THE LION KING To Become Seventh Longest Running Broadway Show In History 1/2

Disney's landmark musical event, THE LION KING, will celebrate another remarkable milestone when it plays its 5,462nd performance on Sunday, January 2, 2011 (matinee) to become the seventh longest-running show in Broadway history. THE LION KING moves up the top ten list of long runs, passing Disney's beloved inaugural musical Beauty and the Beast.

"It's enormously gratifying to the whole creative team to see our show move up this rarefied list," said Thomas Schumacher, producer and president, Disney Theatrical Productions. "The Lion King's continued success is a testament first to Julie Taymor's original vision, which continues to astonish, and to the men and women onstage and off who create the magic each night. Thanks to them, performance 5,462 is as powerful as opening night."

As of January 2, the list of the top ten longest running Broadway shows will be as follows (bolded titles with asterisk denote productions currently running):

The Phantom of the Opera* (9,539)
Cats (7,485)
Les Miserables (6,680)
A Chorus Line (6,137)
Oh! Calcutta (5,959)
CHICAGO* (5,868)
The Lion King* (5,462)
Beauty and the Beast (5,461)
Rent (5,123)
Miss Saigon (4,092)

THE LION KING continues to reign as one of the most popular shows around the world. The global phenomenon can currently be seen on Broadway, on stages across North America and in Las Vegas, London, Hamburg, Tokyo and in March 2011, a new production will bow in Singapore. Globally, 17 productions of THE LION KING have been seen by more than 54 million people, and grossed over $4.2 billion to date. Now in its 14th year, THE LION KING is the eighth longest-running musical in Broadway history and one of only five productions in theatre history to play for ten years or more both on Broadway and in the West End. Translated into five different languages (Japanese, German, Korean, French, Dutch), the show has been performed in 13 different countries on five continents. THE LION KING has won more than 70 major awards worldwide, including the 1998 Tony Award® for Best Musical. Visit LionKing.com.