THE LION KING North American Tour Wins Denver Post Ovation Award

The North American tour of Disney's THE LION KING was honored with a Denver Post Ovation Award, which recognizes the best in Colorado theatre. Niles Fitch, one of the actors currently playing "Young Simba", was named "Best Supporting Actor." The Denver return engagement of the landmark musical also received a nomination for "Best Touring Production" and Syndee Winters was nominated in the "Best Supporting Actress" category for her portrayal of "Nala."

The Denver return engagement of THE LION KING, which played for five weeks at the Buell Theatre from November 2 – December 4, 2011, celebrated a sold-out, record-breaking run, entertaining nearly 110,000 people and grossing over $8.5 million at the box office. The award-winning musical grossed over $2 million during the week of November 21, making it the highest-grossing week of any theatrical production in the venue's history.

The North American tour is currently playing in Baltimore, MD at the Hippodrome Theatre through January 8, 2012. Tickets are still available for each performance and can be purchased online at Broadwayacrossamerica.com.

The North American touring production of THE LION KING has been seen by over 13.5 million theatergoers and grossed over $875 million to date. Enjoying its ninth year on the road, THE LION KING continues to celebrate unparalleled achievements and delight new audiences throughout North America. The current schedule is listed below.

ABOUT THE LION KING

As it approaches its 15th year, THE LION KING remains ascendant, continuing to reign as a cultural phenomenon and one of the most popular stage musicals in the world. Since its Broadway premiere on November 13, 1997, 19 global productions have been seen by more than 63 million people, and grossed over $4.7 billion to date. Produced by Disney Theatrical Productions (under the direction of Thomas Schumacher), THE LION KING is the seventh longest-running musical in Broadway history and one of only six productions in theatre history to play for ten years or more, both on Broadway and in the West End. Translated into seven different languages (Japanese, German, Korean, French, Dutch, Mandarin, Spanish), the show has been performed in 14 different countries on five continents. THE LION KING can currently be seen on Broadway, on stages across North America, and in Las Vegas, London's West End, Hamburg, Madrid and Tokyo.

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, making Taymor the first woman in theatrical history bestowed with the honor. 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.

On stage, Taymor's creative vision blends elements of African art and Broadway artisanship to depict anthropomorphic animal characters. Taymor, along with designer Michael Curry, has created hundreds of masks and puppets for THE LION KING. 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: Steve Canyon Kennedy (sound design), Michael Ward (hair and makeup design), John Stefaniuk (associate director), Marey Griffith (associate choreographer), Clement Ishmael (music supervisor). Anne Quart serves as associate producer.

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."
For more information worldwide, visit, LionKing.com