The Story
The Lion King is set on the plains of Africa, and the main character is Simba, a young lion cub who is someday going to take over the throne for his father, Mufasa. Simba is a happy, curious cub who’s a bit precocious by nature, and sometimes his curiosity gets the better of him.
Simba also has a rival in the plot in the form of his extremely jealous brother, Scar. Scar wants nothing more than to be the Lion King himself, and he plots to usurp the throne. Scar pursues this plan by arranging a stampede that tragically kills Mufasa, and then Scar deviously convinces Scar that their father’s death was Simba’s fault.
Simba is crestfallen by this “realization,” and decides to run away from home. This development is especially heartbreaking because Simba leaves behind two characters who were very close to him in his mother, Sarabi and his best friend, Nala.
Simba eventually encounters a warthog named Pumbaa and a meerkat named Timon, and he spends the rest of his childhood with them. Simba eventually grows older and stronger, and one day, his long-lost friend Nala. Nala tells Simba that Scar has succeeded in his plot and has become the Lion King. Nala further convinces Simba that he needs to return to his roots and challenge Scar for the throne. We’d tell you how the story is resolved, but you’d be much better-served by securing The Lion King tickets for yourself to see this classic in-person.
Production History
The original stage production opened in Minneapolis in 1997, and after early and tremendous success, the show moved to Broadway in October of that same year. The play has been running continuously there ever since. The Lion King has also enjoyed long-standing runs in London, Toronto and Sydney.
Overall, the musical has won six Tony Awards, and The Lion King tickets continue to be an enormous draw in theaters all over the world.
