Casting Announced for Disney's THE LION KING at the Fabulous Fox Theater

Casting has been announced for the St. Louis engagement of Disney's The Lion King. St. Louis' most eagerly awaited stage production ever will leap onto the Fabulous Fox Theatre stage from April 19 to May 7. The press opening night isThursday, April 20 at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets for Disney's The Lion King at the Fabulous Fox are on sale now online at MetroTix.com, by calling 314-534-1111 or in person at the Fabulous Fox Box Office. Ticket prices start at $55. Prices are subject to change; please refer to FabulousFox.com for current pricing. Disney's The Lion King is part of the U.S. Bank Broadway Series.

Performances of Disney's The Lion King at the Fabulous Fox run April 19 - May 7. Show times are Tuesday through Saturdayevenings at 7:30 p.m., Saturday afternoons at 2 p.m. and Sundays at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. There will also be a matinee performance on Thursday, April 20 at 1 p.m.

The production features Mark Campbell as "Scar," Gerald Ramsey as "Mufasa," Buyi Zama as "Rafiki," Nick Cordileone as "Timon," Drew Hirshfield as "Zazu," Ben Lipitz as "Pumbaa," Dashaun Young as "Simba," Nia Holloway as "Nala," Keith Bennett as "Banzai," Tiffany Denise Hobbs as "Shenzi" and Robbie Swift as "Ed."

The role of "Young Simba" is alternated between Devin Graves and JorDan Williams and the role of "Young Nala" is alternated between Grier Burke and Meilani Cisneros.

The North American touring productions of The Lion King have been seen by more than 17 million theatergoers. Having already played more than 70 cities across North America, The Lion King now proudly makes its St. Louis return at the Fabulous Fox.

About The Lion King

In its 20th year, The Lion King continues ascendant as one of the most popular stage musicals in the world. Since its Broadway premiere on November 13, 1997, 24 global productions have been seen by more than 90 million people. Produced by Disney Theatrical Productions (under the direction of Thomas Schumacher), The Lion King is only the second show in history to generate five productions worldwide running 10 or more years. Translated into 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; Madrid; Mexico City; Shanghai, Scheveningen and on tour across North America, for a total of nine productions running concurrently across the globe. Having played over 100 cities in 19 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 ofThe 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 associate producer.

For more information worldwide, visit LionKing.com.

The St. Louis engagement of Disney's The Lion King is presented by arrangement with Fabulous Fox Theatre and is a subscription offering of the U.S. Bank Broadway Series.