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The world’s #1 musical is heading back Down Under, with Disney Theatrical Group announcing that an all new Australian staging of Disney’s The Lion King will premiere in Sydney from April this year – and it's safe to say we're pretty excited to witness those iconic enormous giraffe puppets strut out onto the stage at the gorgeous Capitol Theatre.
Approaching 30 landmark years on Broadway, The Lion King has been seen by over 112-million people worldwide, and continues to ascend as one of the most popular stage musicals in the world. It has been more than a decade since The Lion King’s last Australian tour – and this epic show has captivated nearly four-million audience members during its two previous tours Down Under. The new Sydney season of this beloved musical is an exciting opportunity for loyal fans to reconnect and to spark a new wave of excitement in the next generation. Also, it will be a huge employment opportunity for a bunch of local theatrical talent, on-stage and off-stage.
“We are thrilled to welcome The Lion King back to Sydney, the place where it all began in Australia over 20 years ago. The Walt Disney Company ANZ is proud to be one of only three places in the world where, alongside Broadway and The West End, we self-produce musicals, directly employing hundreds of Australian theatre professionals,” said Kylie Watson-Wheeler, Senior Vice President & Managing Director of The Walt Disney Company Australia and New Zealand.
The Lion King will be the ninth musical from Disney Theatrical Group to play in Sydney over the past 20 years, following an impressive list of smash-hits that include recent national tours of Beauty and the Beast, Mary Poppins and Frozen. Over the past decade, Disney Theatrical Group has driven over 500,000 interstate visitors to Sydney – so, it doesn’t come as a surprise that the new Australian premiere of The Lion King is supported by the NSW Government through Destination NSW.
Australian stage and screen favourite Daniel Frederiksen is stepping into the villainous role of Scar, joining a powerhouse principal cast led by Buyi Zama as Rafiki and Nick Afoa as Mufasa (after first roaring onto the stage as Simba more than a decade ago). They’re joined by Benn Welford as Zazu, Aphiwe Nyezi as Simba, Emily Nkomo as Nala, Jamie McGregor as Timon, Rutene Spooner as Pumbaa and hyena trio Ezra Williams (Shenzi), Winston Hillyer (Banzai) and Mat Verevis (Ed), alongside a sprawling, globe-spanning ensemble ready to bring the Pride Lands to life.
Keen? You can book tickets over here.
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