Tim Burton to Oversee Broadway Alice in Wonderland; Disney Also Preps Dumbo and Father of the Bride

Disney Theatrical Productions is working on adapting several popular titles for both Broadway and regional stages including Dumbo, Alice in Wonderland, Father of the Bride and Freaky Friday, according to Variety.

Tim Burton, who directed the 2010 film version of Alice in Wonderland, will oversee a musical adaptation that is setting its sights on Broadway for an unspecified date. Burton will team with set designer Stan Meyer for the production design, with Robert Jess Roth (Beauty and the Beast) directing and Matt West choreographing. Linda Woolverton, who wrote the film's screenplay, will contribute the book with puppeteer Basil Twist also in discussions to join the team. Coincidentally, another musical adptation of Lewis Carroll's classic children's tale is Frank Wildhorn's Wonderland, which begins previews on March 21, 2011 at the Marquis Theatre.

Michael Chabon will write the book for an adaptation of Dumbo, which will be directed by Tony winner Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot). Peter Darling will choreograph with Bob Crowley providing production design.

Tony winner Bartlett Sher (South Pacific) will also direct a musical version of Father of the Bride.

Christopher Ashley will direct an adaptation of Freaky Friday, which is aiming for a premiere at San Diego's La Jolla Playhouse next spring. The show will feature a score by Ryan Scott Oliver and book by Bridget Carpenter. Also eyeing regional runs is an adaptation of The Jungle Book directed by Mary Zimmerman.

Disney is also involved in several other theatrical projects, including the Peter Pan-inspired Peter and the Starcatchers, which is currently running at New York Theatre Workshop, as well as an upcoming adaptation of Newsies at New Jersey's Paper Mill Playhouse. A European touring production of The Little Mermaid is also in the works (which will feature a revised book by original librettist Doug Wright) as well as Aladdin, which will have a summer bow at Seattle's 5th Avenue.

The Little Mermaid, which opened in 2008, was the last new Disney production to reach Broadway. Mary Poppins and The Lion King are currently still running, however the company has also invested in the current revival of Arcadia and is linked to shows such as Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark and Sister Act due to subsidaries Marvel and Touchstone.