Schumacher studied theatre at
UCLA. In 1987 he was associate director of the Los Angeles Festival of Arts, presenting the American premiere of
Cirque du Soleil and the English-language premiere of
Peter Brook's
The Mahabharata. which was released in 1990. With
The Lion King under consideration for the next Broadway adaptation, Eisner ceded
Disney Theatrical Productions to theatre-rooted Disney Animation president
Peter Schneider and Schumacher, at their request, making them president and executive vice president of DTP, respectively. In 1994, Schumacher said that handing over the reins of the film to producer
Don Hahn was painful. However, he was proud of the musical partnership between lyricist Tim Rice and singer
Elton 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 that
Jeffrey Katzenberg asked if any of the gay references in the 1992 film
Aladdin offended him, and he said the references were in "good fun", remarking that they should not deny that "swishy
fashion designers" exist. Schneider was promoted to
Disney Studios president in January 1999, while Thomas Schumacher was promoted to president of
Walt Disney Feature Animation and Walt Disney Theatrical Productions, while both are made co-presidents of Disney Theatrical which was renamed to
Buena Vista Theatrical Group Limited with two divisions—Disney Theatricals and Hyperion Theatricals—head by the duo. 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. After producing dozens of films, Schumacher left
Walt Disney Feature Animation in 2002, replaced by
David Stainton. He transitioned to solely focus on the growing theatrical business as its head. He is a member of the board of trustees for
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the
Tony Administration Committee and the Advisory Committee of the
American Theatre Wing. He is a mentor for the TDF Open Doors program and serves as an adjunct professor at Columbia University. In March 2016, the gala of the Theatre Development Fund saluted Schumacher and Disney Theatrical Productions. He also is the chairman of the Board of The Broadway League. 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." Schumacher has worked with The Walt Disney Company since 1988 and served as President of Disney Theatrical Group from 2001 to 2025. ==Publications==