‘Aladdin’ Confirmed for Broadway, Spring 2014
Disney Theatrical today officially confirmed what we have been reporting for some time — a staged musical adaptation of Aladdin is headed to Broadway for the 2014 season.
We have been talking about a staged adaptation by Disney Theatrical for nearly three years now, prior to its original incarnation at the 5th Avenue Theater in 2011. Since then, it has had several runs around the world and has consistently been edited as it continued to meet mixed reviews. Its reported lackluster performances fueled doubts when we relayed composer Alan Menken’s informal announcement last summer that it would in fact be headed for Broadway. Even after a reported leak which led to confirmation that ‘Mary Poppins’ would see its final Broadway curtain call on March 3, Disney Theatrical was slow to acknowledge that ‘Aladdin’ was waiting impatiently in the wings.
The show will feature music by Alan Menken; lyrics by the late Howard Ashman, Tim Rice and Chad Beguelin with a book by Beguelin. Casey Nicholaw will direct and choreograph.
This will be the first staging of this full-length two-act ‘Aladdin.’ Nicholaw and the writers had previously collaborated on a pilot production of the musical at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre in summer 2011, mounted for a limited run with the goal of trying out new material and structure. The Broadway version will be an entirely new production featuring a new script, tunestack and a wholly original design scaled to the Broadway stage and an epic story. ‘Aladdin’ will feature a full Broadway score including the five beloved songs from the film.
Aladdin will be designed by six-time Tony® winning scenic designer Bob Crowley, three-time Tony winning lighting designer Natasha Katz, two-time Tony winning costume designer Gregg Barnes and sound designer Ken Travis.
The production team also includes illusion designer Jim Steinmeyer and hair designer Josh Marquette. The music team is headed by music supervisor and music director Michael Kosarin, who will also create the vocal and incidental music arrangements, joined by orchestrator Danny Troob and dance music arranger Glen Kelly.
Before it opens on Broadway in spring 2014, however, it will play in Toronto for nine weeks at the Ed Mirvish Theatre (formerly the Canon) November 13, 2013 to January 12, 2014 and will open at Broadway’s New Amsterdam Theatre in 2014.
Fans are encouraged to sign up up for email alerts at www.aladdinbroadway.com.
CONFIRMED: Disney’s Aladdin is Broadway-Bound
We had been talking about Disney Theatrical producing a musical based on Disney Animation’s Aladdin for years, so it came as little shock to us when the production became fully realized at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theater in early 2011.
Since then, the show has been re-tooled and has played at various regional theaters, but it wasn’t until a special private event for members of Disney’s official fan club, Disney D23, last summer, that we had any inkling that it was destined for Broadway (in truth, we believed a touring production would be as far as the plans went).
The event featured an intimate performance by composer Alan Menken, who introduced the song ‘Proud of Your Boy’ (cut from the original animated film) as being prepped for a Broadway production — a statement we took none too lightly, considering Menken’s stature in the theatrical community.
Fast forward to yesterday, when the New York Times published this article, confirming via anonymous inside sources that ‘Aladdin’ is indeed headed to the Broadway stage, replacing Mary Poppins at the New Amsterdam Theater.
It should be noted that there has been no official announcement from Disney Theatrical yet as they have declined to comment both on the New York Times story as well as our own.
Video courtesy of and h/t to @jellicle0
UPDATE: Via its official Facebook page, Mary Poppins has acknowledge the show will have its final performance on March 3, 2013
New DisneyStore Arrivals and Sales for December 10, 2012 (865 Items)
New Disney Store arrivals and sales for December 10, 2012
Below is a list of new items and sales now available for purchase at Disney Store. Clicking on a product’s image or description will launch the product’s page on Disney Store in another window.
Note that this list is generated and posted automatically. Stitch Kingdom should not be held responsible for any inaccuracies, misinformation or item availability.
Disclosure: This post includes specially formatted links which allow the site to receive a small percentage of purchases made through them. Using these links does not affect your shopping experience in any way, but it does help the site. Even if you don’t purchase anything, even just sharing products you like through Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest using the icons below them will help the site.
