Last updated: January 10, 2021: Please note that most shows are currently suspended or postponed due to COVID-19 concerns. Please check with the theater directly for the most up to date information.
While we strive to keep this listing as up-to-date as possible, always check with the individual show/venue’s official website before making plans to visit.
Back in 1994 Disney upped their live-theater game with the Broadway debut of Beauty and the Beast, their first big theatrical adaptation of a film. Since then, they’ve expanded their offerings and spread their Broadway-style goodness across the globe. The below list is intended as a resource for Disney lovers on their mission to see every live Disney musical EVER!
Table of Contents
The Lion King
Originally making its Broadway premiere in 1997, The Lion King boasts itself as the highest-grossing Broadway show of all time. This show, based on the animated film of the same name, features a unique artistic vision of puppetry and animal-inspired costumes from Director Julie Taymor and production designer Michael Curry. Curry went on to work on a number of Disney projects including Finding Nemo – The Musical, Rivers of Light, and all stage versions of Frozen.
The Lion King features songs from the film with additional music written exclusively for the show by Lebo M, Mark Mancina, and Hans Zimmer including Morning Report, Shadowland, and One by One. The original Broadway cast recording is currently available on iTunes and Spotify.
Where you can see it:
- New York: Minskoff Theatre
- London: Lyceum Theatre
- Hamburg: Stage Theater im Hafen
- Tokyo: Shiki Theatre Natsu
- The Hague: AFAS Circustheater
- Madrid: Teatro Lope de Vega
- Paris: Théâtre Mogador (opening March 13, 2021)
- North American Tour
- Madison, WI (March 18 – April 11, 2021)
- Schenectady, NY (April 15 – May 2, 2021)
- Dayton, OH (May 6- 23, 2021)
- Philadelphia, PA (May 26 – June 20, 2021)
- Toledo, OH (June 16 – July 3, 2021)
- Los Angeles, CA (June 25 – Sept 5, 2021)
- Denver, CO (Dec 2, 2021 – Jan 2, 2022)
- International Tour
- Nagoya, Japan (Now through March 31, 2021)
- Bonus: Festival of the Lion King is a live stage show produced for Disney Parks. While this version features live vocalists, the show itself is in the form of a musical revue and not a re-telling of the story:
Aladdin
The live stage version of Aladdin had a number of small stage runs since 2011 before making its Broadway debut in 2014. The show features songs from the film by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice along with ones that were originally written for the movie such as Proud of Your Boy and new numbers developed for the stage show such as These Palace Walls and Diamond in the Rough. The original Broadway cast recording is available on iTunes and Spotify.
Where you can see it:
- New York City: New Amsterdam Theatre
- Tokyo: Dentsu Shiki Theatre
- Stuttgart: Stage Apollo Theater
- North American Tour
- No dates currently scheduled
- Bonus: This live stage show produced for Disney Cruise Line differs from the Broadway musical and stays more true to the animated film:
Frozen
Based on the hit 2013 film of the same name, this Broadway musical opened at the St. James Theatre in March, 2018. The show features songs from the film by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, the team behind Coco and Finding Nemo – The Musical, with additional songs developed exclusively for the live-show. The original Broadway cast recording is available on iTunes and Spotify.
Take a look at our blog post, Our Review of Frozen on Broadway.
Where you can see it:
- London: Theatre Royal, Drury Lane (opening April 2, 2021)
- Sydney: Capitol Theatre
- Hamburg: Theater an der Elbe (opening August 4, 2021)
- Tokyo: JR East Shiki Theatre HARU (TBD)
- North American Tour
- Appleton, WI (Feb 24 – March 7, 2021)
- Tempe, AZ (April 8 – 25, 2021)
- Costa Mesa, CA (May 12 – 29, 2021)
- Columbus, OH (June 2 – 13, 2021)
- Buffalo, NY (June 16 – 27, 2021)
- East Lansing, MI (July 7 – 18, 2021)
- Detroit, MI (Sept 8 – 19, 2021)
- Tulsa, OK (Sept 23 – Oct 3, 2021)
- Minneapolis, MN (Oct 7 – 24, 2021)
- Salt Lake City (Oct 28 – Nov 14, 2021)
- Chicago, IL (Nov 18 – Jan 23, 2022)
- Bonus: These live stage shows produced for Disney Parks and Cruise Line differ from the Broadway musical and stay more true to the animated film:
Beauty and the Beast
While the show that started it all, based on the 1991 film, no longer has a presence on Broadway, this stage show still lives on. The original Broadway cast recording featuring songs developed exclusively for the show is available on iTunes and Spotify.
Where you can see it:
- New York City: Revival announced, details TBD
- Shanghai: Walt Disney Grand Theatre
- Bonus: Live stage shows produced for Disney Parks and Cruise Line which differ from the Broadway musical and stays more true to the animated film:
Mary Poppins
Mary Poppins is a live stage adaptation of the 1964 film with various productions across the world through the years. The original West End cast recording of the songs from this show is available on iTunes and Spotify.
Where you can see it:
- London: Prince Edward Theatre
The Little Mermaid
The Little Mermaid is a live stage adaptation of the 1989 animated film having had various productions across the world. The original Broadway cast recording of the songs from this show is available on iTunes and Spotify.
Where you can see it:
- Osaka: Osaka Shiki Theatre
Other
- While not a full show – Broadway fans can catch their favorite Disney on Broadway stars every January and February in Walt Disney World during the Epcot International Festival of the Arts: Disney on Broadway Concert Series.
- Developed exclusively for Walt Disney World, Finding Nemo – The Musical is a Broadway-quality production that plays daily at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The show features14 new songs by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, the team behind the memorable songs from Frozen and Coco. We also see production design by Michael Curry, who made a name for himself for his work on the design of Broadway’s The Lion King as well as a number of other Disney projects thereafter.
- In addition to Frozen, Aladdin, and Beauty and the Beast, the Disney Cruise Line also features original productions of Tangled: The Musical (Disney Magic) and a sequel to Cinderella called Twice Charmed: An Original Twist on the Cinderella Story (Disney Magic) among a handful of other musicals produced for the cruise line.
