Thomas Schumacher | |
|---|---|
 Schumacher speaking at the2019 Tony Awards | |
| President ofDisney Theatrical Group | |
| In office June 2001 (2001-06) – September 2025 (2025-09) | |
| Preceded by | Ron Logan |
| Succeeded by | Andrew Flatt (as Managing Director) & Anne Quart (as Executive Producer) |
| President ofWalt Disney Feature Animation | |
| In office January 1999 (1999-01) – 2002 (2002) | |
| Preceded by | Peter Schneider |
| Succeeded by | David Stainton |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Thomas Hubbard Caswell Schumacher III (1957-12-05)December 5, 1957 (age 67) Glendale, California, U.S. |
| Spouse | |
| Occupation | Theatrical producer |
Thomas Schumacher (born December 5, 1957) is a film and theatrical producer. He was the president ofDisney Theatrical Group,[1] the theatrical production arm ofThe Walt Disney Company.
Schumacher studied theatre atUCLA. In 1987 he was associate director of the Los Angeles Festival of Arts, presenting the American premiere ofCirque du Soleil and the English-language premiere ofPeter Brook'sThe Mahabharata.[2] Previously, he spent five years on staff at theMark Taper Forum, served as a line producer on the 1984 Olympic Arts Festival, and served as assistant general manager of theLos Angeles Ballet.[3] He then joined the Disney company in 1988,[3] producing the animated film,The Rescuers Down Under,[4] which was released in 1990.
WithThe Lion King under consideration for the next Broadway adaptation, Eisner cededDisney Theatrical Productions to theatre-rooted Disney Animation presidentPeter Schneider and Schumacher, at their request, making them president and executive vice president of DTP, respectively.[5] In 1994, Schumacher said that handing over the reins of the film to producerDon Hahn was painful. However, he was proud of the musical partnership between lyricist Tim Rice and singerElton John whose songs "soar" through the film, although he was initially unsure of hiring John because he thought he was too big of a name. Schneider, through whom Schumacher got his job, described him as successful and arguing he has "great taste". Schumacher also said that he loathed saying there were gay characters because people will want him to "go backward and point them out". He further noted thatJeffrey Katzenberg asked if any of the gay references in the 1992 filmAladdin offended him, and he said the references were in "good fun", remarking that they should not deny that "swishyfashion designers" exist.[6]
Schneider was promoted toDisney Studios president in January 1999, while Thomas Schumacher was promoted to president ofWalt Disney Feature Animation and Walt Disney Theatrical Productions, while both are made co-presidents of Disney Theatrical[7] which was renamed toBuena Vista Theatrical Group Limited with two divisions—Disney Theatricals and Hyperion Theatricals—head by the duo.[8] With Schneider leaving in June 2001 to form his own theater production company partly funded by Disney, Schumacher became only president of Buena Vista Theatrical Group and head of its divisions.[9][10]
After producing dozens of films, Schumacher leftWalt Disney Feature Animation in 2002, replaced byDavid Stainton.[11][12]
He transitioned to solely focus on the growing theatrical business as its head. He is a member of the board of trustees forBroadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS,[13] theTony Administration Committee and the Advisory Committee of theAmerican Theatre Wing.[2] He is a mentor for the TDF Open Doors program and serves as an adjunct professor at Columbia University.[3] In March 2016, the gala of the Theatre Development Fund saluted Schumacher and Disney Theatrical Productions.[14] He also is the chairman of the Board of The Broadway League.[15]
On February 21, 2018,The Wall Street Journal reported that Schumacher was the subject of an internal investigation at Disney into inappropriate behavior, with eyewitness accounts detailing aggressive sexual language and intimidation dating back to the 1990s. This reportedly included remarks toward male employees, including comments about the "sexual prowess of black men". It was also said that he denied the accusations and committed to being "more mindful and adhering to company policies going forward."[16][17]
Schumacher has worked with The Walt Disney Company since 1988 and served as President of Disney Theatrical Group from 2001 to 2025.[1]
On September 3, 2025, it was announced that Schumacher would depart from Disney Theatrical Group at the end of the month.[18]
Schumacher is the author of the bookHow Does the Show Go On? An Introduction to the Theater (Disney Editions, 2007; 2019).[19]
In June 1994, Schumacher toldThe Advocate that he was an "out gay man" when he began working at Disney, and argued there were "a lot of gay people at every level" of Disney, and called it a "very supportive environment", withThe Advocate calling him one of the "most influential gay men" inHollywood. He also brought his partner, Matthew White, aballet dancer inLos Angeles, to the annual company party and other company retreats. He noted that while some were "uncomfortable" with Schumacher bringing his partner, that higher executives likeJeffrey Katzenberg andMichael Eisner did not trouble him over it.[20]
In November 2012, Schumacher married White, his longtime partner and interior designer.[21]
In October 2002, Thomas Schumacher announced he would be leaving Walt Disney Feature Animation.
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