Longtime Disney Theatrical head Thomas Schumacher is stepping away from the group at the end of the month, per an email sent to Disney employees by Disney Entertaniment Co-Chairman Alan Bergman September 3. The move, happening so Schumacher can "begin his next chapter," according to Bergman, ends a 40 year-tenure with the group that dates back to its very beginnings.

Schumacher was executive vice president to Peter Schneider as president beginning in 1994, beginning his work with the stage division while also serving as president of Walt Disney Feature Animation. Under his leadership, Disney has brought a number of its films to Broadway, including Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Tarzan, Mary Poppins, The Little Mermaid, Newsies, Aladdin, and Frozen. The group has also been involved in producing works that did not originate as Disney films, including Peter and the Starcatcher and Aida. Three of those titles—Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, and Aladdin—are among the 15 longest-running shows in Broadway history. Disney's Broadway shows have collectively welcomed nearly a quarter of a billion people into their audiences, and have won a combined 20 Tony Awards.

Schumacher most recently had become the group's chief creative officer, a new role that was created in 2023 after he stepped away from his role as president and producer. Since then, the group's business operations have been under the purview of Schumacher's former deputies, Managing Director Andrew Flatt and Executive Producer Anne Quart.

"Thirty-eight years ago when Peter Schneider at Disney Animation asked me to produce The Rescuers Down Under, I had no idea it would lead to four decades working with some of the most exceptional creative artists in the world—both in animation and theatre," reads a statement from Schumacher. “I’m proud that Disney Theatrical will be in the extraordinarily capable hands of Andrew Flatt and Anne Quart, with whom I’ve worked for over 20 years. I can’t wait to see how they lead this peerless organization forward."

"I met Tom right around the time he was about to deliver The Lion King in 1997, which was his first Broadway show!," says Bergman in the internal email. "Now, 30 productions later, it is the most successful single entertainment property in box office history. And there have been many more successes since then, including 20 Tony Awards, 28,000 Broadway performances, 240 million audience members globally, Disney shows on every continent except Antarctica—the list goes on. He has grown Disney on Ice, pioneered sensory-friendly Broadway shows, and developed an expansive program to enable schools to produce Disney musicals on their own stages. He has been a tireless supporter, advocate, and leader of the theatre community, playing a key role in turning Broadway’s lights back on during the unprecedented pandemic shutdown. It’s a truly remarkable record.

"He’s not done yet, but his legacy is secured, thanks to his vision, boldness, and most importantly, the team he has built. We have an exceptional group of theatremakers at Disney Theatrical, Anne and Andrew among them. They have both been with DTG every step of the way for more than 20 years and have been instrumental in building this business under Tom’s leadership. [Disney Entertainment President] Cathleen [Taff] and I are both excited to continue working closely with them to shape the future of Disney Theatrical, not only bringing new productions to the stage but continuing to showcase the productions currently delighting audiences in every corner of the globe. And as we make this transition, we look forward to continuing to work with Tom as a consultant after he departs his role at the end of September."

Aside from his work with Disney, Schumacher is a member of the board of trustees for Broadway Cares, the Tony Awards Administration Committee, and the American Theatre Wing's Advisory Committee. He's also a former chairman of The Broadway League.