The Denver return engagement of The Lion King plays for five weeks The Buell Theatre through Sunday, January 2, 2022, and we could not be more excited.
I have been wanting to see The Lion King onstage for YEARS. As a lifelong fan (I had an original movie poster hanging in my dorm in college... so yes, a pretty long time!), I couldn't wait to see how they pulled off such a complicated set and cast onstage. I also knew that this was a show that the whole family could enjoy, and I am a huge proponent of introducing your children to the theatre if that is a possibility for your family. Alas, it never seemed to work out for us to attend while the show was in Denver during previous runs, so I was pretty excited when the The Lion King was announced to return in 2020... and then COVID hit.
Well, 2021 was my year! I had the opportunity to take my 11 year old son to see The Lion King this time around. Of course, I had already introduced the original movie to him, plus the outstanding remake a few years ago, so we were both thrilled to check out the live action stage production. How would they make it work?
Well, make it work they did.
I have never heard the word AWESOME come out out of anyone's mouth as much it did that evening. My 11 year old was nothing short of stunned at the awesomeness of it all. I won't spoil the fun, but I will say that even just the first 10 minutes were worth the price of admission. (This is also the part of the show when they hold the latecomers, so get there early!)
The costumes. The cast. The set. The animals. THE VOICES.
I have seen many shows in my lifetime, so I feel like I have a pretty decent frame of reference. RUN. Get your tickets NOW. The Lion King will blow you and your family away.
The Lion King began as a 1994 animated feature-length film developed and produced by the Walt Disney Company. The story, a coming-of-age parable set among animals indigenous to its setting, the African savanna, tells the tale of Simba, the lion cub who rises to be the King of the jungle. The North American touring productions of The Lion King have been seen by more than 20 million theatergoers in over 90 cities across North America.
Tickets to The Lion King are available at denvercenter.org as well as in-person or by phone. Ticket prices for the engagement start as low as $35. Premium Ticket Packages, which include a prime seat location, a souvenir program and an exclusive cinch bag, are also available.
ABOUT THE LION KING
After 24 landmark years on Broadway, The Lion King continues ascendant as one of the most popular stage musicals in the world. Since its premiere on November 13, 1997, 25 global productions have been seen by nearly 110 million people. Produced by Disney Theatrical Productions (under the direction of Thomas Schumacher), The Lion King has made theatrical history with six productions worldwide running 15 or more years, with four of those running 20 or more years.
Performed over its lifetime in nine different languages (English, Japanese, German, Korean, French, Dutch, Spanish, Mandarin and Portuguese), by the end of 2021, there will be ten productions of The Lion King around the world, including Broadway, London, Paris, Hamburg, Tokyo, Madrid, on tour across North America, Japan and the U.K. & Ireland, with a separate production touring internationally. Having played over 100 cities in 21 countries on every continent except Antarctica, The Lion King’s worldwide gross exceeds that of any film, Broadway show or other entertainment title in box office history.
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 supervises new productions of the show around the world.
The Broadway score features Elton John and Tim Rice’s songs 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 Lebo M’s rich choral numbers.
Elton John, Lebo M, and Hans Zimmer all collaborated on the 2019 version of the film, executive produced by Julie Taymor and Thomas Schumacher, which has gone onto extraordinary worldwide success.
For more information worldwide, visit LionKing.com, Facebook and Instagram.
ABOUT THE DENVER CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
The Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) is one of the largest non-profit theatre organizations in the nation, presenting Broadway tours and producing theatre, cabaret, musicals, and innovative, immersive plays. In its 2019/20 season, the DCPA engaged with more than 672,000 visitors, generating a $131 million economic impact in ticket sales alone. Follow the DCPA on social media @DenverCenter and through the Denver Center for the Performing Arts NewsCenter.
Follow the DCPA on social media @DenverCenter and through the Denver Center for the Performing Arts NewsCenter. The DCPA is sponsored by The Shubert Foundation, UCHealth, and United Airlines. Media sponsorship is provided by CBS4 and The Denver Post. The DCPA is supported in part by the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD).
Please be advised that the DCPA — denvercenter.org — is the ONLY authorized ticket provider for these productions in Denver. As with all productions produced and/or presented by the DCPA, ticket buyers who buy tickets from a ticket broker or any third party run the risk of overpaying or buying illegitimate tickets. Patrons should be aware that the DCPA is unable to reprint/replace lost or stolen tickets and are unable to contact patrons with information about time changes or other pertinent updates about the performance if they buy from a ticket broker or any third party. The DCPA is not able to intervene with ticket purchases through a third party or ticket broker. Patrons found in violation of the DCPA Ticket Purchase and Sale Terms and Policies may have all their tickets cancelled.
COVID POLICY
Please be advised that the DCPA requires patrons 12+ to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination, children ages 5-11 to show proof of either a full COVID-19 vaccination or negative medically administered COVID-19 test and all patrons must wear a mask in the theatre. For full COVID-19 policy details and regular updates, visit denvercenter.org/reopening.
