THE LION KING Celebrates 10th Anniversary In Tokyo, Japan

Disney's THE LION KING celebrates its 10th Anniversary in Tokyo, Japan on Saturday, December 20, 2008 with a gala performance and celebration at the Theatre Haru. The Tokyo production of The Lion King was the first to be mounted after the show's award-winning New York City debut and is the second longest-running staging of the show, after Broadway.

Following the performance on December 20, Keita Asari, Artistic Director of Shiki Theatre Company which produced THE LION KING in Tokyo, will be presented with a specially constructed model 'gazelle wheel' as well as a plaque to commemorate the anniversary. The gazelle wheel was the first set piece that director and designer Julie Taymor created and was the basis for the award-winning creative design of THE LION KING. Tim Rice, award-winning lyricist show, will also attend the festivities.

"When we brought THE LION KING to Tokyo ten years ago, we knew the universal themes and timeless story would translate perfectly," said Thomas Schumacher, president and producer, Disney Theatrical Group. "I am gigantically proud of The Lion King on this occasion, and wish our partners in Japan much continued success."

Disney's THE LION KING continues to reign as one of the most popular shows on Broadway and around the world. Now in its 11th year, the global phenomenon is the winner of more than 70 major awards worldwide, including the 1998 Tony Award® and NY Drama Critics Award for Best Musical, the 1999 Grammy® for Best Musical Show Album, and the 1999 Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Choreography and Best Costume Design. The show has been seen by over 45 million people in 11 different countries, including cities such as Sydney, Osaka, Shanghai, Taipei, Johannesburg and Seoul. In addition to Broadway and a long-running North American national tour, the curtain currently rises on THE LION KING in London, Hamburg, Paris, Tokyo and Fukuoka. On May 2, 2009, a sit-down production of THE LION KING will open at Mandalay Bay Theatre - the first ever Disney Theatrical Production to be launched in Las Vegas.

THE LION KING was originally directed by Julie Taymor, who is the first woman to win a Tony Award® for Direction of a Musical. She is the director, costume designer, co-designer of the masks and puppets and wrote additional lyrics for THE LION KING. 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."

DISNEY THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS (DTP), a division of Disney Theatrical Group, operates under the direction of Thomas Schumacher and is among the world's most successful commercial theatre enterprises. Reaching a global annual audience of more than 10 million people in over 40 countries, DTP produces and licenses Broadway musicals around the world including Grammy®, Tony® and Olivier-award winning The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Elton John & Tim Rice's Aida, TARZAN ® and Mary Poppins, a co-production by Disney and Cameron Mackintosh which is about to launch its national touring engagement. Its most recent Broadway production, The Little Mermaid, debuted in 2007 and immediately became a Broadway sensation. That same year, DTP launched the professional touring stage version of Disney's High School Musical. In addition, DTP licenses musical titles for local schools and community productions through Musical Theatre International and on its recently launched website, DisneyMusicals.com.

Disney Theatrical Group also delivers live entertainment around the world through its partnership with Feld Entertainment, producer of Disney on Ice and Disney LIVE!, including High School Musical: The Ice Tour and Playhouse Disney Live!