Disney's THE LION KING Opens Tonight At Dallas Summer Musicals

Disney's The Lion King opens tonight, Wednesday, June 13, at the Music Hall at Fair Park for a limited four-week engagement through Saturday, July 7, presented by Dallas Summer Musicals and Broadway Across America (BAA).

Tickets are currently on sale at DallasSummerMusicals.org or by calling Ticketmaster at (866) 870-2717. They can also be purchased in person at the Music Hall at Fair Park Box Office Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Orders for groups of ten (10) or more may be placed by calling (214) 426-4768 or emailing Groups@DallasSummerMusicals.org. VIP Ticket Packages, which include a prime seat location, a commemorative souvenir program and an exclusive merchandise item, are also available.

Ticket buyers are reminded that Dallas Summer Musicals and Ticketmaster are the only official retail ticket outlets for all performances. Ticket buyers who purchase tickets from a ticket broker or any third party should be aware that the Music Hall at Fair Park is unable to reprint or replace lost or stolen tickets and is unable to contact patrons with information regarding time changes or other pertinent updates regarding the performance.

The North American touring productions of The Lion King have been seen by more than 19 million theatergoers. Having already played more than 70 cities across North America, The Lion King now proudly makes its return engagement to the Music Hall at Fair Park.

For an added treat, ticket buyers may enjoy the DSM Savanna starting two hours before the performance with the purchase of a DSM Savanna Passport. The DSM Savanna is an outdoor shaded family-friendly experience sponsored by Frost Bank. The DSM Savanna includes food trucks with snacks for sale, face-painting, craft activities, cash bars with cold refreshments, and dedicated restroom facilities. DSM Savanna Passports are available for $25 per person at DallasSummerMusicals.org. Each DSM Savanna Passport includes access to the DSM Savanna and a voucher for a complimentary snow cone.

Following The Lion King, DSM's 2017-18 season will continue with the spellbinding sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, Love Never Dies: The Phantom Returns, July 24-August 5, 2018; and closing the season will be the hilarious new musical School of Rock, based on the hit film, August 15-26, 2018.

DSM will continue to bring the best of Broadway to North Texas in the 2018-19 season with shows like Hamilton, Disney's Aladdin, Hello, Dolly!, Cameron Mackintosh's new production of The Phantom of the Opera, Anastasia, Miss Saigon, Fiddler on the Roof and season add-ons Elf and The Book of Mormon.

After 20 landmark years on Broadway, The Lion King continues ascendant as one of the most popular stage musicals in the world. Since its premiere on November 13, 1997, 25 global productions have been seen by more than 95 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; Scheveningen, Holland; Manila, Philippines; and on tour across North America, for a total of nine productions running concurrently across the globe. Having played over 100 cities in 20 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. For more information worldwide, visit LionKing.com.

Since 1941, the non-profit Dallas Summer Musicals Inc. (DSM) has presented the Best of Broadway to North Texas audiences. Located in the historic Music Hall at Fair Park, DSM promotes excellence in live musical theatre with year-round performances for diverse audiences of all ages, impacting the lives of children and families through education and community outreach programs, while enriching the cultural landscape of North Texas and the Southwest Region.

As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, DSM relies on a variety of funding sources to offer affordable ticket prices, preserve the beautiful historic theatre, educate young audiences and develop impactful community programs.

DSM gratefully acknowledges the support of our season sponsors, annual fund donors and corporate partners American Airlines, Texas Instruments, The Dallas Morning News, and WFAA TV Channel 8. For more information about Dallas Summer Musicals, please call 214-421-5678 or visit our website at DallasSummerMusicals.org.

Photo: Nia Holloway as Nala, Buyi Zama as Rafiki and The Lionesses. Photo by Deen Van Meer.

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