‘The Lion King’ Returns to the Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis for Three Weeks (Aug. 16 – Sep. 2)

THE LION KING is playing the Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis from Aug. 16 – Sep. 2, 2012! Performances are Tues. to Sat. at 8pm, Saturdays at 2pm, Sundays at 1pm, Thurs, August 16 at 1pm, Sun, Aug. 19, 26, 6:30pm and Friday, August 31 at 1pm. Running Time is 2 hrs, 30 min and tickets range from $28 to $90. Purchase tickets at Metrotix, or visit the Fabulous Fox website for more details.

The Tony Award Winning musical was adapted from the classic 1994 Disney film starring the voice talents of Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones, Nathan Lane and many more.

In 1998 THE LION KING won six Tony Awards® including 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 show debuted in November of 1997, and recently surpassed A CHORUS LINE to become Broadway’s fifth longest-running show of all time. THE LION KING is now also the highest-grossing Broadway show in history.

ABOUT THE LION KING

In its 15th year, THE LION KING remains ascendant, recently becoming the highest-grossing Broadway show in history. Since its Broadway premiere on November 13, 1997, 19 productions around the globe have been seen by more than 64 million people, grossed over $4.8 billion and, cumulatively, run a staggering 91 years. Produced by Disney Theatrical Productions (under the direction of Thomas Schumacher), THE LION KING is the sixth longest-running musical in Broadway history and only the second show to generate five productions running 10 or more years. Translated into seven different languages (Japanese, German, Korean, French, Dutch, Mandarin, Spanish), the show has been performed in 15 different countries on five continents. Continuing to reign as one of the most popular stage musicals in the world, THE LION KING can currently be seen on Broadway, on stages across North America, on tour in Japan, and in Tokyo, London’s West End, Hamburg and Madrid. A UK tour launches later this month.

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, making Taymor the first woman in theatrical history bestowed with the honor. 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.

On stage, Taymor’s creative vision blends elements of African art and Broadway artisanship to depict anthropomorphic animal characters. Taymor, along with designer Michael Curry, has created hundreds of masks and puppets for THE LION KING. 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.

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.”

Other members of the creative team include: 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.

THE LION KING is playing the Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis from Aug. 16 – Sep. 2, 2012! Performances are Tues. to Sat. at 8pm, Saturdays at 2pm, Sundays at 1pm, Thurs, August 16 at 1pm, Sun, Aug. 19, 26, 6:30pm and Friday, August 31 at 1pm. Running Time is 2 hrs, 30 min and tickets range from $28 to $90. Purchase tickets at Metrotix, or visit the Fabulous Fox website for more details.