical Group secondary production division assign all non-Disney animation based productions.[16] Hyperion shared its name with a Disney publishing label, which was named after the Silver Lake street that was Disney's first local address. The new production unit would focus on more traditional Broadway fare.[44]
Hyperion Theatricals was formed in January 2000 along with Buena Vista Theatrical Group Ltd., Disney's theatrical oversight company. Producers and heads of Disney Theatricals Peter Schneider and Thomas Schumacher were assigned to run Hyperion. Hyperion's first production was Aida with the in development Hoopz and all other non-Disney animation based productions were placed under Hyperion.[16]Hoopz, a Harlem Globetrotters based musical by Savion Glover, Reg E. Gaines, and Kenny Leon, was in work shop phase in second quarter 2000.[45]
In September 2000, Aida was placed with Disney Theatrical Productions shows under the "Disney on Broadway" banner, then under "Disney on Broadway on Tour" when the show went on national tour starting April 6, 2001. Hoopz was then hedged as to whether or not it would be released as a Hyperion or Disney Theatrical production.[17]
Based on the opera by Giuseppe Verdi, it tells the story of a Nubian slave who falls in love with an Egyptian captain. It was written by Elton John and Tim Rice. It began previews on February 25, 2000, and officially opened on Broadway at the Palace Theatre on March 23, 2000. Aida closed on September 5, 2004, and ran for a total of 30 previews and 1852 performances. The Broadway production won four Tony Awards, including Best Actress (Heather Headley), Best Scenic Design, Best Lighting Design and Best Music. Since its run on Broadway, it has had a U.S. national tour and productions around the world.[46]
^"Live Disney Characters in Traveling Arena Show". The News and the Eastern Townships Advocate. Vol. 123, no. 45. St. Johns, PQ: E.R. Smith Co. Ltd. September 17, 1970. pp. 3, 2. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
^Kennedy, Shawn G.; Lesser, Ellen C. (May 12, 1995). "Disney and Developer Are Chosen To Build 42d Street Hotel Complex". The New York Times. p. B2. Retrieved July 30, 2015. Disney has signed a 49-year lease to the 92-year-old New Amsterdam Theater, though it can get out of the deal by July 15 if certain conditions are not met.
^Grove, Lloyd (August 28, 2008). "The World According to Kenneth Feld". Upstart Business Journal. American City Business Journals. p. 18. Retrieved August 3, 2015.