The cast of Disney's The Lion King will perform on NBC's Today Show this Thursday, June 12 between 8:30am and 9:00am Eastern (check listings for local times outside the NY area). The appearance is in celebration of the groundbreaking musical's 10th Anniversary on Broadway and in anticipation of the show's upcoming performance on the CBS Tony Awards on Sunday, June 15.
Since its Broadway opening on November 13, 1997 (preview performances began October 15, 1997),
The Lion King has been seen by over 45 million people worldwide. In addition to New York City where the show has remained among the top 5 selling shows on Broadway for over 10 years, the curtain of
The Lion King currently rises six more times every night all over the world in London, Hamburg, Tokyo, Paris, Fukuoka, and the US national tour.
The Lion King won six 1998 Tony® Awards, including Best Musical. Director,
Julie Taymor is the first woman to win a Tony Award® for Direction of a Musical. The score features
Elton John and Tim Rice's music from the 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 an album inspired by the animated film, "Rhythm of the Pride Lands," written by Lebo M, Mark Mancina and Hans Zimmer. The resulting sound of
The Lion King score is a fusion of Western popular music and the distinctive sounds and rhythms of Africa, embracing the Academy Awardâ-winning "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" and the haunting "Shadowlands."
Julie Taymor, along with Michael Curry, has created hundreds of masks and puppets for
The Lion King. Scenic design is by Richard Hudson; Lighting design is by Donald Holder.
Costume design is by
Julie Taymor. 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 screenplay of
The Lion King.
Other members of the creative team include: Steve Canyon Kennedy, sound design; Michael Ward, hair and makeup design;
Jay Binder, casting; Joseph Church, music director; Robert Elhai, David Metzger and Bruce Fowler, orchestrators.
The pre-Broadway engagement of
The Lion King had its world premiere on July 13, 1997 in Minneapolis at the historic Orpheum Theatre. The pre-Broadway engagement ran for eight weeks, closing on August 31, 1997.
The Lion King plays Tuesday through Saturday at 8 PM, matinees on Wednesday and Saturday at 2 PM and Sunday at 3 PM. Running time for the production is approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes.
Tickets for
The Lion King are available at
www.DisneyOnBroadway.com, the Minskoff Theatre Box Office (200 West 45th Street), and all Ticketmaster outlets or by calling Ticketmaster's Disney on Broadway hotline at (212) 307-4747. Prices range from $51.25.-$121.25. For group sales and information please call (800)439-9000.
