Hakuna Matata! Disney’s The Lion King is proudly marching down to the Keller Auditorium with shows appearing from January 7th all the way through the 18th for another North American tour! Start the year right and pounce on the opportunity to see the Tony Award-winning Best Musical that follows the story of Simba, his friends, and his fired-up journey to becoming King of the Pridelands. Known as the third longest-running Broadway show in history, there is simply nothing else like it! With world-class performers, see how the brilliant costume design, colorful carved masks, and intricate make-up design leave the audiences in awe by faithfully recreating the landscapes and vistas of the African savannah. Watch this visual extravaganza at the grand stage in Portland, Oregon, where only the best musicals are presented! Bring your family and friends to watch the Circle of Life come alive on stage in this classic tale of friendship, courage, and destiny. Be part of the Lion King’s legacy and purchase your tickets before it’s too late!
Lion King Musical Tickets:
“The breathtakingly staged Broadway adaptation of Disney’s King of the Cartoon Jungle is an instant theater classic.” – Entertainment Weekly
“A theatrical achievement unrivaled in its beauty, brains and ingenuity.” – Variety
“…remains a wonderful musical for children and for those of us who are still children at heart.” – Theatre Guide
Based on the beloved animated film released in the early nineties, the plot retold on Broadway follows the young lion prince Simba, destined to become king. Scar, his villainous uncle, begins hatching schemes to steal the throne and assassinate their family. After successfully killing Mufasa, Simba’s father, in a stampede, Scar encourages the lion cub to leave rather than take responsibility for his father’s death. He grows up in exile with his buddies Timon and Pumbaa, and the three of them dwell in the jungle, eventually forgetting their past.
When Simba’s childhood friend Nala shows up, she informs him that Scar is mistreating the kingdom’s animals, and Simba is advised by his good friend, Rafiki, to return to the Pride Lands and confront Scar. Will Simba and his friends overthrow Scar? And will he take his rightful place as king? The rest is up to the audience to find out.
The Lion King musical is critically acclaimed and impressive for garnering more than seventy global theatrical awards in total. This includes the Tony Award for Best Musical, a prestigious Grammy for Best Musical Show Album, and the Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical. Notably, it also received Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Choreography and Best Costume Design and the Evening Standard Award for Theatrical Event of the Year, among many others.
The full list of the main cast has already been announced for the North American Tour:
- Darian Sanders as Simba
- Peter Hargrave as Scar
- Gerald Ramsey as Mufasa
- Nick Cordileone as Timon
- Nick LaMedica as Zazu
- John E. Brady as Pumbaa
- Khalifa White as Nala
- Forest VanDyke as Banzai
- Martina Sykes as Shenzi
- Robbie Swift as Ed
- Jackson Hayes and Mason Lawson alternating as Young Simba
- Jaxyn Damasco and Aniya Simone alternating as Young Nala
- Gugwana Dlamini as Rafiki
The rest of the ensemble includes Derek Adams, Kayla Rose Aimable, William John Austin, Iman Ayana, Isaiah Bailey, Samantha Lauren Barriento, Eric Bean Jr, Layla Brent, Veron Brooks III, Christin Byrdsong, Sasha Caicedo, Thembelihle Cele, Daniela Cobb, Lyric Danae, Camille Eanga-Selenge, Marquis Floyd, Tony Freeman, Mukelisiwe Goba, Joel Karie, Samaree Lawson, Gabisile Manana, Christopher L. McKenzie Jr, and Justin Mensah.
Check out the list of star-studded creatives for the original play here below:
- Elton John – Music
- Tim Rice – Lyrics
- Roger Allers – Book
- Irene Mecchi – Book
- Julie Taymor – Director, Costume Design, Mask/Puppet Co-Design, Additional Lyrics
- Garth Fagan – Choreographer
- Lebo M. – Additional Music & Lyrics, Vocal Score, Choral Director
A recent interview with Taymor reveals how the bigger the payoff was in creating the on-stage effects and backdrops as long as they took bigger risks. She explains how it was a surprise to get the call from Disney since their world was not really the director’s aesthetic. “But The Lion King’s story aligned with the myths, folktales, and Shakespearean stories I had done. I’d never seen the film before and was totally taken with it. The sheer idea of staging a stampede was exciting. They gave me a lot of freedom”
The scenic design by Richard Hudson and clever lighting design by Donald Holder bring the African savannah to life before your eyes, including those unbelievable giraffes, lions, cheetahs, gazelle, zebras, and even elephants and rhinos roaming the stage. The second act’s opening is particularly brilliant, with dozens of hand-kite birds flying over the audience to the curtain opening on the now-starving animals.
Overall, the show will run for approximately two hours and forty minutes with a single fifteen-minute intermission. Catch The Lion King: Musical with your family at the Keller Auditorium, and purchase your tickets today!
“THERE IS SIMPLY NOTHING ELSE LIKE IT.” – The New York Times
“A new generation of cats just took over Broadway.” – Variety
“The most exciting, most inventive, most moving theater that has ever come to Broadway.” -Newsweek
