THE LION KING Celebrates 10 Years in Hamburg, Germany

Disney's landmark musical event, THE LION KING celebrates 10 years in Hamburg on Friday, December 2nd at the Theatre im Hafen Hamburg.

This milestone makes THE LION KING only the second show in theatrical history to see four of its productions achieve a decade-long; the Broadway, London and Tokyo productions of THE LION KING have also run more than 10 years.

In the decade since its star-studded premiere in 2001, THE LION KING has been seen by over eight million people in Hamburg at over 4100 performances and has achieved a total gross box office to date in excess of $714 million. This acclaimed musical now holds the record for longest running show in German theatre history. Hamburg was the seventh production of THE LION KING to launch; to date nineteen productions of the show have played around the globe.

"It's profoundly gratifying to see that German audiences continue to embrace THE LION KING in such an extraordinary way," said Thomas Schumacher, producer and president of Disney Theatrical Productions. "I am tremendously proud of our entire creative team as well as our cast and crew in Hamburg who bring Julie Taymor's glorious production to life each and every time the curtain rises."

"We are very happy to have this unique musical among our presentations and very proud to present this successful production to Hamburg and all of Germany, especially as it is so closely connected to the musical capital Hamburg", said Joop Van Den Ende, owner and founder of Stage Entertainment, Disney's producing partner in Germany.

As it enters its 15th year, THE LION KING remains ascendant, continuing to reign as a cultural phenomenon and one of the most popular stage musicals in the world. Since its Broadway premiere on November 13, 1997, 19 global productions have been seen by more than 63 million people, and grossed over $4.7 billion to date. Produced by Disney Theatrical Productions (under the direction of Thomas Schumacher), THE LION KING is the seventh longest-running musical in Broadway history and one of only six productions in theatre history to play for ten years or more both on Broadway and in the West End. Translated into seven different languages (Japanese, German, Korean, French, Dutch, Mandarin, Spanish), the show has been performed in 15 different countries on five continents. THE LION KING can currently be seen on Broadway, on stages across North America, and in Las Vegas, Tokyo, London's West End, Hamburg and Madrid.

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, making Taymor the first woman in theatrical history bestowed with the honor. 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.

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