Decades of Disney's songs go on tour in 'On the Record'

NEW YORK — It's quite a collection. More than 70 years of popular song — from a little ditty called "Minnie's Yoo-Hoo," co-authored by the big man himself, Walt Disney, to the works of such present-day maestros as Alan Menken, Elton John, Phil Collins, Randy Newman and more.

"It is like an American songbook, and they are the standards," says Thomas Schumacher, head of Disney Theatrical Productions, the folks who brought you the stage versions of "Beauty and the Beast," "The Lion King," "Aida" and the recently opened London smash "Mary Poppins."

Schumacher was describing the musical numbers that make up "On the Record," Disney's new theater venture, designed to play around the country — but not necessarily on Broadway.

You know the songs. You grew up with them. So did your kids. "When You Wish Upon a Star." "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo." "Someday My Prince Will Come." "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" Some 60 numbers in all, from all the classic Disney films such as "Snow White," "Pinocchio," "Lady and the Tramp" and "The Little Mermaid" to a few movies you may not have thought about in years, such as "The Parent Trap" or "So Dear to My Heart."

"On the Record," now on an extended national tour, was designed with travel in mind, able to be dismantled and then reassembled quickly, although its setting of gleaming panels by Robert Brill is still lavish-looking.

"The simple fact is everything you send out on the road can't be huge," said Schumacher, a man who should know since he has two tours of "The Lion King" currently traipsing the country. "A lot of theaters can't accommodate them for long runs. So if you can't accommodate a long run, but you can accommodate a week or even a split (half) week, what can we send out?"

"On the Record" would appear to be the answer, with bookings through much of 2005 already set. It was born when Schumacher decided to mine the musical gold that is in the Disney song catalog. But how do you present the material in an evening of entertainment that would be tour-friendly and appeal to a wide variety of people?

Complicating matters, according to Schumacher, was the fact that most of these songs are not pop songs. They are story songs, written for very specific moments in these films. They could not easily be inserted into a new story (such as was done with the ABBA songs in "Mamma Mia!")