THE LION KING Welcomes New Young Lions to the Pridelands

Broadway's landmark musical event THE LION KING is pleased to welcome JUDAH BELLAMY as "Young Simba" and SHAYLIN BECTON as "Young Nala" to the company. Bellamy and Becton made their Broadway debuts last night. They alternate with fellow young lions and current cast members Alphonso Romero Jones II (Young Simba) and Khail Toi Bryant (Young Nala). Produced by Thomas Schumacher of Disney Theatrical Productions, THE LION KING is currently playing at Broadway's Minskoff Theatre (200 West 45th Street). The show officially opened on Broadway on November 13, 1997. 

JUDAH BELLAMY, 11, is a Baltimore native and has performed with Johns Hopkins' Unified Voices Choir and starred in The Wiz and A Raisin in the Sun at the Cahill Theatrical Arts Center in Maryland.

SHAYLIN BECTON, 9, is a Maywood, Illinois native and began singing and dancing at an early age.

The Broadway cast of THE LION KING also features Gareth Saxe as the sardonic and deviously cunning "Scar," Alton Fitzgerald White as "Mufasa," the great warrior and ruler of the Pridelands, and Tshidi Manye as the wise baboon shaman "Rafiki." Cameron Pow portrays the prim and proper hornbilled bird "Zazu." Ben Jeffrey is the carefree warthog "Pumbaa" and Fred Berman is the wisecracking meerkat "Timon." Mufasa's son, "Simba," the lion prince born to be king, is played by Dashaun Young and CHAUNTEÉ SCHULER is the loyal lioness "Nala."

The three evil hyenas are played by James Brown-ORLEANS ("Banzai"), Bonita J. Hamilton ("Shenzi") and Enrique Segura ("Ed").

ABOUT THE LION KING
As it begins its 14th year THE LION KING remains ascendant, continuing to reign as a cultural phenomenon and one of the most popular stage musicals in the world. Since its 1997 Broadway premiere, 18 global productions have been seen by more than 55 million people, and grossed over $4.3 billion to date. Produced by Disney Theatrical Productions (under the direction of Thomas Schumacher), THE LION KING is the seventh 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 seven different languages (Japanese, German, Korean, French, Dutch, Mandarin, Spanish), the show has been performed in 14 different countries on five continents. THE LION KING can currently be seen on Broadway (its flagship production), on stages across North America, and in Las Vegas, London's West End, Hamburg, Tokyo and Singapore. In October 2011, the first Spanish production will bow in Madrid. 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.

TICKETING
For tickets, show information and performance schedule, call Ticketmaster's Disney on Broadway hotline at 866-870-2717 or visit online, LionKing.com.