Mickey Mouse Diamond Oval Earrings – $1187.50The scooped oval design of these earrings is given extra sparkle with the addition of a genuine full-cut diamond Mickey icon. Elegantly crafted in your choice of platinum, 14 karat or 18 karat gold tones for our Disney Dream Collection. share this item |
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The Lion King: The Broadway Musical Mini Glass Set – $10.50You’ll be the toast of Broadway with our pair of Mufasa mini glasses inspired by The Lion King: The Broadway Musical. These stylish souvenirs of the big show make a great toothpick holder too! share this item |
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Vinylmation Zooper Heroes Series – 3” – $9.95Bring out the animal in your Vinylmation collection with the Zooper Heroes Series 3” figures. Set to rescue the animal kingdom, the 11 known designs and mystery figure are blind boxed so you won’t know which one you have until you open it. share this item |
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Tinker Bell Cel – ”Pixie Perfect” – $495.00Savor fine Disney animation art with a ”Multiplane” replica Tinker Bell cel by Courvoisier Galleries, hand inked and painted from original drawings used in Peter Pan, and mounted with foreground and background elements. share this item |
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Dumbo Cel – ”Let’s Go” – $495.00Savor fine Disney animation art with the ”Let’s Go” cel by Courvoisier Galleries. Hand inked and painted from original drawings used in Dumbo, this dramatic artwork is mounted and framed to bring the film’s lasting charm to your home. share this item |
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Vinylmation – Zooper Heroes Series Tray – $238.80Bring out the animal in your Vinylmation collection with the Zooper Heroes Series. Now you can get a sealed tray of 24 individual boxes with the entire assortment of 3” Zooper Heroes figures. share this item |
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The Lion King: The Broadway Musical Magnet Set – $20.50The Lion King: The Broadway Musical is a big draw in New York City, and this magnificent tin-boxed set of 20 souvenir magnets will be equally drawn to your refrigerator, metal desk, or any magnetic surface! share this item |
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Mickey Mouse Diamond Earrings – $1625.00A genuine full-cut diamond Mickey icon adds dazzle to the hoop on these earrings. Available in platinum, and 14 karat and 18 karat golds of different colors, these earrings make an elegant addition to our Disney Dream Collection. share this item |
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Mickey Mouse Icon Diamond Swirl Ring for Women – $1437.50Mickey sets the gold standard with this dazzling ring. A genuine full-cut diamond Mickey icon is framed by a swirling design set within two gold bands. Available in a choice of yellow or white gold from our Disney Dream Collection. share this item |
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Mickey Mouse Icon Diamond Ring for Women – $1187.50Three genuine full-cut diamonds form a Mickey icon set within three bands of 14 karat gold on this dazzling Mickey Mouse ring. Available in yellow or white gold, it’s an elegant addition to our Disney Dream Collection. share this item |
Categories: Merchandise Tags: Broadway, Coupons, Discounts, Disney Store, DisneyStore.com, Lion King, Merchandise, Sales, The Lion King, TLK, Toys, Vinyl, Vinylmation
Report: Free ‘Inside the Lion King’ Exhibit Opens in New York for Limited Time
On November 13, 1997, Disney brought the staged, musical adaptation of its animated smash, The Lion King, to Broadway. Fifteen years later, it is now the the fifth longest-running musical in Broadway history, contains to sell out nightly and consistently has one of the top box-office intakes out of the dozens of theatrical offerings on Broadway alone.
As a thank you to the tens of millions of theater-goers who have seen the show as well as the millions more who will, Disney Theatrical has produced a free, time-limited exhibit appropriately titled ‘Inside The Lion King.’ Located at the corner of 42nd St and Sixth Ave in Manhattan, the exhibit gives visitors unprecedented access to not only ‘The Lion King,’ but the entire theatrical process. From concept design to modeling and mock-ups to fully realized costumes, the exhibit virtually makes the visitor part of the backstage experience itself. Here, photography is not only allowed, but encouraged, as is the ability to touch the costumes themselves and explore how they are constructed.
