Name: The Lion King on Broadway
Start: 1997-10-15
Location: Minskoff Theatre

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The Lion King on Broadway [42] 

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The Lion King on Broadway

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NOTE: This review was written by&nbsp;The Lion King alum&nbsp;Kyle Wrentz in celebration of the show's 20th anniversary on Broadway.A sunrise on a day.&nbsp;It could be a Saturday or a Wednesday, but regardless, 20 years later, <a href="/show/disneys-the-lion-king">The Lion King</a> is still a timeless piece of artistry and magical allure. The moment you hear Rafiki's clarion call across the pridelands welcoming the new prince to the kingdom, you are lost in the story, as the iconic procession of animals begins.&nbsp;It is no wonder that sold out audiences continue to flock to the <a href="/theatres/minskoff-theatre">Minskoff Theatre</a> 8 times a week, bringing their own legacy of family members that keep this fable alive. The score still maintains its variety of gifts, especially the songs rooted in the African tradition. Whether it be&nbsp;Grasslands, Rafiki Mourns&nbsp;or&nbsp;Shadowland,&nbsp;the ensemble sings in exceptional harmony with lush beautiful melodic tones that capture the essence of the evening.&nbsp;As for the 20th Anniversary cast, Tshidii Manye continues her extraordinary run as Rafiki; she's playful and illustrious and every time she hits the stage, the audience is in the palm of her hand. L. Steven Taylor captures all facets of the king, Mufasa. He is regal and full of gravitas, while also letting us glimpse behind the mask in the tender private moments he shares with his son, young Simba (played by an energetic Kenneth Aikens who displayed an awesome backhand spring). He is aptly assisted by Cameron Pow who is charming as Zazu, the trusty hornbill and confidant of the royal family.Stephen Carlile, a prominent actor from London's&nbsp;West End, is deliciously wicked as Scar, he seems to be having a ball plotting and scheming away for the coup of the century. He brings along three misfit hyenas for the ride; hilariously played by Bonita Hamilton, James Brown-Orleans, and Enrique Sequra. Jelani Remy brings a vulnerability and magnetism to the role of Simba.&nbsp;From the moment he swings out on that vine in the middle of the jungle, you are rooting for this lion to find his way back home and claim himself as the rightful king.&nbsp;Jelani's interpretation of the folk tune&nbsp;Endless Night&nbsp;was performed with an honest purity that truly was a highlight of the evening.Timon&nbsp;and Pumbaa keep the comic relief coming all evening. Ben Jeffery sets up the jokes nicely, and Fred Berman knocks the ball right out of the park, all the while keeping us full of chuckles.&nbsp;A special mention needs to go to the remarkable dancers of The Lion King ensemble&nbsp;who performed updated choreography throughout the evening.&nbsp;Their new movement during the&nbsp;She's Going to Eat Me&nbsp;portion of the performance gathered rapturous and sustained applause, so kudos to them for their remarkable artistry and sustained commitment to the storytelling.Overall, The Lion King continues to be a wonderful evening at the theatre.&nbsp;You will laugh, cry and marvel at all the beauty around.&nbsp;As Rafiki says during&nbsp;Circle of Life, "There is far too much to take in here, more to find than can ever be found."&nbsp; That declaration still rings true, 20 years later. Every time I see The Lion King, I notice something new, I consider the story through the eyes of another character's perspective. In such a time of turmoil and discourse, it is lovely to get lost in this iconic piece and be inspired by all the cultures and individuals who continue to come together to make the entrancing musical still shine so radiantly today.(Photo by Joan Marcus)<hr /><h2>What the popular press says...</h2>"Seen purely as a visual tapestry, there is simply nothing else like it. Suddenly, you're 4 years old again, and you've been taken to the circus for the first time. You can only marvel at the exotic procession of animals before you: the giraffes and the elephants and the hippopotamuses and all those birds in balletic flight. Such is the transporting magic wrought by the opening 10 minutes of The Lion King, [director Julie] Taymor has introduced a whole new vocabulary of images to the Broadway blockbuster." Ben Brantley for New York Times"Julie Taymor's staging of Disney's The Lion King is a marvel, a theatrical achievement unrivaled in its beauty, brains and ingenuity. Leaping far beyond its celluloid inspiration, the stage version improves upon nearly every aspect of the hit 1994 animated film, from visual artistry and storytelling to Lebo M's score and the newly African-ized pop songs of Elton John and Tim Rice." Greg Evans for Variety"A jaw-dropping magnificent spectacle. The show and the playhouse are enchanting. The unprecedented production is worth every penny. If this is Disney's idea of a theme park, we are delighted to report that the theme is quality." Linda Winer for Newsday"Awe-inspiring! Broadway theater is alive again. [Julie] Taymor's imaginative ideas seem limitless. it's a gorgeous, gasp-inducing spectacle. Most important - against all odds - it has innocence. The show appeals to our primal, childlike excitement in the power of theater to make us see things afresh." Richard Zoglin for Time Magazine"The breathtakingly staged Broadway adaptation of Disney's king of the cartoon jungle is an instant theater classic." Chris Willman for Entertainment WeeklyExternal links to full reviews from popular press...<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1997/11/14/movies/theater-review-cub-comes-of-age-a-twice-told-cosmic-tale.html" target="Top">New York Times</a> - <a href="http://variety.com/1997/legit/reviews/the-lion-king-new-amsterdam-theater-1117339958/" target="Top">Variety</a>

