The North American
tour of Disney’s THE LION KING celebrated 12 triumphant years on
the road on Sunday, April 27, in Atlanta.
Since launching in April 2002 in
Denver, CO, THE LION KING North American touring productions have
played nearly 7,000 performances during 135 engagements in 77 cities. The
record-breaking tours have been seen by more than 15 million theatergoers and
grossed over $1 billion to date.
During the Atlanta engagement, the tour
grossed the highest weekly domestic gross in its history ($2,402.279 during a
nine-performance week ending April 20, 2014). The sold-out three-week
return concluded on Sunday, April 27 at The Fox Theatre where it grossed over
$6.2 million at the box office and entertained more than 97,000 patrons during
23 performances. This was THE LION KING’s first time to play The Fox
Theatre, having previously played two wildly successful engagements at the
Atlanta Civic Center: a seven-week premiere in 2003 and a five-week return in
2008.
It is estimated that the Atlanta engagement
of THE LION KING generated a $25 million economic benefit to the city
from travel, hotels, restaurants, parking, and other businesses patronized by
both theatergoers and production staff. This figure is based upon a
Touring Broadway League report which found that, on average, Broadway tours
contribute an economic impact 4.17 times the gross ticket sales to the local
metropolitan area’s economy.
“It is profoundly gratifying to know
that since opening the tour in Denver at the Buell Theatre in April 2002, THE
LION KING has been instrumental in bringing new audiences to the theatre
across North America for the past 12 years,” said Jack Eldon, Vice President,
Domestic, Disney Theatrical Productions. “We were delighted to celebrate
this milestone in the great city of Atlanta, where it was especially thrilling
for THE LION KING to play The Fox Theatre for the first time. We remain
overwhelmed by the enduring response to the show and are enormously thankful to
the Atlanta community, and all of our audiences nationwide, for their continued
enthusiasm and support. We look forward to sharing this theatrical phenomenon
with more cities in the coming years.”
“Blockbuster shows like THE LION KING
draw audiences to our theatre from greater distances and reinforce Atlanta
as a leading tourism destination in the Southeast,” said Russ Belin, vice
president of Fifth Third Bank Broadway in Atlanta, part of the Broadway Across
America network. “We are honored to have been a part of this record-breaking
engagement, especially as it coincides with a significant anniversary in the
show’s decorated history. Our heartfelt appreciation goes out to the community,
the patrons who supported this impressive production and the talented cast and
company of THE LION KING.”
ABOUT THE LION KING
In its 17th year, THE LION
KING remains ascendant; it is the highest-grossing Broadway show in New
York history and one of the most popular stage musicals in the world.
Since its Broadway premiere on November 13, 1997, 22 global productions have
been seen by more than 70 million people and, cumulatively, run a staggering
104 years. Produced by Disney Theatrical Productions (under the direction
of Thomas Schumacher), THE LION KING is only the second show in history
to generate five productions worldwide running 10 or more years.
Translated into eight different languages (Japanese, German, Korean, French,
Dutch, Mandarin, Spanish and Portuguese), productions of THE LION KING
can currently be seen on Broadway and on tour across North America, the U.K.,
and Japan, and in London’s West End, Hamburg, Tokyo, Madrid, Sao Paulo, and
Sydney, Australia. The Australian production marks the tenth
concurrent worldwide production of THE LION KING, the highest number of
productions running at any one time in the show’s history. To date, THE
LION KING has played 18 countries on every continent except
Antarctica.
Among the most successful titles in
entertainment history, with a cumulative gross in excess of $5 billion, the
stage production of THE LION KING has already earned more than the
biggest hit films in movie history: more than the Lord of the Rings
trilogy combined, more than the six Star Wars films combined, and more
than Avatar and Titanic, the two highest-grossing films in movie
history, combined.
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 show’s director, costume designer,
and mask co-designer Julie Taymor continues to play an integral part in the
show’s ongoing success. The first woman to win a Tony Award for Direction
of a Musical, Taymor has in recent years supervised new productions of the show
around the world.
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.
For more information worldwide, visit
LionKing.com.
NORTH AMERICAN
TOUR SCHEDULE THROUGH APRIL 2015:
Toronto –
Princess of Wales Theatre
April 30 – June
15, 2014
Washington, D.C.
– Kennedy Center Opera House
June 17 – August
17, 2014
Montreal - Place des Arts
August
19 – September 7, 2014
Boston
– Boston Opera House
September
9 – October 12, 2014
Columbus
– Ohio Theatre
October
14 – November 9, 2014
Milwaukee
– Milwaukee Theatre
November
11 – December 7, 2014
San
Antonio – Majestic Theatre
December
10, 2014 – January 5, 2015
Ft.
Lauderdale – Broward Center for the Performing Arts
January
7 – February 1, 2015
Memphis
– The Orpheum Theatre
February
3 – March 1, 2015
Louisville
– Kentucky Center
March
3 – 29, 2015
Cincinnati
– Aronoff Center
March
31 – April 26, 2015
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