10 Disney movies that should be made into Broadway musicals

With Disney having a huge presence on Broadway, these 10 films are each perfect for the next big stage musical!

Kathy Najimy as Mary Sanderson, Bette Midler as Winifred Sanderson, and Sarah Jessica Parker as Sarah Sanderson in HOCUS POCUS 2, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Matt Kennedy. © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Kathy Najimy as Mary Sanderson, Bette Midler as Winifred Sanderson, and Sarah Jessica Parker as Sarah Sanderson in HOCUS POCUS 2, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Matt Kennedy. © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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Encanto

ENCANTO
Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Encanto” introduces Mirabel, a 15-year-old who lives with her family in the mountains of Colombia in a magical house, in a vibrant town, in a wondrous, charmed place called an Encanto. Mirabel, a kind and humble teenager who puts the ordinary in extraordinary, struggles to fit in a family that’s blessed with magical powers. Featuring the voice of Stephanie Beatriz as Mirabel, “Encanto” opens in theaters on Nov. 24, 2021. © 2021 Disney. All Rights Reserved.

As one of Disney’s biggest recent animated hits, an Encanto stage musical just seems a matter of time. A full-scale Broadway version of “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” is just screaming to be made, and adding more numbers can be good. The sight of that magical house as a huge set turning around and transforming would be quite the sight and magical in its own way.

The musical can delve deeper into the characters, use some cut material and build on the strong family themes. It almost seems only a matter of time before Disney tries this, so they might as well go for it now. 

The Santa Clause 

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The Santa Clauses. Image courtesy Disney/James Clark

With the 1994 Tim Allen hit about to celebrate its 30th anniversary, it’s a good time for a stage musical version. It can be a bit more sardonic, fitting with Scott not liking the holidays before he’s sucked into becoming Santa Claus. The makeup guys might enjoy the challenge of showing him slowly transforming into Kris Kringle over the course of the show and the North Pole offers some good backdrops for big musical numbers.

The stage version could work either just adapting the original or melding it with the second film of Scott trying to find a Mrs. Claus. Either way, with a unique take on the holiday season and some fun turns on Christmas carols, this can be a winner for the holidays.