Disney & MTI Partner for New Kid-Friendly, Condensed Versions of THE LION KING

Disney Theatrical Group is now licensing The Lion King Experience, a unique holistic arts education program that gives accredited elementary and middle schools the opportunity to produce condensed, age-appropriate JR. and KIDS adaptations of The Lion King, exclusively through Music Theatre International's (MTI) Broadway Junior Collection. In addition to a license to perform either The Lion King JR. (a 60-minute musical for middle-school students) or The Lion King KIDS (a 30-minute musical for elementary-school students), The Lion King Experience features a rigorous curriculum designed to introduce teachers and students to a wide range of theatrical skills. Through the curriculum, teachers and students examine theatrical processes before applying the skills they've learned to put on their own JR. or KIDS production of The Lion King. This marks the first time any long-running hit musical has released a specially-created version for elementary and middle school students while the original show is still playing on Broadway.

Adults who have seen the Broadway show appreciate the breadth of imagination and stagecraft that went into making The Lion King the most successful stage production in theatrical history. The Lion King Experience was developed over the course of three years by Disney Theatrical Group's education team with feedback from education professionals as an accessible way for teachers to tap into those elements and share them with students. The hope is that the deep affection for The Lion King, paired with the extensive companion materials developed for The Lion King Experience, will provide schools without arts programming with the knowledge and confidence to introduce theatre-based learning to their students. For information on licensing The Lion King Experience, visit www.LionKingExperience.com.

"I am thrilled we can provide The Lion King Experience to students around the globe. The entire creative team of The Lion King got started in the theatre as children and those early experiences went on to inform our collective careers, so we are excited to be able to extend the legacy of the stage to the next generation of theatre-makers and theatregoers," said Thomas Schumacher, producer and president, Disney Theatrical Group.

The Lion King Experience was workshopped at Harlem School of the Arts in 2012, and further developed in pilot productions at schools in the U.S., United Kingdom, and Germany. Each license comes with a ShowKit and curriculum materials. The ShowKit includes fully orchestrated and professionally recorded Rehearsal and Accompaniment CDs; a Choreography and Demonstration DVD; a Resources Disc with program, budget, and poster templates, among other tools; a full-color Director's Guide with an annotated script; 30 Actor's Scripts with interpolated sheet music; a Piano Vocal Score; and 30 Family Matters booklets, intended to integrate parents into the fun of learning about theatre with their children. The ShowKit also features expanded costume and scene design sections along with puppet and mask demonstrations. To some, the list of included materials may sound intimidating, but the intent of The Lion King Experience is actually to demystify and simplify the process of making theatre so that anyone, with or without theatre training, can use and apply its principles.

The curriculum materials contain all of the tools needed for The Lion King Experience's experiential theatre curriculum (an 11-session course for the KIDS show and an 18-session course for the JR. show), including three djembe drums, access to LionKingExperience.com, video instruction, lesson plans, student materials, and more. Featuring student-driven, project-based learning, The LionKing Experience fulfills many educational standards including some Common Core State Standards and National Core Arts Standards.

Through underwriting from The Walt Disney Company, Disney Theatrical Group will also offer a grant opportunity related to The Lion King Experience to support DTG's ongoing arts education outreach in under-resourced schools. A limited number of elementary and middle schools will receive donated performance rights based on their demonstrated need and capacity to implement the program. For more information visit www.LionKingExperience.com.

In 2000, Disney Theatrical Group began developing and licensing 30 and 60 minute adaptations of Disney titles for young performers through Music Theatre International. Today, with 16 Disney JR. and KIDS titles available, more than 38,000 productions have been licensed throughout the world with more than 1.75 million kids participating in those shows. To explore all of the shows available through MTI, please visit www.mtishows.com