Empire State Building Honors 'The Lion King'

This weekend, Disney's The Lion King, the world's most spectacular musical, will receive another honor as the legendary Empire State Building will be lit in 'Lion King Yellow' in recognition of the landmark production's 10th anniversary on Broadway.

On Friday, November 9, Tshidi Manye, The Lion King's current 'Rafiki,'will appear in costume to throw the ceremonial switch at the Empire State Building. She will be joined by other cast members from the landmark production and The Lion King's associate producers Aubrey Lynch II and Anne Quart.

The Lion King will celebrate its 10th Anniversary this Sunday, November 11 at the Minskoff Theatre.

In addition to New York City where the show has remained among the top 5 selling shows on Broadway for 10 years, the curtain of The Lion King currently rises seven more times every night all over the world in London, Hamburg, Tokyo, Johannesburg, Paris, and two touring companies throughout the United States. Worldwide, the show has been seen by over 45 million people and has grossed over $3 billion.

The score features Elton John and Tim Rice's music from the 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 an album inspired by the animated film, "Rhythm of the Pride Lands," written by Lebo M, Mark Mancina and Hans Zimmer.  The resulting sound of The Lion King score is a fusion of Western popular music and the distinctive sounds and rhythms of Africa, embracing the Academy award-winning "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" and the haunting "Shadowlands."   

Julie Taymor, along with Michael Curry, has created hundreds of masks and puppets for The Lion King.  Scenic design is by Richard Hudson; Lighting design is by Donald Holder; Costume design is by Julie Taymor.  Choreography is by Garth Fagan.  The book has been adapted by Roger Allers, who co-directed the animated feature and Irene Mecchi, who co-wrote the screenplay of The Lion King.

Other members of the creative team include: Steve Canyon Kennedy, sound design; Michael Ward, hair and makeup design; Jay Binder, casting; Joseph Church, music director; Robert Elhai, David Metzger and Bruce Fowler, orchestrators.

Soaring 1,454 feet above Midtown Manhattan, the Empire State Building is the World's Most Famous Office Building.  With new investments in infrastructure, public areas and amenities, the Empire State Building has attracted first-rate tenants in a diverse array of industries from around the world.  The skyscraper's robust broadcasting technology supports all major television and FM radio stations in the New York metropolitan market. The Empire State Building was recently named America's favorite building in a poll conducted by the American Institute of Architects.