The Lion King is not only an animated masterpiece, but a stage phenomenon. Lion King tickets have been available to enjoy a Disney film brought to life in Tony Award-winning form for more than 15 years, as it not only endures on Broadway, but in major cities across the world, either as an open-ended production or as a touring show.

The musical expands upon the original hit song “Circle of Life”, with the catalog filled out by duos Elton John and Tim Rice and Hans Zimmer and Lebo M. Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi adopted the film for Broadway. Though this certainly proved a difficult task, it is nothing compared to the original charge levied for Julie Taymor, who both served as both the director and costume designer. Taymor and the makeup team had a challenge with so many creatures to bring to the stage. Ultimately, it came down to a combination of costumes, tools like stilts, and mechanics to suspend belief as giraffes, elephants, and lions roam the plain.

In the end, the Lion King musical left audiences awe struck upon its arrival and continues to do so today. This is why the Lion King has remained on Broadway, transferring from the Amsterdam Theater to the Minskoff Theatre. Before leaving the Amsterdam Theater, Lion King the Musical won the Tony Award for Best Musical, Best Direction, Best Choreography, Best Scenic Design, Best Costume Design, and Best Lighting Design. Similarly, the musical proved as critically and commercially successful on the West End as in Broadway, picking up another two Laurence Olivier Awards during its time at the Lyceum Theatre.

In addition to being an award-winning production in major theater cities throughout the world, the Lion King the Musical has been the launching pad for Taymor, whose promotion from costume designer to director led to a now-storied career. In addition, this proved to the beginning of a new Disney arm, Disney Theatricals.