Tickets to Disney's THE LION KING at Orpheum Theatre On Sale Today

Disney Theatrical Productions and The Orpheum Theatre announced today that tickets for the long-awaited return engagement of Disney's THE LION KING will go on sale to the public on Friday, November 28th at 10:00 AM. Memphis' most eagerly awaited return will once again leap onto the Orpheum stage on Tuesday, February 3rd for a limited engagement of four weeks through Sunday, March 1st. The opening night is Thursday, February 5th at 7:30 PM.

To celebrate the November 28th public on-sale of THE LION KING, The Orpheum Theatre will offer a free gift for the first 100 customers who buy tickets in-person at the Orpheum ticket counter at The Booksellers at Laurelwood located at 387 Perkins Extended, Memphis TN 38117 (one gift per transaction, while supplies last).

In Memphis THE LION KING will play Tuesday through Thursday evenings at 7:30 PM, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00 PM, Sunday evenings at 6:30 PM, Saturday matinees at 2:00 PM, and Sunday matinees at 1:00 PM. There will be a special matinee performance on Thursday, February 26th at 2:00 PM, and there will be no Sunday evening performance on Sunday, March 1st. Premium Ticket Packages, which include a prime seat location, a commemorative souvenir program and an exclusive merchandise item, are also available. Beginning Friday, November 28th at 10:00 AM, tickets will be available through LionKing.com and 866.870.2717, The Orpheum Box Office (901.525.3000), the ticket counter at The Booksellers at Laurelwood, and all Ticketmaster centers.

Ticket buyers are reminded that the official Orpheum Theatre website, The Orpheum and The Booksellers at Laurelwood Box Offices, and Ticketmaster centers are the only official retail ticket outlets for all performances at The Orpheum Theatre. Ticket buyers who purchase tickets from a ticket broker or any third party should be aware that the Orpheum is unable to reprint or replace lost or stolen tickets and is unable to contact patrons with information regarding time changes or other pertinent updates regarding the performance.

The North American touring productions of THE LION KING have been seen by more than 15 million theatergoers and grossed over $1 billion to date. Having already played more than 70 cities across North America, THE LION KING now proudly makes its Memphis return at the Orpheum Theatre. The current schedule is listed below.

In its 17th year, THE LION KING remains ascendant as one of the most popular stage musicals in the world. Since its Broadway premiere on November 13, 1997, 22 global productions have been seen by more than 70 million people and, cumulatively, run a staggering 106 years. Produced by Disney Theatrical Productions (under the direction of Thomas Schumacher), THE LION KING is only the second show in history to generate five productions worldwide running 10 or more years. Translated into seven different languages (Japanese, German, Korean, French, Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese), productions of THE LION KING can currently be seen on Broadway, London's West End, Hamburg, Tokyo, Madrid, Sao Paulo, Sydney, Australia and on tour across North America, the U.K., and Japan. The Australian production marks the tenth concurrent worldwide production of THE LION KING, the highest number of productions running at any one time in the show's history. Having played 19 countries on every continent except Antarctica, THE LION KING's worldwide gross exceeds that of any film, Broadway show or other entertainment title in box office history.

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. 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.

The show's director, costume designer and mask co-designer Julie Taymor continues to play an integral part in the show's ongoing success. The first woman to win a Tony Award for Direction of a Musical, Taymor has in recent years supervised new productions of the show around the world.

The Broadway score features Elton John and Tim Rice's music from The Lion King 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 "Rhythm of the Pride Lands," an album inspired by the original music in the film, written by Lebo M, Mark Mancina and Hans Zimmer. The resulting sound of THE LION KING is a fusion of Western popular music and the distinctive sounds and rhythms of Africa, ranging from the Academy Award-winning song "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" to the haunting ballad "Shadowland."

The book has been adapted by Roger Allers, who co-directed The Lion King animated feature, and Irene Mecchi, who co-wrote the film's screenplay. Other members of the creative team include: Michael Curry, who designed the masks and puppets with Taymor, Steve Canyon Kennedy (sound design), Michael Ward (hair and makeup design), John Stefaniuk (associate director), Marey Griffith (associate choreographer), Clement Ishmael (music supervisor) and Doc Zorthian (production supervisor). Anne Quart serves as associate producer.

For more information worldwide, visit LionKing.com.

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