The individual displays are arranged around the exhibition by logical groupings as evidenced by the free exhibition ‘guide map’ handed out. Although the map has sections laid out in a circle, life appears to be more of a square. The map also encourages photos in particular with the Rafiki and Scar wax figures (on loan from Madam Tussauds) along with the adult Simba costume, but the truth is every step along the way is a virtual photo-op here, in particular with Zazu and Bertha, the elephant.
As guests travel around the exhibition, they’ll encounter several exhibition staff members willing to share information and enthusiasm about the musical. One of the several facts I personally heard over and over was that it takes four performers to operate Bertha [the elephant] — that’s one in each leg. In addition to the staff, there are two interactive touch-screen operated kiosks located towards the exit which offer up a wealth of information about the show across several categories.
While costumes and other artifacts make up the perimeter of the exhibit, the center portion of the room is dedicated to show merchandise — it is Disney after all. Virtually every item that can be purchased while attending the show is available to purchase here, though to be honest, the items are available through limited online channels as well. In either case, it’s a far broader offering than the limited theatrical merchandise one would find at the Disney Store in Times Square, making this a great place for a last-minute holiday gift or Christmas tree ornament. There is, however, one exclusive tshirt for the exhibit itself, offered only here. On a confusing side note, purchases seem to show up on statements as ‘Sister Act merchandise.’ From what I am told there are no discounts beyond Disney Cast Member, but there is a purchase with purchase offer: a reusable ‘The Lion King’ tote for $5 with any purchase. That said, it might be worth checking in towards the close of the exhibition just to be sure on any of the 2012. Another reason to stop by the exhibition is that tickets to the shows’ performances are being sold at the exhibit’s exit.
The exhibition will also play host to several workshops geared towards children aged six and up. For more information and for the current schedule, you can visit the official exhibition page.
‘Inside the Lion King’ is open daily from now through December 16 from 10 am – 8 pm, with limited hours on December 3 for private events. Admission is free.
Below is our gallery of images from the exhibit which represent a sample of what’s available to see hands-on, along with a video showing some of the highlights.
Categories: Theatre Tags: Broadway, Disney Theatrical, Events, Exhibits, Free, Lion King, Museums, Musicals, New York City, NYC, The Lion King, Theater, Theatre, TLK
New Disney Store Arrivals and Sales for November 19, 2012 (371 Items)
New Disney Store arrivals and sales for November 19, 2012
Below is a list of new items and sales now available for purchase at Disney Store. Clicking on a product’s image or description will launch the product’s page on Disney Store in another window.
Note that this list is generated and posted automatically. Stitch Kingdom should not be held responsible for any inaccuracies, misinformation or item availability.
Disclosure: This post includes specially formatted links which allow the site to receive a small percentage of purchases made through them. Using these links does not affect your shopping experience in any way, but it does help the site. Even if you don’t purchase anything, even just sharing products you like through Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest using the icons below them will help the site.
Beauty and the Beast Tee for Woman share this item |
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Minnie Mouse Ears Headband for Women share this item |
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Mickey Mouse Bodysuit for Baby – Walt Disney World share this item |
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Disney Cruise Line Tote share this item |
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Minnie Mouse Hoodie for Girls – Walt Disney World share this item |
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Vinylmation Park 8 Series Tray share this item |
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The Lion King: The Broadway Musical Scarf share this item |
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Mary Poppins: The Broadway Musical Scarf share this item |
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Tinker Bell Tee for Women share this item |
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Minnie Mouse Comforter – Twin/Full share this item |
Categories: Merchandise Tags: Broadway, Coupons, Discounts, Disney Store, DisneyStore.com, Mary Poppins, Merchandise, Sales, The Lion King, Toys, Vinyl, Vinylmation
New Disney Store Arrivals and Sales for November 16, 2012 (11 Items)
New Disney Store arrivals and sales for November 16, 2012
Below is a list of new items and sales now available for purchase at Disney Store. Clicking on a product’s image or description will launch the product’s page on Disney Store in another window.
