From Animation to Stage: Disney Theatrical's Thomas Schumacher Leaving Company
Former Disney Animation head and current C.C.O. of Disney Theatrical Group, Thomas Schumacher is leaving Disney after nearly 40 years.
What’s Happening:
- Thomas Schumacher is departing Disney and his role as the Chief Creative Officer of Disney Theatrical Group at the end of this month, according to a memo sent to staff by Alan Bergman, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment.
- Schumacher took on the role of C.C.O. after stepping down as Disney Theatrical’s president back in 2023. He will reportedly continue to serve as a consultant to Disney Theatrical, but no specific reason was given for his departure.
- Schumacher came to Disney in 1988, in the animation department as a producer of The Rescuers Down Under. Though that movie didn’t do so great, Schumacher rose through the ranks of the department, eventually becoming the President of Disney Feature Animation (now Walt Disney Animation Studios) in 1999.
- While there, he had leadership roles in or oversaw the production of 21 animated features - including The Lion King, Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Mulan, Tarzan, Kingdom of the Sun The Emperor’s New Groove, and more.
- Initially, Schumacher held both animation and theatrical responsibilities under the combined umbrella of Buena Vista Theatrical Group. In 2002, he left animation to concentrate on Disney’s theatrical ventures, becoming president of Disney Theatrical Group.
- Under his watch, a number of animated and other Disney films arrived on the Broadway stage, including Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Aladdin (three of the longest running shows in Broadway history), Tarzan, The Little Mermaid, Newsies, Frozen and original productions like Aida.
- Under Schumacher, Disney Theatrical took in 20 Tony Awards out of 60 noms, with the titles reportedly reaching nearly 240 million people.
- In Bergman’s memo it was also revealed that Disney Theatrical’s Managing Director Andrew Flatt and Executive Producer Anne Quart will continue to report to Cathleen Taff, and Quart will oversee creative and production for theatrical, and Flatt will lead strategy and business ops for the shows and licensing efforts, live events, and partnerships like Disney on Ice.
Bergman’s Memo:
- 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."
What They’re Saying:
- Thomas Schumacher: “38 years ago when Peter Schneider at Disney Animation asked me to produce The Rescuers Down Under, I had no idea it would lead to four decades working with some of the most exceptional creative artists in the world – both in animation and theatre. I’m proud that Disney Theatrical will be in the extraordinarily capable hands of Andrew Flatt and Anne Quart, with whom I’ve worked for over 20 years. I can’t wait to see how they lead this peerless organization forward."