The Lion King has six new cast members

The Lion King has six new cast members Walt Disney's Broadway production of The Lion King welcomes six new principal cast members on 15 Jun 2010. Joining the company are Gareth Saxe as the evil and power-hungry lion Scar; Alton Fitzgerald White as Mufasa, the great lion warrior and ruler of the Pridelands; Cameron Pow as the prim and proper hornbilled bird Zazu; Ben Jeffrey as the carefree warthog Pumbaa; Fred Berman as the wisecracking meerkat Timon; and Chauntee Schuler as the loyal lioness 'Nala.' Jeffrey, Berman and Schuler will mark their Broadway debut with The Lion King. They join existing cast members Tshidi Manye as the wise baboon shaman 'Rafiki' and Dashaun Young as Mufasa's son, 'Simba,' the lion prince born to be king. James Brown-Orleans (Banzai), Bonita J. Hamilton (Shenzi) and Enrique Segura (Ed) play the three evil hyenas and the role of 'Young Simba' is alternated between Joshua Jackson and Alphonso Romero Jones II, and the role of 'Young Nala' is alternated between Khail Toi Bryant and Jade Milan. The musical, directed by Julie Taymor and choreographed by Garth Fagan, opened at the New Amsterdam Theatre on 13 Nov 1997, following previews from 15 Oct. On the 13 Jun 2006 the musical moved to the Minskoff Theatre. The musical tells the story of the epic adventures of a young lion cub named Simba as he struggles to accept the responsibilities of adulthood and his destined role as king. Director Julie Taymor became the first woman in Broadway history to win the Tony Award for Best Director of a Musical. The Lion King has book by Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi, music by Elton John, with additional music by Hans Zimmer, Lebo M, Mark Mancina, and Jay Rifkin, and lyrics by Tim Rice. The creative team for The Lion King features Richard Hudson (sets), Michael Curry (costumes), Donald Holder (lighting) and Steve Canyon Kennedy (sound). The Lion King won six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and is the 8th longest-running musical on Broadway, surpassing the record previously held by 'Rent.'