Note that this list is generated and posted automatically. Stitch Kingdom should not be held responsible for any inaccuracies, misinformation or item availability.
Disclosure: This post includes specially formatted links which allow the site to receive a small percentage of purchases made through them. Using these links does not affect your shopping experience in any way, but it does help the site. Even if you don’t purchase anything, even just sharing products you like through Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest using the icons below them will help the site.
Vinylmation Classic Collection Series Tray share this item |
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Vinylmation Classic Collection Series Figure – 3” share this item |
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Vinylmation Pixar Series Figure – 3” share this item |
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Vinylmation Pixar Series Tray share this item |
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| Brave Merida Tiara for Girls Your little adventurer will shine like Scotland’s fiery heroine when she wears our glittering Merida tiara. Featuring a dangling jewel and gold glitter accents, Merida’s tiara also combs for a secure fit, ready for any brave journey. |
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| The Lion King: The Broadway Musical Scar Mug Make the most of your pre-caffeine morning mood with our The Lion King: The Broadway Musical Scar Mug. Simba’s scheming uncle warns the world ”I’m surrounded by idiots!” until the fog lifts and smiles come out again. |
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| Walt Disney World Hoodie for Women Warm up the nights for theme park fun in our cute and cozy full-zippered hoodie jacket with fleece lining. Mickey and his pals, plus Walt Disney World logos and park icons form a pop art pattern highlighted by an eye-popping 2012 logo appliqué! |
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| Minnie Mouse Bodysuit Set for Baby Girl — 2-Pc. How do you spell cute? M-I-N-N-I-E. Your little one will look as adorable as Minnie in this Minnie Mouse Bodysuit Set. The two charming bodysuits are very different, but they have one thing in common: baby will look pretty in both! |
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| 2012 Walt Disney World Tee for Girls Another year’s coming and everyone’s looking forward to more exciting trips to Walt Disney World. Celebrate 2012 with your favorite characters as you wear this awesome tee at your favorite place in the world — Walt Disney World Resort! |
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| Mary Poppins: The Broadway Musical -Mary Poppins Doll – 12” This collectible Mary Poppins doll shows off her sleek style in a full-length blue coat, red bag and matching black hat and umbrella. |
Categories: Merchandise Tags: Broadway, Coupons, Discounts, Disney Store, DisneyStore.com, Dolls, Mary Poppins, Merchandise, Musicals, Sales, The Lion King, TLK, Toys, Vinyl, Vinylmation
‘Newsies’ to Offer Free Performance in New York City on November 2
Disney Theatrical’s ‘Newsies’ has announced that it will be taping a performance on the morning of Friday, November 2 as part of the CBS Thanksgiving Parade special. The cast will perform ‘King of New York’ to a very lucky, intimate crowd of just 75 ‘fansies’ at the Nederlander Theatre located at 208 W 41st Street in Manhattan, between 7th and 8th Avenues.
According to the event page from their official Facebook page, the taping will occur between 10 am and 11:30 am and will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis only, with lines forming at 9 am. Guests under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
For more information on the performance, visit the official event page.
Categories: Theatre Tags: Broadway, Disney Theatrical, Holidays, Newsies, television, Thanksgiving, Theater, Theatre
‘Disney Twenty-Three’ Goes Inside ‘Wreck-It Ralph,’ ‘Epic Mickey,’ New Fantasyland and More
It’s time to get your game on, as the winter issue of Disney twenty-three, the flagship magazine of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club, takes readers on a vivid journey through the world of Wreck-It Ralph, the sensational new film from Walt Disney Feature Animation. The hilarious and touching film begs the question, What would happen if a video game bad guy decided he was tired of being bad?
Available nationwide on November 13, Disney twenty-three answers this question through exclusive interviews with director Rich Moore, writer Phil Johnston, star Sarah Silverman and more. The naturally animated Silverman also offers her personal take on getting toon-ed into the sassy character Vanellope von Schweetz. Along with the new issue, D23 Gold Members will receive a special member-only gift: a vibrant set of pixelated Wreck-It Ralph window clings featuring Ralph, Fix-It Felix, Jr. and the Nicelanders.
