The Lion King welcomes new principals tonight

Disney Theatrical's Broadway production of The Lion King welcomes three new principal cast members tonight, as Adrienne Walker, Derek Smith and Cameron Pow assume the roles of Nala, Scar and Zazu, respectively. They replace Chantel Riley, Gareth Saxe and Jeffrey Kuhn, who all played their final performances on 3 July.

The principal adult cast of The Lion King currently includes Jelani Remy (Simba), Adrienne Walker (Nala), Derek Smith (Scar), L. Steven Taylor (Mufasa), Tshidi Manye (Rafiki), Cameron Pow (Zazu), Ben Jeffrey (Pumbaa), Fred Berman (Timon), James Brown-Orleans (Banzai), Bonita J. Hamilton (Shenzi), and Enrique Segura (Ed).

Directed by Julie Taymor and choreographed by Garth Fagan, The Lion King originally opened at the New Amsterdam Theatre on 13 November 1997, following previews from 15 October. On 13 June 2006, the musical moved to its current home - the Minskoff Theatre. It is currently booking through to 30 December 2016.

The Lion King features a book by Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi, music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice, with additional musical material by Lebo M, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, and Hans Zimmer.

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.

The creative team for The Lion King features scenic design by Richard Hudson, costume design by Julie Taymor, lighting design by Donald Holder, and sound design by Steve Canyon Kennedy. Masks are co-designed by Julie Taymor and Michael Curry, who also functions as puppet co-designer.

The Lion King won six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and Director Julie Taymor became the first woman in Broadway history to win the Tony Award for Best Director of a Musical.

- by Tom Millward