CMU School of Drama


Wednesday, November 14, 2018

THE LION KING Celebrates 21 Years On Broadway Today, November 13

www.broadwayworld.com: After 21 landmark years on Broadway, The Lion King continues ascendant as one of the most popular stage musicals in the world. Since its premiere on November 13, 1997, 25 global productions have been seen by more than 95 million people. Produced by Disney Theatrical Productions (under the direction of Thomas Schumacher), The Lion King has made theatrical history with six productions worldwide running 15 or more years.

7 comments:

Julian G. said...

The Lion King is pretty high up on my list of shows to see. I’ve wanted to see it for years, and in retrospect I wish I’d seen it when I went to New York, but I’m sure I’ll find another chance. There are a wide range of reasons I want to see the show, but the core of it comes down to the visual world Taymor has created. The use of puppetry and the imagery of the show as a whole has always been very impressive to me, and I also quite enjoy the soundtrack. The Lion King was always one of my favorite Disney movies when I was younger, and so the idea of seeing that story told in through the artistry I’ve seen in clips of the Broadway production is really exciting. I’m a little bit worried that I’ve played it up in my head too much and the real production won’t be what I imagined it to be, but realistically I think the real production will end up being more impressive than what I’ve imagined.

Mia Zurovac said...

I remember seeing The Lion King on Broadway at ten years old. I remember going with my whole family, including my cousin, and we had the best time. As a kid, seeing you favorite movie come to life right in front of you was truly amazing. The best part about The Lion King is that fact that it's not a show just for kids. Some might consider it a children's movie, but I think its classic around all ages. I think that is one of the main reasons that the broadway rendition of The Lion King was such a success. The movie and the musical are two very different experiences but I think the musical inherently resonates well with larger audiences because of the experience you have just watching the show. Its an out of body, engaging world that is very hard not to fall in love with. I think the musical version of The Lion King is what is really keeping its legacy. The more people get to see if live, the more they will remember it, and want to experience it again.

Emily Stark said...

Holy moly. When I first saw this post I thought, “this can’t be real”. I have a very distinct memory of when The Lion King came to Atlanta for the first time. It was a huge deal and everyone went. Even this summer, the Lion King national tour came to the Fox Theater and all of my friends went. Little did we know how long this Disney classic has been around. I love that such a wholesome, traditional, and classic piece can withstand the test of time. I think a lot of it has to do with the music and the fact that the Disney movie has also withstood time so well. I think it also says a lot about what theater goers value that pieces like Phantom of the Opera and the Lion King are still on Broadway. It speaks to the love of beautiful theater and innovation as well as the need for positivity and love as a form of entertainment.

Evan Schild said...

Lion King was one of the most magical shows I have ever seen. The first time I saw this show was when I was in 3rd or 4th grade. I remember the opening number and seeing the elephant going through the orchestra during the circle of life. I loved every second of it. While Julie taymors Broadway career might not have be as successful, her work on this show is incredible. She not only did a great job directing, she also took on the responsibility of creating the puppets and the costume design. She had a very clear vision and it shows on stage. The integration of puppets is truly incredible and the way the actors inhabit these characters is great and feel very genuine. This show keeps making history as it was the first show to gross 1 billion dollars. This is a huge feat for any show to try and accomplish.

Sebastian A said...

Happy Anniversary to the show I respect the most, not the one I like the most however. I do not at all like the story or music of the show. I find the music grating and mind-numbing and the story just not that identifiable with me personally. However I admire it for doing what Disney Theatrical was created for, to take a Disney film and turn it into a new, completely theatrical version of the original, without being corny or similar to a theme park show. The Lion King is inventive and innovative, combining culture and charisma with a stylish class that creates an elegant experience that has a set vision and brilliant execution. As usual I enjoy any show with puppets and this is the biggest show to do it well and on the biggest scale. My favorite is definitely the Scar mask which becomes so much a part of the actor. However it may be beautiful it is still just something that does not make me nostalgic or emotional.

Miranda Boodheshwar said...

The Lion King is my dream show when it comes to designing. I have always wanted to see it but I’ve always really wanted to work on it. I really do not think that it’s fair that my parents, who are not very avid theatre-goers, have seen The Lion King, but I, the one in drama school, have not been able to—because like I said, it’s a dream show to design. I have literally made costumes for The Lion King in my room just for fun, to pretend like I was working on it, just because I want to actually work on it that badly. Considering it’s so famous and successful, I’m sure it will be running for years to come (it did just turn 21), so who knows, maybe I will get to work on it one day. In the meantime. If anyone has contact information for me and reads this, PLEASE let me know.

Ali Whyte said...

I hope that this is the show that never closes on Broadway. I saw Lion King as a child and even though I was young I could still recognize the complexity and engineering that went into this amazing show. I think Lion King is one of the more different musicals on Broadway, with all of the huge puppets and whatnot, and I think that is partially at least why this show has been so so successful or so long. I also think that watching the movies growing up and then being able to see that same story in another medium was a really powerful thing, and that is another reason why I think people find this show to be so compelling. I am curious to see whether or not it will hold up now that the movie is no longer a staple in more children's lives, but I hope that this show really does stand up to the test of time.