“Wreck It Ralph is an imaginative, heartfelt adventure that connects many of our favorite classic video game characters with a host of new ones and is sure to delight Disney fans of all ages,” said Steven Clark, head of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club. “In the winter issue, we invite D23 Members to get in the game as we take them behind the scenes with the stars and creative team of the film.”
The winter issue also celebrates the opening of the new Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs exhibit at the Walt Disney Family Museum with an in-depth look at the collection with a peek from Walt’s daughter, Diane Disney Miller, and an exclusive interview with Snow White’s live-action reference model, Marge Champion. Plus, ‘Epic Mickey’ creative director Warren Spector writes about digging into the Walt Disney Archives to create blockbuster Disney video games.
Disney twenty-three also offers the latest on exciting new projects from the world of Disney and a look at some celebrated classics. In its pages, Disney fans will be able to:
- Take to the stage as D23’s Billy Stanek and Radio Disney DJ Jake Whetter step into roles in Newsies and Mary Poppins on Broadway
- Learn “30 Thing You Just Might Not Know About Epcot” from never-built attractions to roaming eight-foot-tall dolls
- Enter the Magic Kingdom for a look at Walt Disney World’s spectacular Fantasyland expansion
- Get answers to “23 Questions” with The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and Newsies composer Alan Menken
- Enjoy a tour D23 Presents Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives and see some of the iconic pieces now on display at The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum
In conjunction with the release of winter issue of Disney twenty-three, www.D23.com will feature original and exclusive stories that complement the contents of D23’s beautiful, glossy magazine. Only available on D23.com, beginning November 13:
- Exclusive outtakes and insights from Warren Spector’s revelations about the creation of Disney video games.
- In celebration of The Lion King on Broadway’s 15th anniversary, Julie Taymor and Thomas Schumacher reflect on the opening night of what has become the fifth-longest running show on Broadway.
- Expanded interviews and behind-the-castle-walls photos of the Fantasyland expansion at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom
Disney twenty-three is delivered directly to the doorstep of all D23 Gold Members, along with a special gift. Disney twenty-three magazine is also available at retail locations across the country for $15.95, and can also be purchased online at DisneyStore.com andthroughout the Disneyland® and Walt Disney World® Resorts.
D23: The Official Disney Fan Club celebrates the remarkable past, present and future of Disney, taking its name from 1923, the year Walt Disney founded his world-famous company. D23 brings its members a host of exclusive benefits, including a weekly e-mail newsletter; an array of discounts and special offers; free gifts throughout the year; and exclusive, member-only special events.
Disney fans can join the world’s only Official Disney Fan Club by visiting www.D23.com, or at select shops at the Disneyland® Resort, the Walt Disney World® Resort and www.DisneyStore.com/D23. To keep up with all the latest D23 news and events, follow “DisneyD23” on Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.
Categories: D23 Expo Tags: Broadway, D23, Epic Mickey, fantasyland, FLE, Magic Kingdom, Mary Poppins, New Fantasyland, The Lion King, Wreck-It Ralph Wreck it Ralph, Wreckitralph
Report: Alan Menken Says ‘Aladdin’ Heading to Broadway
Last night, Alan Menken held an intimate performance as part of the ‘Destination D’ event at the Disneyland Resort, held by Disney D23, the official fan club of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS). After wowing the attending crowd with music from decades of his Tony, Grammy and Oscar-winning career (he holds the record for having the most Oscars (living)), he closed the show with ‘Proud of Your Boy,’ a song that was intended for the original 1992 film, but was cut due to story changes.
It was when introducing the song that Menken mentioned the musical is currently being tweaked for a Broadway run, according to reports from attendees. A new staged version of the musical was produced by Disney Theatrical and premiered at the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle last year, but no aspirations for Broadway were anywhere to be found — at best, a national tour; at worst, licensing to regional theater. Howard Ashman’s sister, Sarah, wrote about the musical on her tribute blog, Part Of Your World, and some of the changes that were incorporated into it that deviate it from the beloved animated film. In addition to ‘Proud of Your Boy,’ three other songs that were initially cut have been reinstated along: Call Me A Princess; High Adventure; and Babkak, Omar, Aladdin, Kassim, which brings along the three non-Aladdin characters with it.
