THE LION KING Paris To Play Final Performance 7/25

Disney's THE LION KING in Paris, presented by Stage Entertainment Ltd, Disney's presenting partner in Europe, plays its final performance on Sunday, July 25, 2010 at the Mogador Theatre. It made theatre history as Paris' longest-running musical, winning the hearts of the French for three seasons.

THE LION KING opened in Paris on October 4, 2007 and has played to 1.3 million theatre patrons, marked 1000 performances and won three Molière Awards in 2008 for Best Musical, Costumes and Lighting. THE LION KING is one of the French capital's greatest theatre successes, representing a remarkable 12% of the market share of all of commercial theatre in Paris and reaching an average of 90% theatre occupancy during its three-season run.

ABOUT THE LION KING

THE LION KING continues to reign as one of the most popular shows on Broadway and around the world. The global phenomenon can also be seen on stage across North America and in Las Vegas, London, Hamburg and Tokyo. Now in its 13th year in New York, THE LION KING is the eighth longest-running musical in Broadway history and one of only five musical productions in theatre history to play for ten years or more on both Broadway and the West End.

THE LION KING has been seen by more than 50 million people in 13 different countries and translated into five different languages (Japanese, German, Korean, French, Dutch).

THE LION KING has won more than 70 major awards worldwide, including the 1998 Tony Award® and NY Drama Critics Award for Best Musical, the 1999 Grammy® for Best Musical Show Album, and the 1999 Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Choreography and Best Costume Design. Julie Taymor was the first woman in theatrical history to win the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical. She is also the winner of the 1998 Tony Award for Best Costume Design.

Taymor, along with designer Michael Curry, has created hundreds of masks and puppets for THE LION KING. Scenic design is by Richard Hudson; costume design is by Julie Taymor; lighting design is by Donald Holder. Choreography is by Garth Fagan. The book has been adapted by Roger Allers, who co-directed the animated feature and Irene Mecchi, who co-wrote the film's screenplay.

The Broadway score features Elton John and Tim Rice's music from The Lion King animated film along with three new songs by John and Rice; additional musical material by South African Lebo M, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Julie Taymor and Hans Zimmer; and music from "Rhythm of the Pride Lands," an album inspired by the original music in the film, written by Lebo M, Mark Mancina and Hans Zimmer. The resulting sound of THE LION KING is a fusion of Western popular music and the distinctive sounds and rhythms of Africa, ranging from the Academy® Award-winning song "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" to the haunting ballad "Shadowlands."

Disney Theatrical Productions was formed in 1994 and operates under the direction of Thomas Schumacher. In November 1997, Disney opened The Lion King which received six 1998 Tony® Awards including Best Musical, and the 1998 GRAMMY® Award for Best Musical Show Album. In addition to the Broadway and North American touring companies, The Lion King can currently be seen onstage in London, Hamburg, Tokyo, and Paris. The Lion King at Mandalay Bay, Disney Theatrical's first-ever show in Las Vegas, celebrated its one-year anniversary in May 2010. The company's inaugural production, Beauty and the Beast, played its final Broadway performance in July 2007 and is currently performing in Argentina and Japan. Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida opened on Broadway in March 2000, received four 2000 Tony® Awards and the 2000 GRAMMY® Award for Best Musical Show Album, and ran for four-and-a-half years. In 2009, Aida re-opened in Tokyo. Mary Poppins, a co-production by Disney and Cameron Mackintosh, opened in December 2004 in London, completed its successful run in January 2008 and recently finished a smash-hit UK tour. The Tony Award®-winning Broadway production opened in November 2006 at the New Amsterdam Theatre, where it continues to entertain audiences. In addition to the New York production, Mary Poppins can currently be seen on tour across North America as well as in Holland. A sixth global production opened in Melbourne, Australia in July 2010. Tarzan®, which opened on Broadway in the 2006-2007 season, is now an international hit with an award-winning production in Germany and a record-setting one in Holland that closed in May 2009. In January 2008, The Little Mermaid opened on Broadway with a score composed by eight-time Academy Award® winner Alan Menken and the legendary Howard Ashman, with new lyrics by Glenn Slater, and was the #1 selling new musical of that year. Having completed its run in August 2009 playing to sold-out summer audiences, a national tour announcement is anticipated in the near future. In addition to producing musicals, DTP licenses stage performance rights to more than a dozen Disney musicals to schools, community groups and professional theatres around the world through Music Theatre International.