The Lion King

Designed by Kahn and Jacobs, the Minskoff Theatre is located on the third floor of the One Astor Plaza office tower. The Minskoff Theatre is named after Sam Minskoff and Sons, who built and own the high-rise building, and it officially opened on March 13, 1973, with a revival of Irene starring Debbie Reynolds. The theatre also held the Miss Universe 1981 pageant.

## How to get to the Minskoff Theatre on Broadway

The Minskoff Theatre is closest to the 42nd Street - Times Square subway stop on the 1, 2, 3, 7, N, Q, R, W, and S lines. The closest bus stop is the 7th Ave/W. 44th St. on the M104 line.

## Restaurants near the Minskoff Theatre

Popular restaurants near the Minskoff Theatre include Junior's (American), the Hard Rock Cafe (American), Carmine's (Italian), and Havana Central (Cuban).

[Learn more about popular pre- and post-show restaurants in the Theatre District.](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/news/where-to-eat-before-and-after-a-broadway-show)

## Where is *The Lion King* on Broadway playing?

*The Lion King* performs at the Minskoff Theatre on Broadway. The show has played in New York since 1997, making it Broadway's third-longest running show of all time. *The Lion King* originally opened at the [New Amsterdam Theatre](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatres/new-amsterdam-theatre) but moved to the Minskoff in 2006.

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The story of *The Lion King* has become classic in its own right, but it’s actually based on an even older tale. Its plot is loosely based on Shakespeare’s tragic play Hamlet, in which a young prince’s uncle kills his father to take the throne for himself. This version is an uplifting, family-friendly musical, though, so it has a much happier ending than that play!

*The Lion King* first came onto the scene as a 1994 Disney film, which won two Academy Awards and a Best Picture Golden Globe Award. The voice cast featured lots of theatre actors, including Matthew Broderick as Simba, Nathan Lane as Timon, Whoopi Goldberg as Shenzi, and James Earl Jones as Mufasa in one of his most iconic voice roles.

When the stage adaptation premiered three years later, under visionary director Julie Taymor, it was unlike anything that had ever been on a Broadway stage before. *The Lion King* features hundreds of expertly handmade, life-size puppets and masks, designed by Taymor, which feature animal-like details while still showing the actors’ faces. The design was an innovation in stagecraft, and Taymor won both directing and costume design Tony Awards for her work. The show won an additional four Tonys in 1998, including Best Musical.

The stage show also builds on the original movie with additional music by Lebo M, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Taymor, and Hans Zimmer. So in addition to the fan-favorite tunes, you’ll hear new songs on stage that you won’t get from the movie.

More than anything, the *The Lion King* musical is a classic story of family that will speak to anyone who has ever been a parent or a child. 

