The ShowA triumph in musical and theatrical craftsmanship, The Lion King is a dazzling visceral experience retelling the Disney animated classic before our eyes with stunning finesse. Incredible choreography, a stirringly epic musical score and the wizardry of over 232 beautifully crafted puppets combine with glorious colour, costumes and sweeping backdrops of the Serengeti Plains to recreate the tale of young lion cub Simba realising his ultimate destiny to become king of the Pride Lands. Elton John, Tim Rice and Hans Zimmer are reunited to envelop the audience in an epic reimagining of their original score, boasting all the instantly recognisable classics such as "Hakuna Matata" and "Circle of Life", including new songs adapted for the musical. Serial-award winner Julie Taymor directs, also working on the numerous fabulous puppets and costumes that adorn the spectacle, while Garth Fagan brings his emphatic afro-Caribbean dance heritage to choreographic brilliance for our viewing delight. Adults and children alike will be wowed by the sheer dedication involved in bringing this staggering accomplishment to the stage, and the musical sensation shows no signs of slowing into its 17th year on the West End.
History of The Lion KingFirst unleashed on the theatrical stage in 1997, the Lion King roared into the New Amsterdam theatre on Broadway on November 13th - with adaptations also in Africa, China, Tokyo, Australia and across Europe, it is also now Broadway's third longest running show and the highest grossing of all time. Making its debut in the Lyceum Theatre in London on October 19th 1999 to rousing critical acclaim, the cast would later perform in the Royal Variety show in 2008. In 2014 the show officially became the world's most successful box office production of any media in entertainment history, having grossed $6.2 billion around the globe.
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Awards & what the Critics sayThe Lion King has pounced on over fifteen awards from twenty-four nominations in 1998, including nine Drama Desks and six Tonys. The London production was honoured with two Laurence Olivier Awards in 1999 for Best Costume Design and Best Choreography, and received the Best Theatre Show accolade in both 2006 and 2007 by Visit London.
Critics have been amazed by the musical and praise is consistently gracious: Newsweek insist that "This is theatre at its best, an inspirational staging", while the Evening Standard applauds "A blaze of fabulous imagination". The Sunday Times says it's "A wonderful musical that will touch a deep chord with everyone", and for the New York Times "There's simply nothing else like it".
Interesting facts about The Lion King Musical- There are 25 species of animals, birds, fish and insects represented in the show
- It took 37,000 hours to build the puppets and masks
- In the show, the phrase "Hakuna Matata" is said 25 times per performance
- It takes 114 people to prepare for each performance of 'The Lion King'
