In an unprecedented coup, Toronto will become the first city in North America to have a second sit-down production of Disney’s The Lion King. The open-ended David Mirvish presentation will begin performances at the Princess of Wales Theatre on November 2, 2024.
Ticket information 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.
Said David Mirvish: “The Lion King is an iconic work of theatrical art and that rare show that appeals to people of all ages. 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.”
Next to Broadway, Toronto has hosted more performances of The Lion King than any other city in North America.
“On behalf of Managing Director Andrew Flatt, Chief Creative Officer Thomas Schumacher and all of us at Disney Theatrical, we’re honored that David Mirvish’s remarkable organization is bringing The Lion King back for this historic engagement,” said Executive Producer Anne Quart, a native of Toronto. “Mirvish has always been a loving steward of our show, so Julie Taymor and our entire creative team look forward to working with Toronto’s deep bench of world-class actors and theatre artists once again.”
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.
Celebrating 26 landmark years on Broadway, The Lion King continues ascendant as one of the most popular stage musicals in the world. Since its premiere on November 13, 1997, 28 global productions have been seen by over 112 million people. Produced by Disney Theatrical Group, under the direction of Andrew Flatt, Anne Quart, and Thomas Schumacher, The Lion King has made theatrical history with three productions worldwide running 20 or more years and two others running 25 or more years.
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. The Lion King created hundreds of jobs and launched the careers of dozens of local artists. It attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors to Toronto and Ontario, pumping an estimated $1.4 billion into the economy. (This figure is based upon a Touring Broadway League report which found that, on average, Broadway tours contribute an economic impact 3.27 times the gross ticket sales to the local metropolitan area’s economy.)
For more information about The Lion King worldwide, visit LionKing.com, www.facebook.com/thelionkingusa and www.instagram.com/thelionking.