Lion King to appear at the Pantages
Disney's ``THE LION KING'' to Play Limited Engagement At the Pantages Theatre
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 6, 1999--
Performances Begin September 28, 2000, Opening Night is October 19, 2000 Through June 30, 2001 Only
Walt Disney Theatrical Productions (Peter Schneider and Thomas Schumacher, Producers) announced today that Disney's "THE LION KING" will begin performances at Los Angeles' Pantages Theatre on Thursday, September 28, 2000 and open on Thursday, October 19. The production will play a limited engagement through June 30, 2001.
Now in its second year of sold-out performances on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theatre, "THE LION KING" is the winner of 24 major awards: six Tony Awards including Best Musical, eight Drama Desk Awards, six Outer Critics Circle Awards, the New York Drama Critics Award for Best Musical, a 1998 Theatre World Award, the Astaire Award for Outstanding Choreography, a Drama League Award and a Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album.
In addition, director Julie Taymor made Broadway history by becoming the first woman in theatrical history to win the Tony Award for Best Director of a Musical.
"We are thrilled to bring this production of 'THE LION KING' to Los Angeles," Schneider said, "L.A. is our hometown. We live here, we like it here." Schumacher added "Hollywood is accessible to everyone, and the region's media-savvy theatregoers make this the perfect place to be."
The Los Angeles production of "THE LION KING" will be the first U.S. production outside of New York and the fifth production worldwide after Tokyo, Osaka, London (opening October 19, 1999) and Toronto (opening April, 2000).
Elton John and Tim Rice's original score has been expanded for the stage and now features fifteen numbers, including the five from the animated film. John and Rice have written three new songs and there are additional numbers by South African Lebo M and Mark Mancina, with contributions from Julie Taymor and Hans Zimmer. The resulting sound of "THE LION KING" score is a fusion of Western popular music and the distinctive sounds and rhythms of Africa, embracing the Academy award-winning "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" and the haunting "Shadowlands."
Casting will be announced at a later date.
Tickets will go on sale on April 29, 2000.