Broadway Backstory Newsletter - Disney's THE LION KING

Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts & Nederlander National Markets Broadway Comes To Reno proudly present

Dear Season Subscribers and Broadway Fans: One of our most patron-requested Broadway shows has been Disney’s THE LION KING. This season, thanks to our friends at Grand Sierra Resort, it became a reality. We are proud to co-present the show with the Nederlander Organization in the GSR’s Grand Theatre.

Disney’s THE LION KING is one of the largest tours on the road to date.

With over 200 puppets, 500 lighting instruments, 71 crew members, 49 cast members, 22 wildebeests, 12 musicians, and 6 languages, not to mention an 18-foot-wide Pride Rock and 12-foothigh elephant puppet, this show is like no other. Presenting this musical on the biggest stage in the biggest little city makes sense! (As a side note: the giant elephant puppet happens to be nicknamed “Bertha” – we’re sure she’ll feel right at home here in northern Nevada!)

The Broadway Backstory Newsletter is created by Pioneer Center Education to help you learn more about the shows in our Broadway Comes To Reno series. Below you will find information and links [in blue] to websites, videos, and articles about the history and creators of the show. Don’t forget to forward this email to the other subscribers and Broadway lovers in your party.

Your tickets to Disney’s THE LION KING at the Grand Sierra Resort were sent through Ticketmaster. Please check your email for instructions on how to link your tickets to your Ticketmaster account.

Get the backstory on the Broadway hit Disney’s THE LION KING •

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The Lion King began as a full-length animated feature film, released in 1994. Inspired by Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the Bible stories of Joseph & Moses, and Disney’s own Bambi, it was the top grossing film of 1994, winning 2 Academy Awards and 3 Grammy Awards. The voice cast included Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, James Earl Jones, Nathan Lane, Whoopi Goldberg, and Cheech Marin.

The stage musical is produced by Disney Theatrical Productions, which began producing Broadway musicals in 1994 with Beauty & the Beast.

The book of the musical is by Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi, adapted from their co-written original screenplay. Allers, who also co-directed the film, worked as a writer on other Disney films including Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, and Oliver & Co. Mecchi also worked on The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, and Brave (Pixar).

Elton John provided music for both the film and stage musical. In addition to being one of the top solo artists of all time, John’s Broadway writing credits include Disney’s Aida, Billy Elliott, Lestat, and upcoming The Devil Wears Prada.

Tim Rice wrote the lyrics for both the film and stage musical. Rice is best known for Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Joseph…, Chess, Aladdin, and additional lyrics for Beauty & the Beast.

• South African recording artist Lebo M. wrote music, lyrics, arrangements, and directed the choir for the film and stage adaptation. He also performed in the original Broadway cast.

• Additional music and lyrics were created by Mark Mancina, Hans Zimmer, and Jay Rifkin.

• Direction is by Julie Taymor, whose other stage credits include M. Butterfly, The Green Bird, SpiderMan Turn Off the Dark, The Magic Flute (The Met), and feature films Titus and Across the Universe.

She was the first woman to win the Tony Award for Best Director for this production. Taymor also designed the costumes (another Tony win) and codesigned the masks/puppets with Michael Curry.

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When Michael Eisner instructed his team to bring The Lion King to Broadway, the stage producer Thomas Schumacher reached out to Taymor, an avante garde theatre and opera director. Taymor conceived and guided the expansion from screen to stage. She began with several creative workshops in New York City in 1995 and 1996, and assembled her collaborators.

Choreographer Garth Fagan won the Tony Award for Best Choreography. His company Garth Fagan Dance has toured the world multiple times. Fagan has created concert work for most major dance companies including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, New York City Ballet, and Dance Theatre of Harlem. His company is based in Rochester, NY. Scenic design is by Richard Hudson and lighting design is by Donald Holder.

Out of town development took place in summer 1997 at the Orpheum Theater in Minneapolis. The cast experienced many different concepts and changes being explored throughout the run.

The production immediately transferred to Broadway, opening at the New Amsterdam Theatre on November 13, 1997. Disney restored the 1903 theatre, former home of the legendary Ziegfeld Follies. The Lion King won 6 Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

Still running, it transferred to the Minskoff Theatre in 2006. It is the highest grossing and 3rd longest running show in Broadway history with over 10,000 performances.

The production spawned long-running sit-downs in major cities around the globe including London, Tokyo, Sao Paulo, Toronto, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Mexico City, Hamburg, The Hague, Paris, Madrid, Johannesburg, Sydney and more. There have been three US national tours and multiple international tours playing 6 continents and breaking records worldwide.

• Seen by millions across the globe for 26 years, the stage adaptation of The Lion King is the highest grossing piece of entertainment, stage or film, in human history.

• The Pioneer Center is proud to present the northern Nevada regional premiere of Disney’s THE LION KING, a new stop on their continuous North American Tour.

Learn More About the History and Cultural Significance of Disney’s THE LION KING

• The team reminisces about the creative process while celebrating 25 years of Disney’s THE LION KING on Broadway in this New York Times piece.

• Puppetry is an ancient theatrical art form that can be found in cultures across the globe. Learn more about puppetry origins on different continents in this article.

• Director and designer Julie Taymor shares her early conceptual journey for creating the puppets in this video clip.

• Composer Lebo M. discusses his inspiration for writing music for The Lion King including its relationship to South African politics and history of apartheid in this news clip.

• Extend the educational experience of the show for the young people in your life with this official Study Guide.

• The Australian cast of The Lion King gave an impromptu performance of “Circle of Life” on an airplane. The video went viral globally in 2014.