Disney Theatrical Productions' THE LION KING JR and KIDS Available for Licensing in Jan 2015

In celebration of ten years of creating and licensing shows for young performers, Disney Theatrical Productions announced today that it is adding school versions of The Lion King to Music Theatre International's (MTI) Broadway Junior Collection planned for distribution in January 2015. The Lion King JR. (a 60-minute musical for middle-school students) and The Lion King KIDS (a 30-minute musical for elementary-school students) will be licensed exclusively to accredited elementary and middle schools. Each school license will include a full array of companion materials to aid teachers and students in learning about stagecraft and performance. This opportunity 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 was still playing on Broadway.

"I am thrilled we can provide the JR. and KIDS versions of The Lion King to students around the globe for the very first time. 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 Productions.

This May schools will have the opportunity to sign up for The Lion King JR. and The Lion King KIDS Fast-Track notification with Music Theatre International (mtishows.com) alerting them once the title becomes available in January 2015.

The Lion King JR. and The Lion King KIDS were 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 show comes with 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; and 30 Family Matters booklets for parents. The Lion King JR. and The Lion King KIDS Showkit will also feature expanded costume and scene design sections along with puppet and mask demonstrations. The shows will be bundled with a rigorous, experiential theatre curriculum (a 10-week course for the KIDS show and a 17-week course for the JR. show) that includes three djembe drums, video instruction via a new website specifically dedicated to The Lion King JR. and The Lion King KIDS, and a 200-page field guide. The curriculum is designed to introduce kids and teachers to the craft of theatre through the lens of The Lion King, and features student-driven, project-based learning.

In addition, Disney Theatrical Productions licenses stage performance rights to twenty-seven Disney titles through our exclusive licensor, Music Theatre International. To date, over 45,000 individual Disney productions have been licensed to professional, amateur and school groups throughout the world. Currently, Disney's Beauty and the Beast is the most performed musical in high schools in the United States. To explore all of the shows available through MTI, visit www.mtishows.com.

About The Lion King: Since its Broadway premiere on November 13, 1997, 21 global productions have been seen by more than 70 million people and, cumulatively, run a staggering 104 years. Translated into eight different languages (Japanese, German, Korean, French, Dutch, Mandarin, Spanish and Portuguese), productions of The Lion King can currently be seen on Broadway and on tour across North America, in Tokyo and on tour in Japan, in London's West End and on tour throughout the UK, and in Australia, Hamburg, Madrid and Sao Paolo. To date, The Lion King has played 18 countries on every continent except Antarctica.

About Disney Theatrical Productions: Disney Theatrical Productions, a division of The Walt Disney Studios, was formed in 1994 and operates under the direction of Thomas Schumacher. Worldwide, its eight Broadway titles have been seen by over 128 million theatergoers and have grossed over $9 billion. With 15 productions currently produced or licensed, a Disney musical is being performed professionally somewhere on the planet virtually every hour of the day.

The company's inaugural production, Beauty and the Beast, opened in 1994. It played a remarkable 13 year run on Broadway and has been produced in 28 countries worldwide. In November 1997, Disney opened The Lion King, which received six 1998 Tony Awards including Best Musical and is now the highest grossing show in Broadway history. In its 17th smash year, it has welcomed over 70 million visitors worldwide to date. The Lion King can also currently be seen on tour across North America, the U.K., and Japan, and in London's West End, Hamburg, Tokyo, Madrid, Sao Paulo, and Sydney, Australia, a total of ten conCurrent Productions worldwide.

Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida opened on Broadway next, winning four 2000 Tony Awards, and spawning productions around the world. Mary Poppins, a co-production with Cameron Mackintosh, opened in London in 2004 and established itself as one of the biggest stage musical successes to emerge in recent years, launching seven productions on three continents. Following a six year Tony-winning Broadway run, the title is now being licensed worldwide to professional theatres.

Tarzan, which opened on Broadway in 2006, is now an international hit with an award-winning production in its 6th year in Germany. In January 2008, The Little Mermaid opened on Broadway and was the #1-selling new musical of that year. Its success continues with new productions in Russia and Japan.

Disney Theatrical Productions opened two critically acclaimed productions on Broadway in 2012, receiving seven Tony Awards between them: Newsies, in its second year at the Nederlander Theatre, and Peter and the Starcatcher, which enjoyed a two year New York run.

Other successful stage musical ventures have included King David in concert, the national tour of On The Record, several touring versions of Disney's High School Musical, Der Glöckner Von Notre Dame in Berlin. DTP has collaborated with the country's leading regional theatres to develop new stage titles including Mary Zimmerman's adaptation of The Jungle Book and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Its new musical, Aladdin, opens on Broadway this spring.