Discover the Magic: Top Disney Broadway Musicals and Their Catchiest Songs

Be our guest! For the better part of three decades, Disney musicals have been a force on Broadway, delighting fans with adaptations of some of the best-loved films of all time.

From the premiere of Beauty and the Beast in 1994 up to Frozen’s opening in 2018, Disney has delivered thirteen shows to the Great White Way. Some, like The Lion King, have become long-running Broadway mainstays, while others are hit touring productions across North America—and would make for an amazing first Broadway show for kids!

Below, we dive into some of Disney’s best songs on Broadway, from classics like Aladdin’s “Friend Like Me” and The Lion King’s “Circle of Life” to extraordinary numbers written specifically for the stage from Beauty and the Beast, Mary Poppins, and The Little Mermaid. Scroll to the end for a Spotify playlist of all eight songs.

1. Aladdin – “Friend Like Me”

“Mister Aladdin, sir, what will your pleasure be?” The Genie famously grants three wishes in the classic tale of Aladdin, and in the 2011 Broadway adaptation, he rolls out the red carpet for Disney’s most well-loved street rat-turned-prince. Contrary to Robin Williams’ cherished portrayal of the character in the animated film, the stage musical casts the genie in human form — though still plenty grandiose and larger than life as he scats, riffs and peacocks through the jazzy number.

Get tickets for Aladdin on Broadway or on tour.

2. The Lion King – “Circle of Life”

A wheel of fortune, a band of faith, a leap of hope! For more than 25 years, theatergoers have been welcomed to The Lion King by the majesty of “Circle of Life.” As all the animals in Mufasa’s domain gather to celebrate the arrival of baby Simba, the stage is transformed into an eye-popping African savanna filled with massive puppets and fantastical costumed animals, all prepared to bow down to the new crown prince of the kingdom.

Get tickets for The Lion King on Broadway or on tour.

3. Beauty and the Beast – “A Change in Me”

Beauty and the Beast is filled to the brim with beloved music, from the opening “bonjour!” of “Belle” to the lavish invitation of “Be Our Guest” and the Oscar-winning romance of the titular ballad. But when it came time to adapt the 1991 animated feature for the stage, Alan Menken and Tim Rice expanded the world of the show with even more songs — and in 1998, the duo added “A Change in Me” for Toni Braxton’s starring turn as Belle. The heartfelt number finds the Disney princess at a pivotal crossroads as she realizes just how much she’s grown during her time in the Beast’s castle.

Get tickets for Beauty and the Beast on tour (coming soon).

4. Frozen – “Let It Go”

Elsa took the entire world by storm with “Let It Go” when Frozen hit theaters in 2013, and the biggest song in recent Disney history remains just as unforgettable on the stage. Kids and adults alike will be transfixed as the heir of Arendelle unleashes her icy powers in the Act 1 finale, complete with swirling special effects that will have the whole audience saying, “The cold never bothered her anyway,” come intermission.

Get tickets to Frozen on tour.

5. Aida – “My Strongest Suit”

Aida may not be an adaptation of one of Disney’s childhood-defining musicals, but Disney Theatrical Productions was instrumental in bringing the Tony-winning sensation to Broadway just months into the twenty-first century. In her show-stopping solo number, Amneris preaches her devoted passion for fashion — whether polka-dotted, striped or even checked — by turning out a fashion show fit for an Egyptian princess and declaring, “I am what I wear and how I dress.”

Plus, in the event you can’t get enough of Sherie Rene Scott’s version in the original cast recording, you’re in luck: The Spice Girls recorded the song for the original concept album Elton John and Time Rice put together for the show back in 1999.

6. Tarzan – “Trashin’ the Camp”

“Trashin’ The Camp” may be the only song on this list without decipherable lyrics, but who needs words when you’re having this much fun? In the 2006 Broadway musical, Terk and the rest of Tarzan’s ape family gleefully lay siege to the headquarters of Professor Porter’s jungle expedition, discovering all manner of human inventions at the same time.

Of course, the unforgettable harmonies, funky rhythms and jazzed-up gibberish were written by pop music impresario Phil Collins, who recorded his own version of the song with *NSYNC after the original film hit theaters in 1999.

7. The Little Mermaid – “She’s In Love”

“Ariel and someone swimmin’ in the sea, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!” “She’s In Love” gives Flounder and Ariel’s six elder sisters a well-deserved moment in the spotlight as they get to the bottom of what has the show’s beloved protagonist daydreaming even more than usual. (Spoiler: it’s the dashing prince she’s fallen head over tail for up on land.) Between Flounder’s adorable sleuthing and the ‘50s-style harmonies provided by the daughters of Triton, the song is a delightful highlight to Ariel’s story added just for the 2008 Broadway production.

8. Mary Poppins – “Practically Perfect”

Mary Poppins has taken pride in being practically perfect in every way ever since she floated into the lives of the Banks family by way of magical umbrella back in 1964 (or more like 1934, if you’re counting the original book by P.L. Travers). In the stage production, which opened on the West End in 2004 before coming to Broadway two years later, the uncanny nanny made famous by Julie Andrews put that very idea to song with “Practically Perfect,” a cheerfully melodic introduction to her many exceptional qualities and spit-spot credentials that goes down like a spoonful of sugar.