Hakuna Matata! Disney’s The Lion King is coming back to Toronto in all of its magical glory. Toronto will become the second city in North America to have a second sit-down production of the beloved musical when it returns to the Princess of Wales Theatre on November 2, 2024 for an open-ended run. Mirvish announced the news in a press conference yesterday – and it’s a pretty big deal in the musical theatre world. It’s also great news for Toronto’s economy.
As the long-time theatregoers will recall, the original Canadian production of the multi-award-winning, internationally-celebrated Disney musical opened in Toronto in March 2000 to critical acclaim and sold-out houses. It was the second production of The Lion King in North America, after the show’s Broadway premiere, and played a record-breaking 1,567 performances at the Princess of Wales Theatre, closing on January 4, 2004, having been seen by more than three million patrons.
Not only is the nostalgic music – all the songs from the original The Lion King movie – known and loved by people of all ages, but the whole production is a visual feast for the eyes, with elaborate, over-the-top costumes and no shortage of stimulation. It’s the type of musical many see more than once.
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The Broadway score features Elton John and Tim Rice’s songs 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 upbeat, feel-good music is the type you’ll be singing in the shower days after the curtain closes on the show.
“The Lion King is an iconic work of theatrical art and that rare show that appeals to people of all ages,” said David Mirvish. “For these reasons, I have decided to do what has not been done before in the commercial theatre industry in North America: present a sit-down production of a show for the second time. The industry standard after an initial sit-down is to bring in the tour, instead of investing in building a new production.”
Not only is the show a treat for theatregoers, but it will generate countless dollars for the local economy if the past is any indication of the future. According to Mirvish, the 2000-2004 production contributed an estimated $1.4B to the local economy.
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After the sit-down production ended, The Lion King touring production visited the city three times – in 2011, 2014 and 2019 – each time selling out. Next to Broadway, Toronto has hosted more performances of The Lion King than any other city in North America.
Casting for the new production will begin immediately and will take place across the country with a series of open-call auditions. Audition updates will be posted regularly at mirvish.com/lionking.
Ticket info will be announced at a later date. Patrons who would like to be kept informed of ticketing details and get priority access to tickets should sign up to The Lion King email list at mirvish.com.