## What to Watch For

- Six indigenous African languages are sung and spoken in the show: Swahili, Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho, Tswana, and Congolese.
- *The Lion King* on Broadway uses 232 puppets, including full-sized, shadow, and rod puppets. Did you know that it took 37,000 hours to build all of the puppets, which encompass 25 species of animals?
- The opening lyrics of “The Circle of Life” in *The Lion King* in the African language Swahili translate in English to: “Here comes a lion, father / Oh yes, it’s a lion.” The Swahili lyrics are, "Nants ingonyama bagithi baba / Sithi uhm ingonyama."
- Most of the main characters’ names are Swahili in origin, too. “Simba,” for example, means “the lion” in Swahili, and “Mufasa” loosely translates to “king.”
- The puppets in *The Lion King* vary in size from five inches (the trick mouse at the end of Scar’s cane) to 18 feet tall (the giraffes in “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King").

The Lion King on Broadway [42] - TodayTix

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Join the circle of life at this stage adaptation of the beloved Disney film, on Broadway for 25 years and counting. Awe-inspiring puppetry and timeless songs like "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" bring alive the story of a lion cub growing up to take his rightful place as a leader.

Join the circle of life and experience the majesty of The Lion King on Broadway, whose unique stagecraft brings the Disney film to life unlike anything else on stage. Get The Lion King tickets now and see the third-longest-running show in Broadway history.

The Lion King on Broadway roared onto the scene in 1997, just three years after the release of the animated classic. The plot of the film remains the same on stage: Simba, a young lion cub, must defeat his evil uncle Scar and take his rightful place as King of the Pride Lands.

The Lion King opened at the <a href="/theatres/new-amsterdam-theatre">New Amsterdam Theatre</a>, the home base of Disney on Broadway, in November 1997, transferring to the Minskoff in 2006.

The successful reimagining&nbsp;of The Lion King on stage is largely thanks to the creative genius of director and costume designer Julie Taymor. In 1998, she won two Tony Awards in those respective categories, and the production itself picked up a total of six Tonys, including Best Musical. Her costumes incorporate various theatrical traditions of puppetry, with headdresses that portray the animal character each actor represents while never hiding the actor's face. They are highly detailed, merging textiles and fabrics with elements of African traditions and customs. As much as the timeless story, the stagecraft is one of the main reasons The Lion King on Broadway is iconic on its own.

## Who wrote the music for *The Lion King*?

Elton John and Tim Rice wrote the music for *The Lion King* musical and movie. All the beloved songs from the animated classic remain in the musical, including "Circle of Life," "I Just Can't Wait to Be King," "Be Prepared," "Hakuna Matata," and "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" Lebo M, Hans Zimmer, Mark Mancina, and Jay Rifkin also wrote additional songs for the musical, such as "They Live in You," "Shadowland," and "Endless Night."

## How long is *The Lion King* on Broadway?

*The Lion King* runs 2 hours and 30 minutes, including an intermission.

The Lion King is the perfect introduction for kids to the wonders of live theatre, and its themes and stylistic maturity are timelessly appropriate for theatregoers of all ages. So feel the love tonight and see why The Lion King in New York remains the pride of Broadway.

(Photos by Joan Marcus)

The Lion King - NYC - New York Theatre Guide

Get tickets to The Lion King on Broadway from the official New York Theatre Guide. Join the circle of life at this Disney show with music by Elton John.

The Lion King Broadway Tickets | The Official NY Theatre Guide

Based on the animated Disney classic, *The Lion King* features hit Elton John songs like "Circle of Life," "Hakuna Matata" and "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" Witness the story of a lion cub following in his father's royal footsteps, brought to life with awe-inspiring puppetry evocative of the African savannah. Learn more about tickets to the six-time Tony-winning Best Musical.

The Lion King - NYC - GS

Adapted from Disney's animated film, this six-time Tony-winning Best Musical showcases Elton John's iconic hits like "Circle of Life" and "Hakuna Matata." Experience the royally entertaining tale of a young lion stepping into his legacy, reimagined with mesmerizing puppetry capturing the essence of the African wilderness.

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