The Lion King, the landmark musical from Disney, will celebrate its 5000 Broadway performance at Minskoff Theatre on November 5. There are only eight other musicals which have made this milestone, include Beauty and the Beast from Disney. The Lion King is Broadway’s ninth longest run for a musical and the first of American musicals to have 50 million guests from around the world. The Lion King is now in its 13th year, after opening officially November 13, 1997, following the preview starting on October 13 at New Amsterdam Theatre. It has consistently been in the top five of Broadway’s grossing shows. June 13, 2006 the show moved over to Minskoff Theatre, its current home.
The Lion King, to date on Broadway, has grossed $718 million, played for over 8.5 million people, employed 66 children and 223 adults as actors (including 20 performers from South Africa). On a global scale Lion King has $3.8 billion gross in 17 productions. September 2010 a new production will premiere in Singapore, a Disney Theatrical Productions first. The company in London celebrated their 10th anniversary recently, which made The Lion King just one of five musicals in the history of theatre to play on the West End and Broadway for at least ten years.
Based on Disney’s 1994 animated film, the musical continues its reign as one of Broadway’s most popular shows as well as globally. The Lion King has won over 70 major awards from around the world, including 1988 Best Musical from the NY Drama Critics and Tony Award, 1999 Grammy for the Best Musical Show Album and 1999 Laurence Oliver Awards for Best Costume Design and Best Choreography. Over 50 million have seen the show in 13 countries (Korea, South Africa, Taiwan, China, Australia, Mexico, France, Holland, Germany, Japan, UK, Canada and US) and has also been translated into five languages (Dutch, French, Korean, German and Japanese). In addition to appearing on Broadway as well as tour of North America, The Lion King is also currently playing in Las Vegas, Tokyo, Paris, Hamburg and London.
In September 2009, the show made history when two of the signature Lion King costumes became inducted into the National Museum of American History’s Permanent Collection at the Smithsonian.
Derek Smith plays the deviously cunning and sardonic Scar, Nathaniel Stampley plays Mufasa, the lion king, Tshidi Mayne plays Rafiki, the very wise baboon shaman, Cameron Pow plays Zazu, the horn billed prim and proper bird, Tom Alan Robbins portrays Pumbaa, the warm hearted wart hog, and Danny Rutigliano plays Timon, the hyperactive and wise cracking meerkat. Simba, Mufasa’s son, is portrayed by Dashaun Young, and Nala, the loyal and courageous lioness is played by Ta’Rea Campbell.
Enrique Segura (as Ed), Bonita J. Hamilton (as Shenzi) and James Brown-Orleans (as Banzai portray the three hyenas.
The Young Simba role alternates between Marqui Kofi Rodriguez and Alphonso Romero Jones II. The Young Nala role alternates between Shannon Skye Tavarez and Shereen Pimentel.
Julie Taymor, Director, became the first woman to win a Tony Award for Best Director for a Musical in theatrical history. She also won a Tony Award in 1988 for Best Costume Design.
Michael Curry, designer, and Julie Taymor, created hundreds of puppets and masks for The Lion King. Richard Hudson does scenic design, Julie Taymor does costume design and Donald Holder does lighting design. Garth Fagan does the choreography. Roger Allers adapted the book, and was co-director of the animated feature, along with Irene Mechhi, co-writer on The Lion King screenplay.
The score features Tim Rice and Elton John’s animated film music as well as three new songs from Rice and John. There is also addition musical material from Hans Zimmer, Julie Taymor, Jay Rifkin, Mark Mancina, and Leo M from South Africa. There is also music from “Rhythm of the Pride Lands,” an album that was inspired by The Lion King animated film, written by Hans Zimmer, Mark Mancina and Leo M. The Lion King score’s sound is a fusion of the distinctive rhythms and sounds of Africa combined with Western popular music, as illustrated by “Can You Feel The Love Tonight,” Academy Award winner, and “Shadowlands,” with its haunting sound.
The world premiere for the Lion King in its pre-Broadway engagement occurred in Minneapolis on July 13, 1997 at the Orpheum Theatre. The engagement lasted for eight weeks and closed on August 31, 1997.
