Disney Teases New Musicals and Performances at D23: The Greatest Showman, Hercules, and More

Musical fans had plenty to cheer about at this year’s D23 convention on August 9, where Disney Theatricals unveiled some exciting news about its upcoming stage productions. Attendees at the California event were treated to preview performances of The Greatest Showman—now officially in development as a stage musical—and Hercules, which is set to hit London’s West End in summer 2025. Plus, West End star Samantha Barks wowed the crowd with a powerful rendition of “Let It Go” from Frozen, and Disney announced that a filmed stage performance of Frozen will be streaming on Disney+ in 2025.

But if you missed out on the live event, no worries—Disney has uploaded all the performances to YouTube. You can check out “The Greatest Show” from The Greatest Showman above, with additional performances listed below. The featured cast includes a star-studded lineup: Samantha Barks, Kalilah Black, Brandon Burks, Andrew Cao, Hannah Corneau, Edward Cuellar, Bradley Gibson, Michael Graceffa, Aisha Jackson, Adam Jacobs, Mykal Kilgore, Kara Lindsay, Nathan Lucrezio, Chani Maisonet, Tiffany Mann, Anastacia McClesky, Jimin Moon, Marq Moss, Destinee Rea, Michael James Scott, Rashidra Scott, Jonathan McClinton Smith, Charles South, Joshua Strickland, Anastasia Talley, and Ryan Vasquez.

In other big announcements, Disney confirmed Frozen 3 is on the way, with another sequel already in the works. The film is set for release in 2027, though details on who will be working on the project are still under wraps. Fans also got a sneak peek at Moana 2, which will feature Auli’i Cravalho, who is set to make her Broadway debut this September in Cabaret.

While no creative team details were shared for The Greatest Showman musical, Disney did confirm that Tony Award-winning songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who composed the original film’s hit songs, will be returning for the stage adaptation. The musical will mark the second time P.T. Barnum’s life is told on stage, following the 1980 Broadway show Barnum.

On the streaming side, Disney also shared updates on the Frozen musical, which originally opened on Broadway in 2018. The West End production, starring Samantha Barks as Elsa, has been running for three years but will close on September 8. Fans can look forward to seeing it on Disney+ next year.

Meanwhile, Moana 2 takes place three years after the first film, following Moana on a new journey to unexplored waters guided by her wayfinding ancestors. Dwayne Johnson is set to return as Maui, with an impressive voice cast that includes Rachel House, Temuera Morrison, Nicole Scherzinger, and newcomers Hualālai Chung, David Fane, Rose Matafeo, Awhimai Fraser, Gerald Ramsey, and Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda.

Disney’s D23 convention proved to be a musical lover’s paradise, with plenty of exciting sneak peeks and announcements to keep fans buzzing until these new projects hit the stage and screen.