THE LION KING at Mandalay Bay Celebrates its First Anniversary

Disney's award-winning Broadway phenomenon THE LION KING will celebrate its first anniversary on the Las Vegas Strip at Mandalay Bay on Saturday, May 15. More than 500,000 people have seen the world-renowned show in its debut year.

Though the production pounced onto the Mandalay Bay Theatre stage only one year ago, it already has a lot to celebrate. Within nine weeks of its Las Vegas debut, Disney's THE LION KING broke the Mandalay Bay box office record previously held by MAMMA MIA! and then went on to break its own record four more times throughout the year. Las Vegas Magazine said THE LION KING "... transcends cultural boundaries and the limits of the imagination," while CityLife called it "...flat-out brilliant." THE LION KING also was recently named the city's "Best Show" by the staff of the Las Vegas Review-Journal in its annual "Best of Las Vegas" awards.

"THE LION KING has proven as popular and successful with Las Vegas audiences as it has around the world," said Renee West, president and chief operating officer of Mandalay Bay. "The production leaves every audience with a sense of wonder and amazement. Our friends at Disney are simply brilliant and we are delighted they are a part of our family. "

Thomas Schumacher, producer and president of Disney Theatrical Group, said, "THE LION KING has touched lives across the globe, and we are thrilled to have been embraced in Las Vegas by locals and tourists alike. After years of working to bring THE LION KING to Las Vegas, we're very proud celebrate this milestone. THE LION KING opens the hearts and minds of everyone who sees it and has had an enormous impact on the communities it reaches. We look forward to many more years of sharing this spectacular production at Mandalay Bay."

For Las Vegas, Disney hand-selected an international cast of performers who have won acclaim in productions of THE LION KING across the globe, including Broadway, Taipei, South Africa, London, Los Angeles, Australia, Toronto, Shanghai, Paris and Holland.

Mandalay Bay's production of THE LION KING is virtually identical to the other companies seen around the globe and is staged with all of the same spectacular music, sets, and costumes that have made it the world's #1 musical, reaching more than 50 million people in 13 countries. In addition to Las Vegas and the landmark Broadway production, THE LION KING also can be seen on stage across North America, in London's West End and in Hamburg, Paris and Tokyo. The show is performed Monday through Thursday evenings at 7:30 p.m. with weekend shows at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.

For more information, please visit www.lionkinglasvegas.com.

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