THE LION KING's Chantel Riley and Ben Jeffrey to Appear on WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE, 12/10

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. 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.

The Broadway score features Elton John and Tim Rice's music 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 the haunting ballad "Shadowland."

The book has been adapted by Roger Allers, who co-directed The Lion King animated feature, and Irene Mecchi, who co-wrote the film's screenplay. Other members of the creative team include: Michael Curry, who designed the masks and puppets with Taymor, Steve Canyon Kennedy (sound design), Michael Ward (hair and makeup design), John Stefaniuk (associate director), Marey Griffith (associate choreographer), Clement Ishmael (music supervisor) and Doc Zorthian (production supervisor). Anne Quart serves as associate producer.

The Broadway cast of The Lion King features Patrick R. Brown as Scar, Alton Fitzgerald White as Mufasa and Tshidi Manye as Rafiki. Jeff Binder portrays Zazu, Ben Jeffrey is Pumbaa and Fred Berman is Timon. Mufasa's son, Simba, is played by Andile Gumbi and Chantel Riley is Nala.

The hyenas are played by JAmes Brown-Orleans (Banzai), Bonita J. Hamilton (Shenzi) and Enrique Segura (Ed). The role of Young Simba is alternated between Derek Johnson and CALEB McLaughlin and the role of Young Nala is alternated between Bobbi Bordley and Alonie Dowden.

The pre-Broadway engagement of The Lion King had its world premiere on July 13, 1997 in Minneapolis at the historic Orpheum Theatre. The pre-Broadway engagement ran for eight weeks, closing on August 31, 1997. The show officially opened on Broadway on November 13, 1997 and moved to its current home in the Minskoff Theatre on June 13, 2006.

For tickets, show information and performance schedule, call Ticketmaster's Disney on Broadway hotline at 866-870-2717 or visit online, LionKing.com.

Related Links

Free Movie Mondays Return to Segerstrom Center for the Arts, July-Aug 2013 by Michael L. Quintos - May 22, 2013

WICKED Returns to the Ohio Theatre, 6/5-23 May 22, 2013

STAGE TUBE: Behind the Scenes with David Shor and the Cast of the World Premiere of SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE by Stage Tube - May 21, 2013

East West Players Extends Run of Musical CHESS to June 23rd May 21, 2013

THE GERSHWINS' PORGY AND BESS Opens February 25 in Pittsburgh May 21, 2013