The Walt Disney Company UK and Ireland and Manchester Theatres have announced on sale dates for a seven-week extension of the musical The Lion King, which will open at the Palace Theatre later this year.
The internationally acclaimed production will open on Thursday 27th October with tickets now available until Sunday 19th February 2023.
The extension coincides with the show celebrating its 20 millionth guest in the UK and priority tickets will be available from 10am Monday 13th June. The general sale will begin at 10am on Friday 17th June. Tickets will be available for performances from Tuesday 27th December to Sunday 19th February.
Sheona Southern, Managing Director of Marketing Manchester, said: “We are delighted to welcome Disney’s sensational musical The Lion King back to Manchester. A major international show of this calibre and popularity delivers enormous benefits to our hotels, restaurants, and attractions.
“The return of iconic production, The Lion King strengthens Greater Manchester’s growing events offer and ultimately helps draw visitors back to the city-region.”
The story of The Lion King leaps into life using spectacular masks, puppets and costumes to tell the story of Simba’s epic adventures, as he struggles with the responsibilities of adulthood and becoming king.
Julie Taymor’s internationally celebrated stage adaptation of The Lion King opened on Broadway in 1997 and 25 global productions in nine different languages have been created since. The show is produced by Disney Theatrical Productions, under the direction of Thomas Schumacher.
The stunning artistry of the production is the work of a team of designers that drew on diverse cultural influences to recreate rich colours and vast expanses of the African savanna in this daring and inspiring reinvention of one of the most successful animated feature films of all time.
Julie Taymor brought a vast array of disciplines to The Lion King, including extensive experience staging epic theatre and opera productions, exploring classic myths through ritualised puppetry, mask, and movement.
The Lion King was the first musical Taymor directed in the commercial theatre and she made Broadway history by becoming the first woman to win the Tony Award for Best Director of a Musical.
The original score from the animated film was expanded for the stage and now features 15 musical numbers. As well as writing completely new songs, South African composer Lebo M created an evocative blend of African rhythms and chorales, with additional material by Julie Taymor and Mark Mancina.
Elton John and Tim Rice have added three new numbers to the five that they wrote for the award-winning score of the animated film. The resulting sound of The Lion King is a fusion of Western popular music and the distinctive sounds and rhythms of Africa, including the Academy Award-winning Can You Feel The Love Tonight and the haunting Shadowland.
……………………….
Disney’s The Lion King
Dates: Thursday 27th October – Sunday 19th February 2023
Venue: Palace Theatre
Cost: Tickets from £20
