Why See The Lion King?
BROADWAY'S HIGHEST GROSSING SHOW EVER
Lose yourself in the epic adventure that is The Lion King on Broadway! Based on the beloved Disney movie, this Broadway blockbuster transports you to the African Serengeti, where you'll meet the tenacious young lion prince Simba, who must battle to reclaim his thrown in the face of tragedy.
A visually-stunning affair, The Lion King on Broadway was initially brought to life by visionary director Julie Taymor. Not content with directing a run-of-the-mill adaptation, she rebuilt the story from the ground up, employing sumptuous costumes alongside intricate puppetry to bring all of the animals to life before your eyes. That's not too mention the music of course - all of Elton John and Tim Rice's songs from the movie remain ('Circle of Life', 'Hakuna Matata'), alongside some new original numbers, Since opening in 1997, The Lion King has remained one of New York's must-see attractions, and now stands as Broadway's third longest-running show of all time!
What Is The Lion King About?
Described as "Hamlet with fur", we open to the dawn rejoicing of all the animals of the savanna, as a new lion prince is born to the benevolent King Mufasa and his queen Sarabi. The cub, Simba, grows up into a lively and feckless youngster who gets into trouble with his childhood friend Nala, Together the two cubs play and discover their homeland in a series of adventures, until one day King Mufasa is tragically murdered by his brother Scar. Simba is usurped by his evil uncle, and retreats to the jungle to grow up with the sharp-witted meerkat Timon and his big-hearted wildebeest buddy Pumba.
Flash forward to years later, and this trio have become firm friends, spending their time roaming the land and getting into all sorts of hi-jinks. Yet Simba knows that one day he must face up to his destiny, and when he learns of the terrible havoc wreaked by Scar, he sets out to reclaim his throne and restore peace to the animal kingdom!
DID YOU KNOW?
It doesn't just dominate the stage - The Lion King is the highest grossing production of any entertainment medium. It's worldwide productions have earned over $6.2 billion. In comparison, the highest-grossing movie of all time, Avatar, earned a measly $2.8 billion at the worldwide box office.
Additional Information
Dates
Previews from: 15 October 1997
Performance date: 13 November 1997
Audience
All guests require a ticket, regardless of age. We recommend that children be at least six years old to attend.
Run time
Two hours 30 minutes with one intermission.
Cast and Creative
Cast
Stephen Carlile as Scar
L. Steven Taylor as Mufasa
Tshidi Manye as Rafiki
Cameron Pow as Zazu
Ben Jeffrey as Pumbaa
Fred Berman as Timon
Jelani Remy as Simba
Adrienne Walker as Nala
James Brown-Orleans as Banzai
Bonita J. Hamilton as Shenzi
Enrique Segura as Ed
Jordan Toure and Tre Jones as Young Simba (alternating performances)
Aliyah Mastin and Mehret Marsh as Young Nala (alternating performances)
Swing
LaMar Baylor, Angelica Edwards, Kenny Ingram, Andre Jackson, Jacqueline Rene, Bravita Threatt, Kellen Stancil, and Natalie Turner.
Ensemble
Brian C. Binion, India Bolds, Elishah Bowman, Lindiwe Dlamini, Bongi Duma, Rosie Lani Fiedelman, Christopher Freeman, Pia Hamilton, Jamal Lee Harris, Michael Alexander Henry, Lindsey Jolyn Jackson, Koel Karie, Lisa Lewis, Mduduzi Madela, Kimberly Marable, Jaysin McCollum, Ray Mercer, Kyle Lamar Mitchell, Nhlanhla Ngobeni, Nteliseng Nkhela, Sindisiwe Nxumalo, Phindile Nyandeni and Donna Michelle Vaughn.
Creative
Directed by Julie Taymor
Choreography by Garth Fagan
Set Design by Richard Hudson
Puppet & Mask Design by Michael Curry
Lighting Design by Donald Holder
Costume, Puppet & Mask Design by Julie Taymor
Lighting Design by Donald Holder
Music by Elton John
Lyrics by Tim Rice
Book by Roger Allers & Irene Mecchi
Awards
1998 TONY AWARDS
Best Musical
Best Choreography (Garth Fagan)
Best Direction of a Musical (Julie Taymor)
Best Costume Design for a Musical (Julie Taymor)
Best Lighting Design of a Musical (Donald Holder)
Best Scenic Design for a Musical (Richard Hudson)
Nominations
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical (Samuel E. Wright)
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical (Tsidii Le Loka)
Best Book of a Musical (Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi)
Best Orchestrations (Robert Elhai, David Metzger and Bruce Fowler)
Best Original Score (Elton John, Tim Rice, Lebo M, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Julie Taymor, Hans Zimmer)
1998 DRAMA DESK AWARDS
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical (Tsidii Le Loka)
Outstanding Choreography (Garth Fagan)
Outstanding Direction of a Musical (Julie Taymor)
Outstanding Set Design of a Musical (Richard Hudson)
Outstanding Costume Design (Julie Taymor)
Outstanding Lighting Design (Donald Holder)
Outstanding Sound Design (Tony Meola)
Outstanding Puppet Design (Julie Taymor, Michael Curry)
Nominations
Outstanding New Musical
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical (Max Casella, Geoff Hoyle)
Outstanding Orchestrations (Robert Elhai, David Metzger, and Bruce Fowle)
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What you thought
69 reviews, average rating: (4.8 Stars)
Lion King is my favorite Disney movie, and I didn't think it could get... more
Alex Karpinski: “The King is a Lion”
The Lion King, How should I put this? It's more, understandable than the... more
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