The Lion King Roars On

Disney's "The Lion King" is an award-winning musical of epic proportions. The show, based on the 1994 animated film of the same name, has been running since 1997. This production features giant puppets and actors in animal costumes has been seen by over 70 million people worldwide, with shows in locations such as New York, Tokyo, Madrid, Sydney, Sao Paulo and Hamburg. It has been described by audiences and critics alike as a "visual sensation," and one not to be missed.

Plot

"The Lion King" tells the story of Simba as he goes on a journey through the Serengeti Plains, growing up and struggling with his destiny to be the king of the Pridelands. After losing his father Mufasa through a plot involving his uncle, Simba runs away from his home to live in the jungle with a meerkat and a warthog. Through the story he deals with loss as well as love, and comes in contact with a series of comedic characters. The musical numbers throughout the show will bring you back to the timeless story of the original Disney film.

Schedule

"The Lion King" is in its first UK tour, playing at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff. Since the show's debut in the West End in 1999, it has been a raging success; the combination of epic scenery, costumes and musical numbers by Elton John have come together together to create a spectacular show with hard-to-find tickets.

Trivia

"The Lion King" surpassed "The Phantom of the Opera" in 2014 to become the highest-earning title in history for both stage and film productions, grossing £6 billion. In fact, it is Broadway's fourth longest-running show of all time. The director of the show, Julie Taymor, created such a masterpiece with "The Lion King" that she won a Tony Award for "Best Director of a Musical," making her the first female director to earn this award.

Cast

The touring cast for "The Lion King" is an all star lineup. It features big names playing major roles, such as Christopher Colquhoun playing Scar. Colquhoun trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and since then has appeared in countless screen and stage roles, gaining major exposure. Other notable names are Cleveland Cathnott as Mufasa, Dominic Brewer as Timon and Lee Ormsby as Pumbaa. The rest of the cast is amazing, and under the spectacular direction of Julie Taymor, they have a great show in store.

Original Author

The stage show musical version of "The Lion King" is based off the 1994 animated film written by Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, and Linda Woolverton. The music is by Elton John and the lyrics are by Tim Rice. Elton John is well known for his large-scale solo performances, and he performed dual roles on "The Lion King" film soundtrack as composer and singer. Tim Rice is an award-winning lyricist, usually known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber. Both Elton John and Tim Rice won awards for their work on "The Lion King" film version, including an Academy Award for "Best Original Song."

Producer

Disney Theatrical Productions is the official producer of "The Lion King." This is a division of Walt Disney Studios, the company behind the highly successful original film. Thomas Schumacher is the head of the production team, and has worked on eight Broadway titles with Disney Theatrical Productions that have been seen by over 120 million people. Their shows have been nominated for and won a range of awards. With a majority of their productions licensed out there, there is a Disney musical performed professionally every hour somewhere in the world.