Disney Theatrical Productions and DPAC announced today that tickets for the long-awaited production of Disney's THE LION KING will go on sale to the public at the DPAC Ticket Center on Saturday, October 2nd at 8am. The Triangle's most eagerly awaited stage production will begin performances at DPAC on Tuesday, January 4, 2011 for a limited engagement of 4 weeks through Sunday, January 30, 2011. The opening night is Thursday, January 6 at 7:30pm.
The North American touring production of THE LION KING has been seen by over 12 million theatergoers and grossed over $775 million to date. The tour is one of seven productions running worldwide, along with New York City, London, Hamburg, Paris, Tokyo and Las Vegas. Having already played 60 cities across North America, THE LION KING continues to entertain audiences in new cities. The current schedule is listed below. For more information and dates, please visit LionKing.com.
Ticket buyers are invited to special ticket center opening festivities on Saturday, October 2 at DPAC beginning at 8am. Beat the rush for tickets and enjoy special perks including:
Access to the best seats in the house for each performance prior to the public on sale;
Multiple Ticketmaster agents available to assist in selecting seats and processing orders;
The FIRST ticket purchaser in line receives a deluxe gift package from DISNEY'S THE LION KING;
A special gift from DISNEY'S THE LION KING for all ticket purchasers, while supplies lasts;
Group sales representatives on site to process orders of more than 20 tickets;
In Durham, THE LION KING will play Tuesday through Thursday evenings at 7:30pm, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00pm, Sunday evenings at 6:30pm, Saturday matinees at 2:00pm and Sunday matinees at 1:00pm. There will be a special 1:00pm matinee on Wednesday, January 26. Ticket prices start as low as $22. Premium Ticket Packages, which include prime seat locations, a commemorative souvenir program and an exclusive merchandise item, are also available. Beginning October 2, 2010, tickets will be available at the DPAC Ticket Center, by calling 919-680-2787, at Ticketmaster Outlets including participating Lowe's Foods, FYE music stores, and Crabtree Valley Mall, and online at DPACnc.com or Ticketmaster. Orders for groups of twenty (20) or more may be placed by calling 919-281-0587.
ABOUT THE LION KING
THE LION KING began as a 1994 animated feature-length film developed and produced by the
Walt Disney Company. On stage, Director
Julie Taymor's creative vision blends elements of African art and Broadway artisanship to depict anthropomorphic animal characters. The story, a coming of age parable set among animals indigenous to its setting, the African savanna, tells the tale of Simba, the lion cub who rises to be the King of the jungle.
Now in its 13th year, THE LION KING continues to reign as one of the most popular shows on Broadway and around the world. It is the eighth longest-running musical in Broadway history and, according to figures just released by The Broadway League, placed second on the Top 10 lists for both the highest-grossing and best-attended shows of the 2009-10 season, a remarkable indicator of its unprecedented success. THE LION KING is 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 made history in September 2009 when two of its signature costumes were inducted into the
Permanent Collection of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.
The global phenomenon is the winner of 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. Previous credits include The Green Bird, The Flying Dutchman, Fool's Fire, Titus Andronicus and the Tony Award-nominated Juan Darien: A Carnival Mass at Lincoln Center.
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."
The Durham engagement of THE LION KING is presented by arrangement with DPAC and is a subscription offering of the SunTrust Broadway Series.
Click here for more information.
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