At Straitlaced Disney, a Star Producer’s R-Rated Behavior Draws Complaints

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https://www.wsj.com/articles/at-str...ers-r-rated-antics-draw-complaints-1519228818

After 30 years at Walt Disney Co. DIS 0.18% , Tom Schumacher has become one of the most powerful and complicated people on Broadway as he established his employer as a dominant force in American theater.

He reaches a new apex this Thursday when the “Frozen” musical, which he produced, begins playing on Broadway. The $50 million-plus show is a critical part of Disney’s plans to turn the hit animated movie into a long-lasting cultural touchstone, in the lucrative footsteps of “The Lion King.” The show’s debut comes just two months after he was elected chairman of the Broadway League, the industry organization that puts on the Tony Awards, confirming his royal status on the Great White Way.

Few executives last as long as Mr. Schumacher has at a major entertainment company, let alone reach new heights after three decades. People who have worked with him say he is demanding and intelligent, with a strong sense of what he wants and the ability to work with creative talent to achieve it. Though others at Disney thought her theater work was too avant-garde for a Disney property, Mr. Schumacher championed Julie Taymor to direct 1997’s “Lion King” musical. It is now the highest-grossing stage show ever.

Another side of his success as a creative executive has been a harsh demeanor and tendency to cross the boundaries of appropriate workplace behavior, people who have worked with him said. Mr. Schumacher has offended numerous employees over the years with explicit language and behavior, including comments about subordinates’ sexual attractiveness, discussions about pornography and walking through the office in a bathrobe while boasting he had nothing on underneath, according to people who said they witnessed the episodes.

A person close to Mr. Schumacher said he denied all the incidents in this article, each of which was independently described to The Wall Street Journal by at least two eyewitnesses.

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