Michael Cassel Group Hires Disney Theatricals Jane Abramson (EXCLUSIVE)

Australia-based theatrical producer Michael Cassel Group is planting a flag in the United States. The company has made its first New York City-based hire, tapping Jane Abramson to serve as its new head of creative development. It’s a statement-making move. Abramson joins Michael Cassel Group from Disney Theatrical Group, where she held the role of director of creative development. Over the last two decades she has managed and helped launch several Broadway musicals for Disney such as “Frozen,” “Aladdin,” “Newsies,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Mary Poppins” and “The Lion King.” She also assisted with regional, international, and developmental productions of “Hercules,” “Freaky Friday,” “The Jungle Book,” “Shakespeare in Love,” “Aida,” “Tarzan” and “High School Musical.”

Michael Cassel Group is currently working on a post-pandemic slate of international productions that includes the Australian premiere of “Hamilton” and “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” as well as an international tour of “The Lion King.”

“New York City is arguably the theater capital of the world, and this was a move we knew we had to get right.” said Michael Cassel, the company’s CEO “Jane is one of the most accomplished creative executives working in our industry and her reputation is second-to-none. Her experience collaborating with authors, composers, directors and creative teams across the globe, combined with her experience in nurturing new work, will help accelerate our focus on creating quality theatrical entertainment. Jane’s
presence in New York allows us not only the opportunity to realize our work internationally but also helps put us at the center of new ideas, stories and theatrical IP.”

“I am thrilled to be joining the Michael Cassel Group,” Abramson said. “This is an incredibly exciting opportunity to build on the company’s strong slate of diverse stories already in development and to collaborate with esteemed artists across the globe. I can’t wait to get working with some of the world’s best composers, writers and creative teams, as well as uncovering the next generation of great theater talent.”

In 2018, in collaboration with her Disney colleagues, Abramson co-founded and co produced Women’s Day on Broadway which has grown from an annual forum to year-round programming. Independently, Abramson co-founded the non-profit production company PenneySeal Productions and produced original plays, musicals and short films.

Must Read

Film
COVER | Sebastian Stan Tells All: Becoming Donald Trump and Starring in 2024’s Most Controversial Movie
By Andrew Wallenstein 3 weeks

Sign Up for Variety Newsletters

By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. // This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

ncG1vNJzZmiukae2psDYZ5qopV9nfXN9jqWcoKGkZLumw9JopKKbmJayrXnCmqqsnZxitLO71KlknaGjo7K6edOhnJqsop6woriMo5innV2Wr7OtzKymp2VhZ4B1hZBrbGttXw%3D%3D

Martina Birk

Update: 2024-04-25

ZestW