Theatrical heroes or money-making zeroes?: A look into the world of Disney’s stage musicals

Charting the tale of a demigod looking to go from ‘Zero to Hero’, Disney’s Hercules first burst onto our screens back in 1997 – however, the charming story of the Greek god fighting to become his family’s hero wasn’t initially the smash hit in the box office that Disney had hoped for. Grossing $252 million worldwide, the film underperformed compared to other Disney favourites, and it would take several years for the film to become somewhat of a classic, finally finding a new fan base among millennials looking for a glimpse of nostalgia. That yearning for a cinematic past, however, ultimately spawned into a planned live-action remake, which is set to be directed by Guy Ritchie (à la Aladdin 2019 fame) and, also, a musical – which opened on the West End last month.

[Beauty and the Beast] found as much success on the stage as its cinematic counterpart and, to date, it has grossed over $1.7 billion worldwide in its over 30 years of being performed in as many as 115 cities

Disney’s stage musical pedigree, though, stretches back much further than just a few weeks on the West End ­(or a few years before that in Central Park’s Delacorte Theater). The love story between Disney’s animated tales and the stages of London and New York began over three decades ago – before Hercules even hit the animation tables of the Walt Disney studios. After finding much success on the big screen, including becoming the first animated film to win a Golden Globe for Best Musical or Comedy Film and the first to be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar, Beauty and the Beast was transported to the billboards and playbills of Broadway in 1994. With the musical wizardry of Alan Menken (who also composed the music for the original 1991 film) and lyrics from writing partners Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, the musical found as much success on the stage as its cinematic counterpart and, to date, it has grossed over $1.7 billion worldwide in its over 30 years of being performed in as many as 115 cities.

While Beauty and the Beast would continue gracing the boards of Broadway for another 13 years – going on to become the sixth-longest running Broadway production at the time of its final performance – Disney did not stop there with its foray into theatres. Just three years later, The Lion King burst onto the stage of Broadway’s New Amsterdam Theater. Ever since, Disney hasn’t looked back, their film-to-stage pipeline riding on the success of their seminal Serengeti-inspired musical, with its striking sets and unforgettable songs (all of which was recognised by six Tony Awards, two Laurence Olivier Awards, and three Molière Awards). Mary Poppins would follow in 2004, opening in Bristol’s famous Hippodrome, while Tarzan and The Little Mermaid found their way into the hearts of American audiences in the latter years of the noughties.

Do Disney’s stage musicals still hold up to the hype of their early West End and Broadway endeavours, or are they simply another cog in the Mickey Mouse-headed capitalist wheel?

But years on, as Disney continues to pump out stage extravaganzas at a rate which can only be challenged by their live-action movie revivals, it begs the question: do Disney’s stage musicals still hold up to the hype of their early West End and Broadway endeavours, or are they simply another cog in the Mickey Mouse-headed capitalist wheel?

The ‘Disneyfication’ of – let’s face it – almost everything is a tale as old as time. From merchandise to books, theme parks to video games, every Disney film brings with it a deluge of added extras. The film conglomerate, founded a century ago by its namesake Walt Disney, hinges on its audience’s desire for nostalgia and escapism, as everyone in the family – from children to so-called ‘Disney adults’ – seeks a bit of animated magic. Disney’s musicals, love them or hate them, certainly play a part in this ‘Disneyfication’ of the arts, where money is key in keeping the ‘Circle of Life’ turning. As Eliana Dockterman wrote for TIME Magazine: “Hit movies make money. A hit movie tied to a hit musical is a profit-spewing franchise that runs for decades.”

It is evident that Disney musicals are successful. Very successful. If only these takings could match the wages of those keeping the musicals going

Take one of Disney’s most recent endeavours into the musical world: Frozen. Expanding on the 2013 smash hit, which introduced us to sisters Anna and Elsa and the loveable snowman Olaf, the Frozen musical opened in Denver in 2017 before transferring to Broadway in 2018 and the West End in 2021. Despite being met with mixed reviews (one critic branded the show “often dull, alternately dopey”, while another praised the “magic” of the “stunning musical extravaganza”), the musical still raked in millions in the box office. In just one particular week in its opening year, Frozen: The Broadway Musical grossed over $2.07 million. The Lion King grossed $2.49 million in the same week, while Aladdin took $1.6 million. It is evident that Disney musicals are successful. Very successful. If only these takings could match the wages of those keeping the musicals going.

Jason Leigh Winter, who is currently starring as part of the ensemble in Hercules on the West End, decried the plummeting pay of theatre professionals in 2023, asking: “How are we genuinely supposed to live when the price of everything is increasing so much but not our rate of pay to match it? I shouldn’t have to live in a shithole or a flat share at 34 years old.” A survey by the Equity union backed up Winter’s anger, with producers found to be paying actors below the minimum union rates of around £770 per week for the West End. So much for Disney’s financial success, then.

There is, however, some hope for the theatre scene with ticket sales in the West End soaring – 17.1 million people attended London’s theatres last year, in turn generating profits which support those working in the industry. A small mercy for those working on Disney’s productions (though the minds behind some of the best-known films will still be pocketing most of that cash).

What all of this says to the cynic in me, nevertheless, is that Disney’s musicals – which are now often transported straight across to the streaming giant Disney+ – are simply cash cows which seek to support the cinematic giant.

However, as a musical-loving theatregoer who unashamedly shed a tear no less than a few minutes into a production of The Lion King, I fear the cynic in me has to be put aside for the wonder that is Disney’s musicals. Money-makers they may be, but they are also absolute classics – Aladdin, and the aforementioned Lion King, will remain as two of my favourite musicals I’ve ever seen. Now, to get to London at some point to watch Hercules – maybe I will say, I’m in love.