Disney's THE LION KING North American Tour Celebrates Sold-Out Engagement at the Fabulous Fox

Disney's The Lion King continues to reign across North America with a sold-out return engagement at The Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis, where the record-breaking tour celebrated its 15th anniversary on April 27. The triumphant three-week return, which concluded on May 7 and was heralded by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch as a "theatrical treasure," grossed over $7.5 million at the box office and entertained nearly 100,000 theatergoers during 24 performances. This return engagement marks the fourth time The Lion King has played The Fabulous Fox Theatre. Since its premiere in 2003, more than half a million people have experienced the show in St. Louis alone.

During this St. Louis engagement, The Lion King North American tour had its highest-grossing week in its entire

15-year history with a gross of $2,960,494.00 for eight performances for the week ending May 7, 2017.

It is estimated that the St. Louis engagement of The Lion King generated an economic benefit of more than $24 million to the city from travel, hotels, restaurants, parking and other businesses patronized by both theatergoers and production staff. This figure is based upon a Touring Broadway League report which found that, on average, Broadway tours contribute an economic impact 3.27 times the gross ticket sales to the local metropolitan area's economy.

"We were thrilled to welcome back to the Fabulous Fox Theatre stage the phenomenon that is Disney's The Lion King," said Jack Feivou, President & CEO of Fox Associates. "With unforgettable music and stunning visuals, this breathtaking show proved to once again captivate the St. Louis audience and deliver a level of artistry that truly stands the test of time."

"It's profoundly gratifying to know that since opening the tour in Denver in April 2002, The Lion King has been instrumental in bringing new audiences to the theatre across North America for the past 15 years," said Jack Eldon, Vice President of Domestic Touring and Regional Engagements, Disney Theatrical Productions. "We were delighted to celebrate this milestone anniversary in the great city of St. Louis, where The Lion King has always been so warmly welcomed. We thank the St. Louis community and our partners at The Fabulous Fox Theatre for another sensational engagement and look forward to returning in the near future."

The North American touring productions of The Lion King have been seen by more than 19 million theatergoers in over 70 cities throughout North America.

About The Lion King

In its 20th year, The Lion King continues ascendant as one of the most popular stage musicals in the world. Since its Broadway premiere on November 13, 1997, 24 global productions have been seen by more than 90 million people. 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. Performed in eight different languages (Japanese, German, Korean, French, Dutch, Spanish, Mandarin and Portuguese), productions of The Lion King can currently be seen on Broadway; London's West End; Hamburg; Tokyo; Madrid; Mexico City; Shanghai, Scheveningen, Sapporo and on tour across North America, for a total of ten productions running concurrently across the globe. Having played over 100 cities in 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 co-producer.

For more information worldwide, visit LionKing.com.

Photo credit: Disney

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