VIDEO: Thomas Schumacher Talks Bringing Back Broadway on the Latest Episode of 32 BAR CUT

We're back! 32 Bar Cut: The Show is a weekly interview series with some of Broadway's biggest stars! Married duo, Adrienne Walker and Austin Cook produce the show from their Brooklyn apartment and connect with performers all across the country to get their candid take on what it's like to be a performer.

For the first episode of Season 2, the show welcomes Disney Theatrical Group's President, Thomas Schumacher. Thomas has been the central figure behind Disney on Broadway's smash hit musicals such as The Lion King, Mary Poppins, Beauty & The Beast, Aladdin and more. On this episode, Adrienne is asking the questions you want to know - What does a producer actually do? How has Broadway changed since the events of 2020 in regards to racism and police brutality & the covid-19 pandemic? What advice does Thomas have for young people who'd like to be a producer in theatre?

Since 1988, Thomas Schumacher has worked with The Walt Disney Company, setting new standards of excellence in film, television, and theatre. Having spent much of his tenure as president of Disney Animation, Mr. Schumacher currently serves as President & Producer of Disney Theatrical Group, where he oversees the development, creation and execution of Disney's legitimate Stage Entertainment around the globe, including Broadway, touring and licensed productions; as well as Disney on Ice and Disney Live! shows produced in partnership with Feld Entertainment. The division's Broadway, West End, touring and international production credits include Beauty and the Beast, King David, The Lion King, Der Glockner von Notre Dame, Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida, On the Record, High School Musical, Tarzan® , Mary Poppins, The Little Mermaid , Peter and the Starcatcher, Newsies, Aladdin, Shakespeare in Love, and Frozen. The company has collaborated with the country's leading regional theatres to develop new stage titles including The Jungle Book, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Freaky Friday. Most recent projects include the in-cinema Fathom Events release of Newsies, and the new live-action film Beauty and the Beast and Disney Channel musical adaptation of Freaky Friday, for which he served as Executive Producer. With more than 20 productions currently produced or licensed, a Disney musical is being performed professionally somewhere on the planet virtually every hour of the day. Mr. Schumacher is the author of the book How Does the Show Go On? An Introduction to the Theater, as well as a member of the Board of Trustees for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the Board of Directors for Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the Tony® Administration Committee, the College of Fellows of the American Theatre, and was a longtime trustee of the Actors Fund, now serving as a member of the Chairman's Council. He is a former mentor for the TDF Open Doors program and serves as an adjunct professor at Columbia University. He is currently serving as the Chairman of The Broadway League.