Broadway's THE LION KING to Treat Audience Like Royalty with Free 20th Anniversary Ticket Lottery

In celebration of the 20th Anniversary of The Lion King on Broadway, and to thank the city of New York for being its home for the past 20 years, the show is giving away every ticket via a free lottery to the evening performance on Wednesday, November 15th at 8pm at the Minskoff Theatre.

On Sunday, November 12th, between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., you can enter The Lion King lottery via a celebratory event in Times Square (on the plaza between 45th and 46th Streets).

At the Times Square celebration, attendees will be able to enter the ticket lottery as well as participate in a number of The Lion King-themed activities including a sharable photo opportunity inspired by the show's iconic 'Circle of Life' moment on Pride Rock, autographs with current cast members, and an up-close look at The Lion King's award-winning masks and puppets.

Thanks to a partnership with the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, which supports the theater industry in New York, you can also enter at New York Public Library, Queens Public Library and Brooklyn Public Library locations across the five boroughs.

The lottery is powered by Broadway Direct, and entries will only be accepted in person at one of the following locations:

- 12pm-4:30pm: Queens Library, Central Library (89-11 Merrick Blvd, Jamaica, NY 11432)

- 12pm - 6pm: New York Public Library, Bronx Library Center (310 E Kingsbridge Rd, Bronx, NY 10458)

- 1pm - 5pm: Brooklyn Public Library, Central Branch (10 Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn, NY 11238)

- 1pm - 5pm: New York Public Library, Inwood Library (4790 Broadway, New York, NY 10034)

- 1pm - 5pm: New York Public Library, Todt Hill- Westerleigh Library (2550 Victory Blvd, Staten Island, NY 10314)

"Though it's been seen around the world, The Lion King was born in New York City - from the studio in the Flatiron district where we rehearsed, to the Bronx shop where its sets were built, to its Broadway home in the heart of Times Square," said Thomas Schumacher President & Producer, Disney Theatrical Productions. "This free performance is our chance to thank New York City for 20 years of loving support and we hope audiences who could otherwise not experience Julie Taymor's glorious vision will join us to toast the show born here in their hometown."

"The Lion King has been delighting Broadway audiences for 20 years, and we are proud to be the home of this landmark show," said Julie Menin, NYC Commissioner of Media and Entertainment. "We congratulate the production on this milestone and hope that the lottery for free tickets in libraries throughout the five boroughs will give New Yorkers who have not had a chance to see this wonderful musical a chance to enjoy it."

Broadway Direct launched its popular digital lottery with Disney two years ago in celebration of The Lion King's 18th anniversary. Since then, Broadway Direct has amassed over 12 million lottery entries for a variety of shows, which have afforded over 250,000 fans the opportunity to experience Broadway, many for the first time.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Ends at 5-6 PM ET (depending on location) on 11/12/2017. Must be 18 or over to enter. Limit 1 entry per person. Visit www.lionking.com/20 for Official Rules. Void where prohibited.

In its 20th year, The Lion King continues ascendant as one of the most popular stage musicals in the world. Since its Broadway premiere on November 13, 1997, 24 global productions have been seen by more than 90 million people. Produced by Disney Theatrical Productions (under the direction of Thomas Schumacher), The Lion King is the only show in history to generate six productions worldwide running 15 or more years. Performed in eight different languages (Japanese, German, Korean, French, Dutch, Spanish, Mandarin and Portuguese), productions of The Lion King can currently be seen on Broadway, London's West End, Hamburg, Tokyo and Sapporo, Madrid, Mexico City, Scheveningen, Holland, and on tour across North America, for a total of nine productions running concurrently across the globe. Having played over 100 cities in 19 countries on every continent except Antarctica, The Lion King's worldwide gross exceeds that of any film, Broadway show or other entertainment title in box office history.

THE LION KING won six 1998 Tony Awards: Best Musical, Best Scenic Design (Richard Hudson), Best Costume Design (Julie Taymor), Best Lighting Design (Donald Holder), Best Choreography (Garth Fagan) and Best Direction of a Musical. The Lion King has also earned more than 70 major arts awards including the 1998 NY Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical, the 1999 Grammy for Best Musical Show Album, the 1999 Evening Standard Award for Theatrical Event of the Year and the 1999 Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Choreography and Best Costume Design.

The show's director, costume designer and mask co-designer Julie Taymor continues to play an integral part in the show's ongoing success. The first woman to win a Tony Award for Direction of a Musical, Taymor has in recent years supervised new productions of the show around the world.

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 "Shadowland."

The book has been adapted by Roger Allers, who co-directed The Lion King animated feature, and Irene Mecchi, who co-wrote the film's screenplay. Other members of the creative team include: Michael Curry, who designed the masks and puppets with Taymor, Steve Canyon Kennedy (sound design), Michael Ward (hair and makeup design), John Stefaniuk (associate director), Marey Griffith (associate choreographer), Clement Ishmael (music supervisor) and Doc Zorthian (production supervisor). Anne Quart serves as co-producer.