Disney Theatrical Group

The Disney Theatrical Group, legally Buena Vista Theatrical Group Ltd., is the live show, stageplay and musical production arm of The Walt Disney Company. The company is led by Thomas Schumacher, and forms a part of The Walt Disney Studios, one of the four major business segments of The Walt Disney Company.

Background
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 World's Fair, Walt wanted another outlet for "live" characters. Disneyland put on Disney on Parade, a self-produced live arena show, starting in 1969. After several years, Card Walker shut down the show as it was not making enough profit.

Soon after Mattel/Feld Productions' 1979 purchased the Ice Follies And Holiday on Ice, Inc., Feld approach Disney about doing a Disney show on ice. Thus Walt Disney's World on Ice premiered in 1981. Disney Studio co-produced "Largely New York" with Kenneth Feld, owner of Feld Entertainment, that premiered on 1989-5-1 at St. James Theatre.

On 1993-2-8, Disney incorporated Walt Disney Theatrical Productions, Limited with Ron Logan as president to produce Beauty and the Beast: A New Musical, which  opened at the Palace Theater on 1994-4-18. In 1997, DTP reopened New Amsterdam with King David. Peter Schneider was promoted to Disney Studios president in 1999-1, while Thomas Schumacher was promoted to president of Walt Disney Feature Animation and Walt Disney Theatrical Productions while both are made co-presidents of Disney Theatrical.

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 1996-9. 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 1997-10-30 there during the year-end holiday season for a three-month period.

History
Buena Vista Theatrical Group Ltd. was the name of Disney Theatrical Productions as of 1999-11-23 with Disney Theatrical Productions becoming its first division. In 2000-1, 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. In 2000-9, 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.

Schneider's promotion to studio chair left Schumacher as the only president of DTG in January 2000. Schneider left Disney Studio in 2001-6 to form his own theater production company partly funded by Disney.

In 2003, Music Theatre International became licensing agent for Disney musicals and plays for the school performances. After May 2007, Buena Vista Theatrical Group changed its trade name to Disney Theatrical Group. 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 2008-8.

On 2010-10-31, the group closed its Glendale, California office and cut staff in a DTG reorganization. In 2013-4, Disney Studios initiated a 5% layoffs across all unit including DTG as the Disney conglomerate moves towards a reorganization later in the year. On 2014-4-28, the Group was an honoree at the Actors Fund Annual Gala. Disney India launched its Live Entertainment operations in 2015 with the production of Beauty and the Beast musical to be shown from October to December in Mumbai and Delhi''.

Units

 * Disney Theatrical Productions is the primary production arm of Disney Theatrical Group. This subsidiary has been responsible for the production of many different musicals on Broadway. Acclaimed shows include: Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Mary Poppins, Tarzan, The Little Mermaid, Newsies, Aladdin, and Frozen. The Group also produces touring productions of their shows.
 * 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 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.
 * Disney Live Family Entertainment, which incorporates Disney on Ice ice shows and Disney Live, produced by Feld Entertainment. The ice shows include shows like Finding Nemo on Ice, Princess Classics and High School Musical: The Ice Tour. These shows are stage shows aimed at young children. They’re often interactive and invite the children to get involved in the performance. Some of these titles include: Playhouse Disney Live! and Mickey’s Magic Show!
 * Walt Disney Special Events Group is responsible for live character promotional shows and events.
 * New Amsterdam Development Corp.
 * long-term lease of New Amsterdam Theatre
 * New Amsterdam Theatrical Productions, Inc.
 * Walt Disney Theatrical Worldwide, Inc.
 * Buena Vista Theatrical Ventures, Inc.
 * Buena Vista Theatrical Merchandise, LLC

Hyperion Theatricals
Hyperion Theatricals was Buena Vista Theatrical Group secondary production division assign all non-Disney animation based productions. 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.

Hyperion Theatricals was formed in 2000-1 along with Buena Vista Theatrical Group Ltd., Disney's theatrical oversite 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. Hoopz, a Harlem Globetrotters based musical by Savion Glover, Reg E. Gaines, and Kenny Leon, was in work shop phase in second quarter 2000.

In 2000-9, 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 2001-4-6. Hoopz was then hedged as to whether or not it would be released as a Hyperion or Disney Theatrical production.

Aida
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.