Tag: Lion King

Walt Disney World Expands Number of Performances of ‘A Celebration of Festival of the Lion King

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be adding more daily performances of ‘A Celebration of Festival of the Lion King’ later this month.

Beginning July 31st, Walt Disney World will be increasing the number of performances from six per day to eight per day.

The first show will begin an hour earlier, at 9:30 AM, with a shorter midday break to accommodate another show.

The new schedule from July 31 will be: 9:30 AM, 10:30 AM, 11:30 AM, 12:30 PM, 2:00 PM, 3:00 PM, 4:00 PM, and 5:00 PM.

The show that will be performed will still the modified version, which does not include the tumble monkies and aerial acts.

Tale of The Lion King Coming to Disney California Adventure

The Disneyland Resort announced today that they will celebrate the beloved characters and music of Disney’s “The Lion King” with an creative new adaptation of the popular and timeless story this summer. This celebration will be presented as a highly-theatrical outdoor musical production entitled, “Tale of the Lion King.”

“Tale of the Lion King” will take place on the Palisades Stage at Disney California Adventure for a limited time this summer, starting June 7.

According to Disney…

The show will feature a cast of 18 performers, including actors, singers, dancers and drummers, who form an ensemble called the Storytellers of the Pride Lands. This traveling troupe specializes in retelling revered stories in their own contemporary style, weaving their tale through language, song and dance.

Creative Director Susana Tubert and the team at Disney Parks Live Entertainment are in the midst of a series of workshops and rehearsals with the cast in preparation for the opening of “Tale of the Lion King” later this summer. Here’s a look behind the scenes.

Behind the Scenes Video

In this creative theatre production, the scenic, prop and costume designs celebrate the spirit of Africa.  According to Tubert new musical arrangements have been written for the most treasured songs from “The Lion King,” creating a score for the show with elements we associate with the emotional sweep of the original compositions, yet focused on the vocal performances of the actors and music from the drummers to drive a unique percussive sound.

I can’t wait to see this new show this summer when I’m there prior to D23 Expo.

Cast for Live Action ‘The Lion King’ Announced

The live-action take on Disney’s The Lion King, coming to theatres in 2019, definitely has the lion’s share of amazing voice talent ready to bring these classic characters to life. James Earl Jones previously announced he would be reprising his role as Mufasa, and Donald Glover shared that he “just can’t wait to be king” as Simba in the upcoming film. Ready for even more star power? Beyoncé Knowles Carter––yep, Beyoncé!––will voice Nala, Simba’s lifelong friend and eventual love interest. Taking on the voices of the dynamic duo Timon and Pumbaa are funny guys Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen. Alfre Woodard will voice Sarabi, Chiwetel Ejiofor will lend his voice to the mischievous Scar, and John Oliver will take on the sensible Zazu. See the full cast below!

We just can’t WAIT to see The Lion King! Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting film.

From D23

Disney and Jon Favreau Joining Forces on “The Lion King”

We can officially confirm that The Walt Disney Studios and director Jon Favreau are putting a new reimagining of The Lion King on the fast track to production. The project follows the technologically groundbreaking smash hit The Jungle Book, directed by Favreau, which debuted in April and has earned $965.8 million worldwide. 

The Lion King builds on Disney’s success of reimagining its classics for a contemporary audience with films like Maleficent, Cinderella, and The Jungle Book. The upcoming Beauty and the Beast, starring Emma Watson as Belle, is already one of the most anticipated movies of 2017. Like Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King will include songs from the animated film. Disney and Favreau are also in development on a sequel to The Jungle Book. No release date has been announced for either film. 

The Lion King (1994) is one of the biggest animated films of all time with a lifetime global box office gross of $968.8 million, including $422.8 million domestically. It won Academy Awards for the original song “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” (Elton John, Tim Rice) and original score (Hans Zimmer), plus two Grammy Awards, with the soundtrack selling over 14 million copies. In 1997, the stage production The Lion King made its Broadway debut, winning six Tony Awards; 19 years later, it remains one of Broadway’s biggest hits alongside several other productions running around the world, including London, Hamburg, Tokyo, Madrid, Mexico City, Shanghai, and North America. Translated into eight different languages, its 23 global productions have been seen by more than 85 million people across every continent except Antarctica. The Lion King’s worldwide gross exceeds that of any film, Broadway show or other entertainment title in box office history.  

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