September 9, 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Chris Boneau/ Aaron Meier

DISNEY THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS
ANNOUNCES
LICENSING AGREEMENTS WITH
MUSIC THEATRE INTERNATIONAL 

TWO MAJOR AGREEMENTS
TO BRING CLASSIC TITLES
TO LOCAL & REGIONAL THEATRE COMPANIES

Disney Theatrical Productions (Thomas Schumacher, President) is pleased to announce it has reached two major long-term exclusive licensing agreements with Music Theatre International (MTI; Freddie Gershon, Chairman & Principal), the world’s leading theatrical licensing agency.

The two separate agreements will allow local and regional theatre companies, including professional and amateur groups, to license classic Disney titles for local production on area stages.

The two agreements accomplish the following goals:

• For the first time, performance rights to Disney’s blockbuster, Tony® Award-winning musicals BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and Elton John & Tim Rice’s AIDA will be available for license through MTI.
• Disney Theatrical Productions and MTI will develop adaptations of classic titles from the Disney animated and live action feature film catalog to be licensed through MTI.

 “We are very pleased to announce both of these agreements with MTI,” Thomas Schumacher said. “MTI’s reputation with both educators and local theatre companies provides an ideal match for Disney Theatricals’ mission to bring exceptional live theatre to a wider audience of families and new theatregoers.” 

PERFORMANCE RIGHTS TO BEAUTY AND THE BEAST & AIDA

For the first time, performance rights to Disney’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and Elton John and Tim Rice’s AIDA will be available for license to professional and amateur theatre companies around the world.  

“We’re thrilled to make these rights available through MTI,” Schumacher said. “We receive requests from local theatre companies every day to license these shows, and this agreement will enable us to respond through MTI,” Schumacher said.

Initially, MTI will license AIDA to Big League Theatricals, Inc. who will tour their own version of the show beginning in the 2004-2005 season. Disney’s own North American touring production of AIDA has completed its 50-city, two-and-a-half-year run at the end of August.

“There were a number of U.S. cities that couldn’t be reached given the economics of our touring production,” Schumacher said, “so we’re delighted that MTI will be licensing AIDA to Big League Theatricals, Inc.”

Elton John and Tim Rice’s AIDA is now in its fourth year on Broadway, having played more than 1,400 performances.  The show also completed a two-year run in the Netherlands in early August 2003. In just four years, nearly five million people have seen the three productions of AIDA.  New productions will open in Essen, Germany in October 2003 and Osaka, Japan in December 2003. 

Disney’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is now in its 10^th year on Broadway, and – at more than 3,800 performances – is the seventh longest running show in Broadway history.  First-class productions of the show have been seen in 14 countries in six different languages, entertaining more than 25 million people worldwide.  In addition to Broadway, the show can also currently be seen in Kyoto, Japan and Sao Paulo, Brazil with a new production scheduled to open in Seoul, South Korea in August 2004.  BEAUTY AND THE BEAST recently completed its 90-city, seven-and-a-half-year North American tour in early August 2003. 

“We look forward to helping make productions of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST available to local and regional theatre companies,” Schumacher said. “It is exciting to be able to offer the licensing rights while the Broadway production continues in New York. Now theatregoers all over the country will be able to enjoy a live theatre experience in their own community and on Broadway when they travel to New York.”

DEVELOPMENT & LICENSING OF CLASSIC DISNEY TITLES

Disney and MTI will develop and license adaptations of classic titles from the Disney animated and live-action feature film library specifically for the professional and amateur theatre licensing market.

The development of new titles strictly for regional professional and amateur theatres is a remarkable innovation which Disney and MTI are proud to launch.

Disney and MTI will introduce both 60-minute and 30-minute version of certain titles for performances by children. The 60-minute version is geared toward grades 5-9 and the 30-minute version toward grades 1-4. After an initial period of development in which the new shows will be performed by children at selected “test sites,” they will be made generally available for production at schools, camps, and children’s theatres.

By licensing directly to schools, and enabling students themselves to perform roles with which they are likely to be familiar, Disney hopes to encourage the next generation of theatre artists and audiences.

“Our team is enthusiastically embracing this unique collaborative venture with Disney,” Gershon said. “Our companies share a common vision to bring all of the arts to a new generation through active participation in musical theatre, and more specifically, with this delightful ‘new’ collection of stage musicals from Disney. The Disney titles will serve to enhance the entire global marketplace energizing and engaging children and students everywhere who are already familiar with the Disney film versions.”

Schumacher added, “Kids everywhere will be given an opportunity to perform in a school show from full-length musicals such as NEWSIES and MULAN to age appropriate classics suitable for younger students, such as CINDERELLA, ALADDIN, THE JUNGLE BOOK, and 101 DALMATIONS.”

Disney and MTI are working to develop these properties now in anticipation of launching the new program in Fall 2004.

# # # #

If you are interested in being considered as a “test site” for a show in development, please register to become a Disney Collection at MTI THEATRELAND CLUB member and indicate your desire by checking the appropriate boxes.