Disney On Bdwy Essentials: Celebrating 15 Years Of Magical Musicals Released 6/9

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The celebration of Disney Theatrical Productions' 15th Anniversary continues with "Disney on Broadway Essentials: Celebrating 15 Years of Magical Musicals," an all-new digital compilation from Walt Disney Records. Beginning June 9th, this release will be available at a variety of online digital music retailers including iTunes, Amazon.com, Walmart.com, Rhapsody, Napster and Zune and will feature original cast recordings from Disney's award-winning productions of Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Elton John & Tim Rice's Aida, Tarzan®, Mary Poppins, a co-production by Disney and Cameron Mackintosh, and The Little Mermaid.

In addition to the 18 iconic songs in the compilation, iTunes will offer exclusive album-only bonus content from Mary Poppins including a previously unreleased version of "Feed the Birds" performed by Ashley Brown, Broadway's original Mary Poppins who is currently starring in the North American touring production in Chicago. Also available on iTunes with the purchase of the full album is a video clip of "Step in Time," a show-stopping musical number filmed in its entirety at the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York.

Tracks To Include:

* Circle of Life - The Lion King
* You'll Be In My Heart - Tarzan®
* My Strongest Suit - Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida
* Part of Your World - The Little Mermaid
* Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious - Mary Poppins
* If I Can't Love Her - Beauty and the Beast
* Everything That I Am - Tarzan®
* Can You Feel the Love Tonight - The Lion King
* Be Our Guest - Beauty and the Beast
* Easy as Life - Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida
* Step in Time - Mary Poppins
* If Only - The Little Mermaid
* Strangers Like Me - Tarzan®
* Elaborate Lives - Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida
* Under the Sea - The Little Mermaid
* He Lives in You (Reprise) - The Lion King
* Anything Can Happen If You Let It - Mary Poppins
* Beauty and the Beast - Beauty and the Beast
* Feed the Birds - Mary Poppins [iTunes Exclusive Bonus Track]
* Step in Time - Mary Poppins [iTunes Exclusive Bonus Video]

For the past 15 years, Disney Theatrical Productions (DTP) has been a leading producer of live Stage Entertainment on Broadway and around the world. Currently under the direction of producer and president Thomas Schumacher, DTP has produced six award-winning Broadway musicals including Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Elton John & Tim Rice's Aida, TARZAN®, Mary Poppins, a co-production by Disney and Cameron Mackintosh, and The Little Mermaid. In total, these six shows have been seen by over 21 million people in New York alone and, cumulatively, over 82 million people worldwide. Thanks to the tremendous appeal of the Disney brand and its beloved characters, DTP has for brought new audiences to Broadway, many of whom have never been to the theatre before. Additionally, DTP produces and licenses its Broadway musicals around the world reaching a global annual audience of more than 10 million people in over 40 countries. DTP licenses musical titles for local schools and community productions through a partnership with Music Theatre International.

Beyond Broadway, permanent sit-down productions of Mary Poppins, The Lion King, Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida, Tarzan® and Beauty and the Beast continue to be produced around the world in such cities as London, Paris, Hamburg, Tokyo and Amsterdam. DTP has also produced permanent and touring productions of these musicals outside of Broadway: most notably, a North American tour of Mary Poppins launched in Chicago in March to rave reviews and The Lion King, which continues to tour North America, is currently running in Paris, London, Hamburg, Fukuoka and Tokyo and recently opened a dazzling new production in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. In addition to the above titles, DTP's version of High School Musical: On Stage has been produced over 10,000 times globally and spawned a successful sequel, and On the Record, a musical revue featuring music from the Disney canon, toured the United States in 2004.