Believe it or not, Simba has been prowling the PrideLands for over 2 decades. On November 13 at the Minskoff Theatre in New York, the award-winning musical – The Lion King – celebrated its 22nd Anniversary.
For over two decades, the Broadway musical has left a trail of laughs, catchy tunes, and jaw-dropping performances to earn a place as one the best to ever exist. In 2019 alone, The Lion King hit several milestones, including 20 years in London’s West End, 9,000 Broadway performances, and over 100 million global viewers. The year also saw the release of the Beyoncé-led film produced by Thomas Schumacher and Julie Taylor. The blockbuster film featured contributions by Hans Zimmer, Lebo M, and Elton John.
Since premiering all that way back in 1997, The Lion King hit the stage running and new looked back – much like how Simba ran from the PrideLands. The musical boasts of 25 global productions, performances in nine languages (English, Portuguese, Mandarin, Spanish, Dutch, French, Korean, German, and Japanese), and shows in 100 cities spread across 20 nations. (Fun Fact: The Lion King has played in every continent except Antarctica – and it’s probably because Simba is not adapted to the freezing temperatures).
The Lion King was directed by Thomas Schumacher and produced by Disney Theatrical Productions. Of its numerous productions, three of them have been running for over 20 years, while another three for more than 15 years.
Nine productions are running concurrently in London’s West End, Broadway, Madrid, Tokyo, Hamburg, and four touring the North America, UK, Japan, and Internationally. And did you know that global gross of The Lion King exceeds that of any other entertainment title in the history of box office?
