The Lion King continues to amaze audiences around the world, with breathtaking visuals that will make this a performance you and your loved ones will cherish for many years to come. Witness this iconic production that sees animals brought to life by a talented creative team of international performers, whose extravagant costumes, unique masks, and stunning makeup will transport you to the sizzling landscapes of the African savanna. The Lion King boasts over 232 puppets, including a towering giraffe which measures as much as 18 feet tall in the track “I just can’t wait to be king.”
Disney’s long-running production is the third longest running broadway spectacle for a reason! The Lion King brings Pride Rock to life in this family favorite musical, entertaining as many as 110 million audience members (and counting!), taking home 70 major theater awards, and setting the stage for 27 unforgettable productions worldwide.
The Lion King Tickets
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“The stage version improves upon nearly every aspect of the hit 1994 animated film” – Variety
Synopsis
The Lion King follows the adventurous Simba. He is a young lion cub (voiced by Jonathan Taylor Thomas) who learns to overcome change, and eventually fulfill his destiny as the king of the Pride Lands. In this beloved family favorite, Simba’s evil uncle, Scar (voiced by Jeremy Irons), devises a plan to take over Mufasa’s throne by leading father and son into a fatal stampede of wildebeests. While Simba manages to escape, Mufasa sadly dies. Later, Simba returns as a fearless adult (voiced by Matthew Broderick) ready to reclaim his homeland from his evil uncle with the help of his beloved sidekicks Timon (voiced by Nathan Lane) and Pumbaa (voiced by Ernie Sabella). Get ready to sing the night away to all your favorite songs like “Circle of Life” and immerse yourself in six unique indigenous African languages which are sung and spoken throughout the production, including Swahili, Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho, Tswana, as well as Congolese.
Creative Team
Winner of a whopping six Tony Awards including Best Musical, Disney’s Lion King is an acclaimed musical that puts the limelight on one of the most celebrated creative teams in Broadway history. Spearheaded by the Tony Award-winning director Julie Taymor, the cult classic story is reimagined using some of the theater’s most spectacular stagecraft. The musical adaptation also boasts the incredible work of Tony Award-winning choreographer Garth Fagan and a beautiful score crafted by the Tony Award-winning songwriting team of Elton John and Tim Rice.
Cast for the North American Tour include Peter Hargrave as Scar. This world class actor has credits both off-broadway and regionally with Cleveland Play House, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, as well as Disney Cruise Line. Meanwhile, he’s lent his skills to television with “Law & Order: SVU,” “FBI,” “Godfather of Harlem,” “Dynasty” as well as “Madam Secretary.” Darnell Abraham will take on the role of Mufasa (Hamilton, George Washington, Color Purple revival). Other cast members include Mukelisiwe Goba as Rafiki, Nick Cordileone as Timon, Nick LaMedica as Zazu, Danny Grumich as Pumbaa, Erick D. Patrick as Simba, Thembelihle Cele as Nala, Forest VanDyke as Banzai, as well as Martina Sykes as Shenzi. The creative team is brought to life with an incredibly talented ensemble cast.
History and Awards
Produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures, The Lion King is a musical movie that won over the hearts of children and adults alike as soon as it hit the screen in 1994. The movie was co-directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff, produced by Don Hahn, written by Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, and Linda Woolverton. The original songs of the movie were inked by composer Elton John and lyricist Tim Rice, with a stunning score by composer Hans Zimmer.
With charming characters, a world class voice cast, and a legendary soundtrack, the movie quickly shot to cult classic status. The Lion King was ranked as the highest-grossing animated movie in history. With an initial gross of over $763 million, it was no surprise that The Lion King was destined for big things beyond the screen. It wasn’t long until the animated movie was adapted into a Broadway hit musical. In 1997, Disney took the story to the next level and changed the history of musical theater as we knew it.
The spectacle was such a hit with both national and international audiences alike that it went on to become Broadway’s highest-grossing show of all time. The production took home an impressive six Tony Awards (1998), including Best Musical, Best Direction of a Musical, and Best Costume Design, making the gifted Julie Taymor the first woman in theater history to receive the coveted honor.
William H. Mortensen Hall
The Lion King is making its way to the celebrated William H. Mortensen Hall, and it’s the highlight of the calendar! The venue brings Broadway to Hartford with its world class stage facilities. Still going strong after almost a decade, William H. Mortensen Hall will be designed to transport you straight to the sizzling landscapes of the African savanna! Don’t miss out on experiencing this six-times Tony Award-winning spectacle at Connecticut’s finest venue!