Why Is Disney Cutting Live Musicians From The Lion King in Australia?

(Photo: Matthew Murphy)

by Chris Peterson

In Australia, Disney has made a decision that should concern anyone who cares about live theatre.

According to recent reporting, Disney’s The Lion King returned to Sydney this year with a smaller orchestra after all four string parts were cut from the 2026 season. Those parts have reportedly been replaced through KeyComp, a German-developed program that allows one keyboard player to reproduce entire orchestral sections.

This is not some cash-strapped regional theatre trying to keep the doors open. This is Disney. This is The Lion King, one of the most successful stage musicals in history. This is a global entertainment company producing one of the most recognizable theatrical properties in the world.

So the question should be asked plainly: why is Disney doing this?

I understand that producing theatre is expensive. But live music should not be the casualty.

And when the company making that decision is Disney, the “cost savings” argument deserves more scrutiny, not less. Because if Disney cannot produce The Lion King while preserving the live musicians who help make the show live, then what message does that send to everyone else?

A live orchestra is not an interchangeable sound source. Musicians are not a hidden luxury item under the stage. They help create the pulse of the evening in ways that no program, sample, or synthesized section can fully replace.

So when musicians lose out on jobs on major commercial productions, the damage does not stay inside one theatre. Those same musicians often work across opera, ballet, concerts, recordings, education, cabaret, and community performance. Shrink those opportunities at the top, and the impact spreads.

Australia does have musician representation. MEAA Musicians represents professional musicians across the country, including theatre orchestra players through the Theatre Orchestra Musicians Association. And on this issue, they have not been silent. MEAA has launched a “Keep Music Live” campaign and has urged the NSW government to introduce minimum orchestra requirements for productions that receive public funding, tax incentives, or support from state agencies. James Steendam, MEAA’s federal musicians president, has also directly criticized the cuts to The Lion King, pointing out that the show is the highest-grossing musical of all time and still chose to reduce musician jobs.

But the pressure should fall on Disney, too.

Disney should have to explain why a production as successful and beloved as The Lion King needs fewer live musicians than before. It should have to explain why a company built on the value of music is comfortable replacing live players with technology when live players are available.

Technology has a place in theatre. But technology should support the live event, not hollow it out while hoping audiences will not notice.

If Disney wants the prestige, ticket prices, and emotional power of live theatre, then Disney should also honor the artists who make that live experience possible.

Otherwise, Disney is basically making the IP of The Lion King even more of the main attraction of the stage instead of sharing it with the working artists; believe me, theatre will not be in a good place if other theatres follow suit.