The Lion King Still Fires Up the Audience After 20 Years
The Tony Award-winning musical The Lion King has recently celebrated its 20th anniversary in Times Square on the Broadway Plaza and we can freely say that the show is still roaring after 20 years on stage.
Elton John, who wrote the music for the Disney animated movie, was a surprised guest for the occasion and performed his hit song “Circle of Life” with the show’s company. If you still haven’t seen it, purchase your tickets here and enjoy the never-ending story of growing up and sticking up for yourself.
Twenty-four global productions of the musical have been seen by more than 90 million people all over the world and the president and producer of Disney Theatricals, Thomas Schumacher feels very proud. The show employs over 1,100 people and both Schumacher and Elton agree that director Julie Taymor is the one who elevated the material from two dimensions to three.
Julie, who studied puppetry in Japan and Indonesia, designed the costumes and paid attention to every detail. She even called composer and singer, Lebo M. to compose new music for the stage version so that the show is more authentically African.
The journey of Simba, a lion cub which goes on a journey of self-discovery, became his personal story since he himself left Africa a as young and vulnerable kid. Simba’s return to reclaim the throne of his murdered father Mustafa is best portrayed in Lebo M.’s song “He Lives In You” when Simba realizes his father isn’t gone as long as he roams the savanna and caries him in his heart. This Circle-of-life-kind of show sells out every single performance because it tells us that there will be time after us and that everything’s going to be all right. Enjoy this captivating story and get your tickets here.
After Disney’s animated movie The Lion King rocked the cinemas in 1994 and Elton John’s songs “Can you feel the love tonight”, “Hakuna Matata” and “Circle of Life” warmed our hearts, the musical officially opened on Broadway in November, 1997. The musical was an instant hit, becoming even bigger than the movie and is still extremely popular. This fable brought to life didn’t just win six Tony Awards and eight Drama Desk Awards but it also grossed over $1 billion, more than all Star Wars together. In fact, this musical grossed more money than any Broadway show, film release or other entertainment title in box office in the world. With over 8,310 performances, it is the third longest-running show in history after The Phantom of the Opera and Chicago.
The Lion King
Show Date and Time: Sunday, December 17, 2pm
Show Location: Minskoff Theatre, New York, NY
Show Duration: 2 hours and 30 minutes including one intermision
Age Restriction: all ages
