101 Words About This Show:
Disney’s The Lion King in only 101 words? Tough to do. The mega-hit movie spawned a mega-hit musical that heralded both Disney Theatrical’s arrival on Broadway and the rebirth of the New Amsterdam Theatre.
The Lion King retains the coming-of-age story of Simba the lion cub, tricked by his evil uncle Scar into leaving the pride over his father’s death. It retains the Elton John-Tim Rice music and lyrics, but adds eye-popping scenic and costume design. To this, we add the vision of director Julie Taymor, who re-imagines the show as an African folk tale told by humans in masks.
Who’s Who and What’s What:
Two words: Julie Taymor. She directed. She designed the costumes. She co-designed the masks and puppets.
Deservedly, she won the Tony for Best Director, and The Lion King won the Best Musical Tony, beating out another landmark show, Ragtime.
And while the show re-opened the New Amsterdam in 1997, it moved in 2006 to the Minskoff, to make room for Mary Poppins.
Where and When:
- Minskoff Theatre
200 West 45th Street
- Show Times and Tickets
- Opening: October 15, 1997
- Closing: Open-ended run
- Run Time: 2 hours, 45 minutes (including intermission)