The Lion King at Thrivent Hall

The Lion King continues to amaze audiences across the world, with breathtaking visuals that will make this a production you will cherish for many years to come. Experience this iconic spectacle that sees animals brought to life by a big, talented family of international performers, whose lavash costumes, one-of-a-kind masks, and otherworldly makeup will transport you to the sizzling vistas of the African savanna. There are more than 232 puppets in The Lion King, including an exotic giraffe which measures a staggering 18 feet tall in the song “I just can’t wait to be king.” 

Disney’s long-running hit is the 3rd longest running broadway show for a reason! The Lion King sees Pride Rock come to life in this family favorite show, entertaining more than a staggering 110 million audience members, clinching 70 major theater awards, and putting on 27 unforgettable productions around the world. 

The Lion King Tickets

“The breathtakingly staged Broadway adaptation of Disney’s king of the cartoon jungle is an instant theater classic.” – Chris Willman, Entertainment Weekly

Synopsis

The Lion King sees the adventurous Simba, a young lion cub (voiced by Jonathan Taylor Thomas), learn to conquer change and step into his destiny as the king of the Pride Lands. In this cult classic story, Simba’s evil uncle, Scar (voiced by Jeremy Irons), makes a plan to take over Mufasa’s throne by leading father and son into a fatal stampede of wildebeests. While Simba manages to escape, Mufasa sadly dies. Later, Simba returns as a fearless adult (voiced by Matthew Broderick) ready to reclaim his homeland from his evil uncle with the help of his beloved sidekicks Timon (voiced by Nathan Lane) and Pumbaa (voiced by Ernie Sabella). Get ready to sing the night away to all your favorite songs like “Circle of Life” and immerse yourself in six unique indigenous African languages which are sung and spoken throughout the production, including Swahili, Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho, Tswana, as well as Congolese.

“THERE IS SIMPLY NOTHING ELSE LIKE IT” – THE NEW YORK TIMES

“A PERFECT MARRIAGE OF ENTERTAINMENT AND ART.” – NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Creative Team

Winner of a whopping six Tony Awards including Best Musical, Disney’s Lion King acclaimed musical puts the limelight  on one of the most celebrated creative teams in Broadway history. Spearheaded by the Tony Award-winning director Julie Taymor, the cult classic story is reimagined using some of the theater’s most spectacular stagecraft. The musical adaptation also boasts the incredible work of Tony Award-winning choreographer Garth Fagan and a beautiful score crafted by the Tony Award-winning songwriting team of Elton John and Tim Rice.

Cast for the North American Tour include Peter Hargrave as Scar. This world class actor has credits both off-broadway and regionally with Cleveland Play House, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, as well as Disney Cruise Line. Meanwhile, he’s lent his skills to television with “Law & Order: SVU,” “FBI,” “Godfather of Harlem,” “Dynasty” as well as “Madam Secretary.” Darnell Abraham will take on the role of Mufasa (Hamilton, George Washington, Color Purple revival). Other cast members include Mukelisiwe Goba as Rafiki, Nick Cordileone as Timon, Nick LaMedica as Zazu, Danny Grumich as Pumbaa, Erick D. Patrick as Simba, Thembelihle Cele as Nala, Forest VanDyke as Banzai, as well as Martina Sykes as Shenzi. The creative team is brought to life with an incredibly talented ensemble cast. 

History and Awards

Produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures, The Lion King is a musical movie that won over the hearts of children and adults alike as soon as it hit the screen in 1994. The movie was co-directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff, produced by Don Hahn, written by Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, and Linda Woolverton. The original songs of the movie were inked by composer Elton John and lyricist Tim Rice, with a stunning score by composer Hans Zimmer. 

With charming characters, a world class voice cast and legendary soundtrack, the movie quickly shot to cult classic status. The Lion King was ranked as the highest-grossing animated movie in history. With an initial gross of over $763 million, it was no surprise that The Lion King was destined for big things beyond the screen. It wasn’t long until the animated movie was adapted into a Broadway hit musical. In 1997, Disney took the story to the next level and changed the history of musical theater as we knew it. 

The spectacle was such a hit with both national and international audiences alike that it went on to become Broadway’s highest-grossing show of all time. The production took home an impressive six Tony Awards (1998), including Best Musical, Best Direction of a Musical, and Best Costume Design, making the gifted Julie Taymor the first woman in theater history to receive the coveted honor.

“THE MOST EXCITING, MOST INVENTIVE, MOST MOVING THEATER THAT HAS EVER COME TO BROADWAY.” – Newsweek

Thrivent Hall

The Lion King is making its way to Thrivent Hall, and we couldn’t be more excited! At just over 5,000 square feet, the world class stage can accommodate everything from top concerts to the largest Broadway shows. Thrivent Hall is the ultimate live performance destination to experience Pride Rock come to life. Much like this award-winning production, Thrivent Hall has been thrilling audiences for decades. People assemble from all corners of the globe to watch Broadway’s finest like The Lion King, and leave shows at the Thrivent Hall smiling from ear to ear.