If you're one of the thousands of fans who just joined Disney+ in order to watch Hamilton when it made its streaming debut July 3, you may not have spent much time investigating the streamer's additional options. But rest assured, there are plenty of other titles worth the time of a true theatrelover!
Disney+ scored the ultimate live capture title earlier this year when it picked up Hamilton, filmed in 2016 with the original Broadway cast, including creator Lin-Manuel Miranda in the title role, and starring Leslie Odom Jr., Daveed Diggs, Renée Elise Goldberry, Christopher Jackson, Jonathan Groff, and Phillipa Soo.
But also available is Newsies: The Broadway Musical. Following paperboys trying to start a union at the turn of the 20th century, the show stars Jeremy Jordan, Kara Lindsay, Ben Fankhauser, Andrew Keenan-Bolger, Aisha De Haas, and Tommy Bracco. Featuring a book by Harvey Fierstein, music by Alan Menken, and lyrics by Jack Feldman, the Broadway musical took home 2012 Tony Awards for Best Choreography (Christopher Gattelli) and Best Original Score (Menken and Feldman).
Looking for more full-length showstoppers? Disney+ has a slew of movie musicals available, including The Sound of Music, Hello, Dolly!, Mary Poppins, and Bedknobs and Broomsticks (a hidden gem starring five-time Tony winner Angela Lansbury). While the first three have all been seen on Broadway before, the latter is currently in development with a stage adaptation set to debut in the U.K.
Despite the theatre shutdown, Broadway stars all came together for The Disney Family Singalongs in April and May, which are now available to stream. Among those performing from their homes were Tony winners Kristin Chenoweth, Heather Headley, James Monroe Iglehart, Idina Menzel, Ben Platt, and Anika Noni Rose. A handful of Disney on Broadway stars like Merle Dandridge, Adam Jacobs, and Caissie Levy also participated in the performance.
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, a metatheatrical revisit of the beloved title, is one of two original scripted shows that debuted on Disney+ when it launched (the other being Star Wars: The Mandalorian). It stars Olivia Rodrigo, Matt Cornett, and Broadway alum Kate Reinders (Something Rotten!, Wicked). And fans longing for the Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens iterations won’t need to look far—all three High School Musical films are also be available to stream, as well.
There’s also Encore!, hosted by Frozen’s Kristen Bell, reuniting high school theatre alums as they try to recapture the magic from their heyday. The show expands upon the concept that debuted on ABC in December 2017. Other original musical films and TV series available on the service include Let It Shine, Camp Rock, The Cheetah Girls, and Stargirl, feautring America's Got Talent winner Grace VanderWaal.
The 2018 Disney Channel Original Freaky Friday, adapted from the stage musical featuring a score by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey, is also on the roster. Heidi Blickenstaff returned to play Katherine after appearing in various regional productions, with newcomer Cozi Zuehlsdorff starring as Ellie.
Going deeper into the offerings are some titles that are Broadway–adjacent, like the 2005 Wonderful World of Disney presentation of Once Upon a Mattressx, starring Carol Burnett, Denis O’Hare, Tracey Ullman, Matthew Morrison, and Zooey Deschanel. Also available are The Boys: The Sherman Brothers Story (the duo behind the songs of Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and more) and A Celebration of the Music From Coco (featuring music by double EGOT winner Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez).
Dozens of Disney theatrical films also appear the service, including several that have landed on the musical theatre stage since premiering in cinemas: Beauty and the Beast, Sister Act, Frozen, Aladdin, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Lion King, and The Little Mermaid.
For more information and to subscribe, visit DisneyPlus.com.
