THE LION KING Celebrates 29th Anniversary on Broadway

The Lion King is celebrating its 29th anniversary on Broadway tonight, Friday, November 13th. The Lion King marks several historic firsts. There have been 32 productions over the life of the show, seen by 130 million people.

Composer Lebo M and the Tony-winning choreographer Garth Fagan hold their own Broadway records; with The Lion King at well over 11,000 main stem performances, they are the longest-running Black composer and choreographer in Broadway history.

Many of the artists and craftspeople who launched the show remain an integral part of it. Lindiwe Dlamini has performed in the show since its first pre-Broadway preview in Minneapolis in summer 1997. Additionally, seven original musicians, seven crew members and two ushers remain with the show. All told, 17 original company members continue their vital work onstage and off.

Approaching 30 landmark years on Broadway, The Lion King continues ascendant as one of the most popular stage musicals of all time. Since its premiere on November 13, 1997, 32 global productions have been seen by over 130 million people. Produced by Disney Theatrical Group, under the direction of Andrew Flatt and Anne Quart, The Lion King has made theatrical history with two productions worldwide running 20 or more years and three others running 25 or more years.

Performed over its lifetime in nine different languages (English, Japanese, German, Korean, French, Dutch, Spanish, Mandarin and Portuguese), there are currently nine productions of The Lion King around the world: Broadway, London, Paris, Hamburg, Madrid, Tokyo, Mexico City and on tour across North America and Australia. The Lion King has played over 100 cities in 24 countries on every continent except Antarctica; its worldwide gross exceeds that of any film, Broadway show or other entertainment title in box office history.

The Lion King won six 1998 Tony Awards: Best Musical, Best Scenic Design (Richard Hudson), Best Costume Design (Julie Taymor), Best Lighting Design (Donald Holder), Best Choreography (Garth Fagan) and Best Direction of a Musical (Julie Taymor). The Lion King has also earned more than 70 major arts awards including the 1998 NY Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical, the 1999 Grammy for Best Musical Show Album, the 1999 Evening Standard Award for Theatrical Event of the Year and the 1999 Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Choreography and Best Costume Design.

Julie Taymor, who conceived and directed the production and is its Costume Designer and mask co-designer, was the first woman to win a Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical. She remains actively involved in the show, launching new productions and maintaining the flagship Broadway production.

The Broadway score features Elton John and Tim Rice’s songs from The Lion King animated film along with three new songs by John and Rice; additional musical material by South African Lebo M, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Julie Taymor and Hans Zimmer; and music from “Rhythm of the Pride Lands,” an album inspired by the original music in the film, written by Lebo M, Mark Mancina and Hans Zimmer. The resulting sound of The Lion King is a fusion of Western popular music and the distinctive sounds and rhythms of Africa, ranging from the Academy Award-winning song “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” to Lebo M’s rich choral numbers.

Elton John, Lebo M, and Hans Zimmer all collaborated on the 2019 version of the film, executive produced by Julie Taymor and Thomas Schumacher, which has gone onto extraordinary worldwide success.

ABOUT THE CAST