How The Lion King was brought to the stage and why the film and musical were unlikely successes

The Lion King musical has been seen by 100 million people since its premiere in 1997 and will be coming to Hong Kong in the winter after a season in Taipei

Cast and crew talk about the logistics of touring and the challenges of singing in costume

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Disney’s The Lion King musical is coming to Hong Kong. Amanda Kunene and Jordan Shaw play Nala and Simba in The Lion King musical. Photo: courtesy of Disney Theatrical Group

Published: 6:15pm, 3 Jul 2019Updated: 7:34pm, 4 Jul 2019

Elton John’s The Lion King musical opens in Taipei this month and in Hong Kong in December. Based on the 1994 animated Disney film of the same name, The Lion King tells the story of the lion prince Simba who, with the help of his friends Nala, Timon and Pumbaa, has to regain control of his kingdom from his evil uncle Scar after the death of his father, Mufasa. A live-action reboot by director John Favreau will be released this month.

The musical premiered on Broadway in New York in 1997, and has since been watched by 100 million people globally in eight languages, including Japanese, Korean and Chinese. It is the only show in history to generate six touring productions worldwide.

Both the Disney film and subsequent musical were unlikely success stories.

“None of the animators at Disney wanted to work on the film when it was first pitched in 1990, because lions mostly just sleep,” says Felipe Gamba, director of international production for Disney Theatrical Group. “And when the original producer of the show, Thomas Schumacher, was tasked with adapting it for the stage, he thought it was a bad idea.”

Felipe Gamba, director of international production at Disney Theatrical Group. Photo: courtesy of Disney Theatrical Group

Julie Taymor, now most recognised for her work on The Lion King, was brought in to direct the musical, and she came up with the highly successful idea to use masks and puppets to bring the animals to life on stage.

Taymor – the first woman to win a Tony award, for best director for The Lion King – drew on her experiences of working in Japan and Indonesia to create the sets, props and costumes for the show.