Creative Team

Thomas Schumacher
Producer for Disney Theatrical

Since it was founded by Walt Disney in 1923, the Walt Disney Company has grown to be the world's leading creator and distributor of high quality entertainment. Under the direction of Bob Iger, the company's diverse entertainment interests now include film, theatre, television, radio, home entertainment and music, as well as the world-renowned theme parks and resorts.

Walt Disney Studios has created some of cinema's most acclaimed and best-loved films, both in live action and animation. One of the most successful in the Studios' history was the 1964 film of Mary Poppins.

It took Walt Disney 20 years to make the film of Mary Poppins, from the time he first tried to secure the film rights to its triumphant premiere in 1964. The film was an immediate and phenomenal success, earning universal acclaim for its story-line, score, performances and pioneering mix of live action and animation. The film was nominated for 13 Academy Awards and won five, including Best Music, and Best Song for 'Chim Chim Cher-ee' in a score which also included such favourites as 'A Spoonful of Sugar', 'Feed the Birds' and 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious'. Mary Poppins played to an estimated 200 million people when it was released, engendering extraordinary affection in its audiences, and has remained one of Disney's most enduring and best-loved films.

Disney's theatrical division, operating under the direction of Thomas Schumacher, is one of the world's largest producers of live theatre and is currently presenting The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast and Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida in 15 productions worldwide. Disney's newest musical, Tarzan, will have its world premiere at Broadway's Richard Rodgers Theatre in May 2006.

In May 1997, the Walt Disney Company completed restoration of the New Amsterdam Theatre on 42nd Street and now operates this historic theatre, which will become the home of the Broadway production of Mary Poppins after The Lion King moves to the Minskoff Theatre later this year.

Schumacher joined Disney Animation in 1988 as a producer and went on to become president of the feature animation division, supervising 21 of the studios' most successful films. With Peter Schneider he formed Disney Theatrical Productions, producing The Lion King, Aida and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and supervising the stage production of Beauty and the Beast. After 15 years at animation he now concentrates solely on the theatre productions.

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