Produced by Walt Disney Theatrical and directed by Richard Eyre with co-direction from Matthew Bourne who also acted as co-choreographer with Stephen Mear, the original West End production opened in December 2004, after a fall 2003 workshop at the Old Vic, and won two Olivier Awards, one for Best Actress in a Musical and the other for Best Theatre Choreography. A Broadway production with a near-identical creative team opened on November 16, 2006, with only minor changes from the West End version. It received seven Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, and winning for Best Scenic Design.
The original Broadway production closed on March 3, 2013 after 2,619 performances. Since then the amateur rights have become available for the musical through Musical Theatre International, and has been a popular choice for schools and community theatres to produce due to the popularity of the film and books