Wax Lion King Statues Unveiled at Madame Tussaud's

Disney Theatrical Productions and Madame Tussauds have come together to create life-size wax replicas of 'Rafiki,' the baboon shaman, and 'Scar,' the villainous lion, from the landmark Tony Award-winning production The Lion King.

"The figures precisely capture the 'Rafiki' and 'Scar' that audience members see nightly on stage at the Minskoff Theatre, recreating Julie Taymor's Tony Award-winning costume designs, Taymor and Michael Curry's mask co-designs, and Michael Ward's hair and make-up designs," according to press notes.

Audience members of The Lion King can now see the wax replica of 'Rafiki' on display in the lobby of the Minskoff Theatre.  Madame Tussauds unveiled the wax replica of 'Scar' yesterday at its New York location  (234 West 42nd Street).

Audience members of The Lion King and guests of Madame Tussauds can take their own photos with the figures. In addition, representatives from Kodak are currently on hand at the Minskoff Theatre to take photos of patrons with the figures, which are available for purchase.

Each figure took six weeks to craft at Madame Tussauds' London shop with costume and makeup artists from The Lion King's London production on hand to assist in the process.

The 'Rafiki' figure marks the first time that Madame Tussauds New York has allowed one of its attractions to be permanently housed outside of its Times Square home.

Since opening on Broadway in 1997, The Lion King has won over 70 major awards worldwide and become a global phenomenon seen by nearly 34 million people.  In addition to New York City, where the record-breaking show will soon enter its tenth year of sold out performances, the show can also be seen in London, Amsterdam, Hamburg, Tokyo, and in two touring companies throughout the United States. Later this summer, the show will premiere at the Shanghai Grand Theatre in China on July 18 and in Seoul, South Korea on October 28. 

The Lion King's book was adapted by Roger Allers, who co-directed the animated film and Irene Mecchi, who co-wrote the screenplay. 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.

"Madame Tussauds New York is an interactive attraction that provides guests with unique opportunities to create memories with some of the world's biggest icons.  Recent additions include the Superman figure modeled after Superman Returns' Brandon Routh, Britney Spears figure, a Johnny Cash experience where visitors can strum along with the 'Man in Black' and the Hillary Clinton experience where guests can enter a voting booth and vote on whether or not they would ever vote for a female president."

Prominently located in the heart of Times Square, Madame Tussauds New York is open 365 days a year at 10 a.m.  For more information, visit www.nycwax.com or call (800) 246-8872. 

Tickets for The Lion King are available at the Minskoff Theatre Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets or by calling Ticketmaster at (212) 307-4747.  Prices range from $51.25-$111.25.  For group sales information please call (800) 439-9000.  Visit www.DisneyOnBroadway.com for more information.