THE LION KING Tour Welcomes New Mufasa and Simba
David D’Lancy Wilson and Gilbert Domally will begin performances on Tuesday, September 23 in Portland, OR at Keller Auditorium.
By: Stephi Wild Aug. 26, 2025
The North American tour of Disney’s The Lion King will welcome David D’Lancy Wilson as Mufasa and Gilbert Domally as Simba. Wilson and Domally will begin performances on Tuesday, September 23 in Portland, OR at Keller Auditorium, where the award-winning musical will play a two-week return engagement from September 17 – 28, 2025.
Current tour cast members Darnell Abraham (Mufasa) and Erick D. Patrick (Simba) will play their final performances in Portland on September 21, 2025.
Wilson is currently playing the role of Mufasa in the Toronto sit-down production of The Lion King, which will conclude a triumphant run at the Princess of Wales Theatre on August 30. He was previously seen onstage in Canadian productions of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and Hairspray, and his film and television credits include Trap and “The Handmaid’s Tale.”
Domally joins the tour direct from the Broadway production of The Lion King, where he was in the ensemble and understudied the role of Simba. His regional theater credits include The Color Purple, Hairspray, The Little Mermaid and Cabaret.
The Lion King has been touring North America for more than 23 years, and during that time has played more than 10,000 performances in over 90 cities and welcomed more than 25 million theatergoers, making it North America’s longest-running and most-attended Broadway tour in history.
Wilson and Domally will join current tour cast members Peter Hargrave (Scar), Mukelisiwe Goba (Rafiki), Nick Cordileone (Timon), Nick LaMedica (Zazu), Danny Grumich (Pumbaa), Thembelihle Cele (Nala), Forest VanDyke (Banzai), Martina Sykes (Shenzi), Sam Linda (Ed), Wiliam John Austin (Standby Scar, & Pumbaa) and Thom Christopher Warren (Standby Scar, Zazu, Timon & Pumbaa).
The role of Young Simba is alternated between Bryce Christian Thompson and Julian Villela, and the role of Young Nala is alternated between Jaxyn Damasco and Emmanuella Olaitan.
Rounding out the cast are Kayla Rose Aimable, Ellen Akashi, Eric Bean, Jr., Layla Brent, Vernon Brooks III, Shaquelle Charles, Reoagile Choabi, Daniela Cobb, Lyric Danae, Maurice Dawkins, Cedrick Ekra, Camryn Hampton, Valériane Louisy Louis Joseph, Joel Karie, Gabisile Manana, Keyveontae’ Martin, Justin Mensah, Sarita Amani Nash, Nhlanhla Ndlovu, Aaron Nelson, Yuka Notsuka, Sicelo Ntshangase, Sayiga Eugene Peabody, Poseletso Sejosingoe, Eric Shawn, Kevin Ricardo Tate, Jennifer Theriot, Brena K. Thomas, Courtney Thomas, Ben Toomer, Denzel Tsopnang, Brinie Wallace and Jordan Nicole Willis.
About The Lion King
Approaching 30 landmark years on Broadway, The Lion King continues ascendant as one of the most popular stage musicals of all time. Since its premiere on November 13, 1997, 30 global productions have been seen by over 124 million people. Produced by Disney Theatrical Group, under the direction of Andrew Flatt, Anne Quart, and Thomas Schumacher, The Lion King has made theatrical history with two productions worldwide running 20 or more years and three others running 25 or more years.
Performed over its lifetime in nine different languages (English, Japanese, German, Korean, French, Dutch, Spanish, Mandarin and Portuguese), there are currently nine productions of The Lion King around the world: Broadway, London, Paris, Hamburg, Madrid, Tokyo, Toronto, Mexico City, and on tour across North America. The Lion King has played over 100 cities in 24 countries on every continent except Antarctica; its 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.
Director, Costume Designer and mask co-designer Julie Taymor, the first woman to win a Tony Award for Best Director of a Musical, remains actively involved in the show, launching new productions and maintaining the flagship Broadway production.
The Broadway score features Elton John and Tim Rice’s songs 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 Lebo M’s rich choral numbers.
Elton John, Lebo M, and Hans Zimmer all collaborated on the 2019 version of the film, executive produced by Julie Taymor and Thomas Schumacher, which has gone onto extraordinary worldwide success.
The book has been adapted by Roger Allers, who co-directed the animated The Lion King 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), Anthony Lyn (associate director), Marey Griffith (associate choreographer), Clement Ishmael (music supervisor), Lisa Dawn Cave (production supervisor), Thomas Schlenk (general manager) and ARC/Mark Brandon, CSA (casting). Anne Quart serves as executive producer.
