Every special detail you need to know about The Lion King on its 25th anniversary on Broadway

14th November, 2022 | By Ishita Mukherjee

The Lion King on Broadway turned 25 on November 13, 2022, at the New York Theater District’s Minskoff Theatre. The show opened in 1997 at the New Amsterdam Theatre and then, in June 2006, moved to the Minskoff Theatre where it’s been playing ever since. Very few broadway shows have had the honor of the silver jubilee. The Lion King on Broadway is just behind The Phantom of the Opera and Chicago in the list of the longest-running Broadway shows in history. On the anniversary day, theatergoers were treated to a star-studded 25th-anniversary performance. Based on the 1994 Disney film, The Lion King, the musical has been an absolutely remarkable and memorable Broadway phenomenon for over two decades now - its songs, like the Circle of Life, Hakuna Matata, Can You Feel the Love Tonight, and The Lion Sleeps Tonight, have become anthems for a generation. Here is everything you need to know about The Lion King on Broadway:

The Lion King on Broadway Tickets

In the 1998 Tony Awards, The Lion King on Broadway won six awards - Best Musical, Best Scenic Design (Richard Hudson), Best Lighting Design (Donald Holder), Best Choreography (Garth Fagan), and Best Costume Design and Best Direction of a Musical for (Julie Taymor).

The Lion King on Broadway has been entertaining audiences for 25 years now in New York City. But, simultaneously, the musical has delighted theatergoes in more than 100 cities in 21 countries. Over its lifetime it has also been performed in nine different languages - English, German, Japanese, French, Korean, Dutch, Spanish, Mandarin, and Portuguese.

16 original members of The Lion King on Broadway staff are still with the show, some onstage and some off it, as of the 25th-anniversary show. This includes performer Lindiwe Dlamini, music director Karl Jurman, and seven members of the orchestra.

The show has crealy had a prosperous run. Over its lifetime, for the nonprofit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, The Lion King on Broadway has raised over $10 million.

Julie Taymor, who directed The Lion King on Broadway, was the first woman to win Best Direction of a Musical, making it an important historical moment for the women of the Broadway community.

The Lion King on Broadway score features three new songs by Elton John and Tim Rice, along with their songs from The Lion King animated film. Additional musical material was also provided by Lebo M, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Julie Taymor, and Hans Zimmer. Additionally, music from an album inspired by the original film music named "Rhythm of the Pride Lands," written by Lebo M, Mark Mancina, and Hans Zimmer, is also part of the score.

Currently, 115,000 people enjoy the show, on three continents, every week. The Lion King musical’s worldwide gross exceeds that of any film, Broadway show, or other entertainment title in box office history.

200 puppets are used in the production of The Lion King on Broadway. These are operated by around 49 cast members. The largest and longest animal puppet in the show is the elephant - it is 13 feet long, 12 feet high and 9 feet wide and requires four actors to bring it to life.

So, what are you waiting for? Get tickets to The Lion King on Broadway today and take advantage of last-minute promotions and attractive discounts, all the while getting to select your own seats!

The Lion King on Broadway Tickets