After a brief run at The Muny in July, the musical is now in production at the Tuacahn Amphitheatre in Utah through mid-October and has managed to incorporate the use of 3D glasses for the Cave of Wonders and Genie’s ‘Friend Like Me’ song, courtesy of former Walt Disney Imagineer Geoff Puckett, according to the fan-based Aladdin Musical blog.
Still, prior to last night, there wasn’t so much as an inkling that it would soon find itself on the Great White Way. Actually, an inkling may in fact have been all there was, as a thread on Broadway World points to a cryptic message at the end of a recent video update from 5th Avenue Theatre (UPDATE – The upcoming musical in question was ‘A Christmas Story,’ so video removed):
Photo by @jellicle0
UPDATE #1 – 8/17/12 – Since there is so much interest in the article, we are now adding an audio recording from that evening’s performance in which Menken mentions the shift to Broadway. Had most anyone else said it, we would chalk it up to confusing Broadway as a generic theatrical production, but Menken probably knows the difference by now. So without further ado, here is Menken performing ‘Somebody’s Got Your Back’ and ‘Proud of Your Boy’ from Disney’s Aladdin:
As a post script, we have also received reports that employees at Tuacahn are freely talking about working closely with Disney Theatrical to bring the musical directly to Broadway.
Categories: Theatre Tags: Aladdin, Alan Menken, Broadway, Disney Theatrical, Musicals, Theater, Theatre
Speculation: Muppets May Take Manhattan via the Broadway Stage
It will be the quintessential example of life imitating art, but we have learned that Disney Theatrical may have intentions of bringing the Muppets to the theater with possible Broadway and national tour.
It was the third Muppet film, Muppets Take Manhattan (1984), in which Kermit the Frog wrote a musical titled ‘Manhattan Melodies’ and gained aspirations to bringing it to the Great White Way. Hilarity ensued and so did the Muppet Babies.
The speculative news comes once more via secretive domain name registrations. Amongst several new registrations are THEMUPPETSONBROADWAY.COM and THEMUPPETSONTOUR.COM. Although there is nothing in the actual registrations to tie them directly to Disney, we have reasons strong enough to report them as likely being legitimate.
The real question is just how Disney Theatrical plans on bringing The Muppets to stage, particularly Broadway, without cheapening (in a non-Muppety way) the experience. While puppets commanding the stage isn’t unprecedented (take ‘Avenue Q’ for example), it’d be difficult to replace any of the core puppeteers who are identified with each character with others. Unlike ‘Avenue Q,’ the Muppets also tend to keep the puppeteers hidden when performing, so while track is possible, it will ultimately cheapen the experience and takes out the potential bonus of improv. What could happen is a limited run with performances by the actual talent, coupled with a small national tour, but it would be hard to expect much more than that.
Other possible titles being worked on for the stage by Disney Theatrical include 101 Dalmatians (101dalmatiansonbroadway.com and 101dalmatiansontour.com), Bedknobs and Broomsticks (bedknobsandbroomsticksonbroadway.com, bedknobsandbroomsticksontour.com, bedknobsandbroomsticksthemusical.com) and Pinocchio (pinocchioonbroadway.com and pinocchioontour.com). Similar registrations were also made for ‘Bell, Book and Candle,’ which has been staged before and does not appear to belong to Disney Theatrical, but is now apparently being worked into a musical version which could simply be a licensed project not yet announced (bellbookandcandleonbroadway.com, bellbookandcandleontour.com, bellbookandcandlethemusical.com).
This is a follow-up to our initial report we provided two years ago which listed lots of potential projects for Disney Theatrical based on its films, many of which were either known to be in development or later announced as such.
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: Broadway, Disney Theatrical, Muppet, Muppets, Musicals, Plays, Theater, Theatre


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