Disney Theatrical President Thomas Schumacher Will Transition to Chief Creative Officer
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Thomas Schumacher, longtime president and producer of Disney Theatrical Group, is stepping down from his role overseeing business operations and will instead focus on the creative elements as chief creative officer.
Schumacher, who helped shape Disney Theatrical into a powerhouse on Broadway and develop productions such as The Lion King, has been at Disney Theatrical since its inception and has been president since 1999. His two deputies, Andrew Flatt and Anne Quart, will take over his duties, acting as joint executive vice presidents.
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With the new role, Schumacher will retain the same title as Jennifer Lee at Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pete Docter at Pixar.
The Disney executive started as executive vice president of Disney Theatrical, working alongside Peter Schneider, as Disney made its first big foray into Broadway with Beauty and the Beast in 1994. Schumacher, who was also working as president of Walt Disney Feature Animation at the time, became president of Disney Theatrical in 1999 and then left animation to solely focus on theater in 2002.
The Lion King, which opened on Broadway in 1997 and is still running today, notably as one of the top grossing shows in the industry each week, has been the biggest show under Schumacher’s tenure. The executive had already played a large role in the creative development of projects, including finding the right creative talent and picking which titles were right for theatrical adaptations, which have included Aida, Tarzan, Mary Poppins, The Little Mermaid, Newsies and Aladdin, which is also still running on Broadway after opening in 2014.
Frozen, which opened on Broadway in 2018 and did not return after the theatrical shutdown, was the most recent show under Disney Theatrical. However, many projects have been in development, including The Princess Bride, as well as a stage adaptation of Hercules, which had productions at Paper Mill Playhouse and at Central Park’s Delacorte Theater. Disney Theatrical also has access to the 21st Century Fox catalog, after the 2019 acquisition of the assets by the media giant.
Schumacher has also been a big industry presence on Broadway, having previously served as chair of The Broadway League from 2017 to 2020.
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