The Lion King is now B'way's 7th longest-running show

The Lion King is now B'way's 7th longest-running show Walt Disney's Broadway production of The Lion King will celebrate another milestone when it plays its 5,462nd performance on Sun 2 Jan 2011 to become the seventh longest-running show in Broadway history. The Lion King moves up the top ten list of long runs, passing Disney's inaugural musical 'Beauty and the Beast.' As of 2 Jan 2011 the list of the top ten longest running Broadway shows is as follows (bolded titles with asterisk denote productions currently running): The Phantom of the Opera* (9,539) Cats (7,485) Les Miserables (6,680) A Chorus Line (6,137) Oh! Calcutta (5,959) CHICAGO* (5,868) The Lion King* (5,462) Beauty and the Beast (5,461) Rent (5,123) Miss Saigon (4,092) The Lion Kingl 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. Directed by Julie Taymor and choreographed by Garth Fagan, The Lion King currently features Gareth Saxe (Scar), Alton Fitzgerald White (Mufasa), Tshidi Manye (Rafiki), Cameron Pow (Zazu) Ben Jeffrey (Pumbaa), Fred Berman (Timon), Dashaun Young (Simba), Chauntee Schuler (Nala ), James Brown-Orleans (Banzai), Bonita J. Hamilton (Shenzi), Enrique Segura (Ed) and, Alphonso Romero Jones II and Joshua J. Jackson (Young Simba,) and, Khail Toi Bryant and Jade Milan (Young Nala). 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 9th longest-running musical on Broadway, surpassing the record previously held by 'Miss Saigon.'