Disney musicals have been a mainstay on Broadway for decades, but the magic doesn’t stop there. 2025 marks 20 years of Disney musicals joining Music Theatre International’s Broadway JR. collection, a special series that turns Broadway shows into musicals made to be performed by kids. Since 2005, school children worldwide have been able to act, sing, and dance in Beauty and the Beast JR., Aladdin JR., The Little Mermaid JR., and so much more.
To mark the anniversary, Disney has debuted a new Disney-Broadway JR. revue, Dare to Dream JR., which lets kids perform even more of their favorite Disney songs even if they come from titles not yet in the Broadway JR. collection. The new musical premiered at the Atlanta Junior Theater Festival in January, and now is available to perform for schools and youth theatres.
March has also been designated “Theatre in Our Schools” Month, a testament to the impact of theatre on young people. Because while a middle school might feel like a smaller venue than a big Broadway house, the cumulative effect of thousands of schools annually doing Disney JR. musicals dwarfs their Broadway counterparts.
“More than 80 million people have seen one of these JR. shows, and more than nine million kids have been in one of them,” shares Disney Theatrical Group Director of Licensing David Redman Scott. “It’s had a major impact on our audiences.”
It’s had an impact on their stages, too. Actor Adi Roy is currently starring in the title role of Broadway’s Aladdin, but in a true full-circle moment, he’s actually playing the role for the second time. The first was in a production of Aladdin JR. at his New Jersey middle school.
According to Roy, at the time, it didn’t feel like the beginning of what would become his adult career. “It was just something I did with my friends. It was fun!” says Roy. “I was so focused on trying to be natural on stage, which becomes a lesson in being the best possible version of yourself. Theatre showed me what I was capable of.” He still counts much of that cast, most of whom have seen him do Aladdin on Broadway, as close friends.
“Theatre has a lot more skill development than what you’re seeing on opening night,” says Dr. Jennifer Katona, a former theatre teacher and current executive director of the Educational Theatre Association. “As a theatre teacher, I’ve seen kids whose teachers can’t believe they would open their mouth to speak suddenly become a star on the stage.” Katona says she’s watched theatre help kids blossom, especially those who face personal hardships. “There’s something really powerful about being a character, putting on a costume, being free to explore who you are.”
As Roy puts it, “You get to try on different skins, but end up learning about yourself.”
That is why EdTA works to support school theatre year-round. And they want everyone to join them in the month of March, which they’ve designated “Theatre in Our Schools” Month. Disney and Katona encourage anyone who loves theatre, who’s seen the impact that theatre has on kids, to take this month to support, advocate, and get involved with their local youth arts communities. It’s important to make sure these programs will continue to be there for the kids who dearly need them.
“Drama programs are often the first to be cut when there are budget constraints,” explains Katona. “That’s why we are advocating for theatre in our schools, and making sure everyone knows that the power of theatre goes way beyond opening night.”
To learn more, visit SchoolTheatre.org.
