Pride of the plains

By Narelle Coulter
DISNEY’S awardwinning musical The Lion King is set to open at Melbourne’s Regent Theatre on 28 July for a limited season.
The Lion King opened on Broadway in 1997 and has been captivating audiences around the world ever since.
The epic journey of the lion cub Simba and his quest to become king stretches new boundaries of theatre, transporting audiences to the plains of the Serengeti. The Lion King is one of the largest musical theatre productions ever to be staged in this country, with spectacular visual effects, amazing tribal rhythms and a cast of 56 who evoke the heart and soul of Africa.
The Lion King is the winner of numerous awards including six 1998 Tony Awards and a Grammy award for Best Musical Show Album of 1998.
The score features Elton John and Tim Rice’s music from the animated film along with three new songs by John and Rice and additional musical material by South African Lebo M, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Julie Taymor and Hans Zimmer.
The Australian production earned four 2004 Helpmann Awards including Best Musical.
The Lion King is being staged at the Regent Theatre.
For ticket information phone 1300 888 412.