Denver’s lion population will soon be doubling. On October 23, Simba, Nala, and their fellow big cats will return to the Buell Theatre for the Denver Center’s production of The Lion King. In anticipation of the pride’s arrival, I spoke with some of the wildlife experts at Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance, where Denver’s real-life lions […]
This article was originally published in Applause magazine for the national touring premiere of The Lion King in Denver in 2002. Almost from the moment Julie Taymor was born — in 1952, into a comfortable upper middle class Boston family — she was destined for a career in the theatre she could never have foreseen. […]
When the North American touring production of Disney’s The Lion King pulls into Denver’s Buell Theatre, an astonishing transformation begins. First, 17 semitrucks transport the puppets, set pieces, costumes, and other materials from city to city. Sixteen of the trucks are 53’ in length. Once unloaded, it takes four days of on-site technical preparation and […]
By Valerie Gladstone Big corporations usually stay with the tried and true. Risk isn’t their game. But in 1997, in an inspired act of hiring, Disney asked the choreographer Garth Fagan to take on The Lion King. Until that point, Fagan had choreographed on two other theatre works, the Duke Ellington opera, Queenie Pie, in […]
As one of the most beloved films and musicals of all times, Disney’s The Lion King has charmed the child in all of us. To complement our Denver engagement, Disney Theatrical Productions has provided coloring sheets, a family activity packet, a study guide, trivia, fun facts, and more. Make the most of your experience at The […]
Excerpted from The Lion King: Pride Rock on Broadway by Julie Taymor Julie Taymor on the Challenges of Translating the Film Version to the Stage “To maintain the integrity of my own style, while incorporating it into one of the most beloved stories in recent history, was the first challenge to contemplate. With preconceptions […]
A Guide to the Amazing Opening Scene of The Lion King on Tour “Circle of Life,” The Lion King’s jaw-dropping, much-talked-about opening number, introduces a menagerie of animals who stride, leap, gallop and dance across the stage. A closer look reveals the creative magic at work behind this breathtaking bit of stagecraft. 1 LET’S GIVE […]
DCPA Tickets for 35 Shows Now on Sale Tickets available for most shows including The Phantom of the Opera, The Outsiders, and Next to Normal DENVER — The Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) announces today that tickets for most titles for its 2025/26 season programming are now on sale to the public. […]
This season, no fewer than 16 productions on Denver Center stages are based on or inspired by literature. From children’s books and memoirs to Greek myths and fantasy, here is your reading companion to the Denver Center for the Performing Arts’ 2025/26 season alphabetized by show title. CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF (playing […]
Test your Disney’s The Lion King knowledge with trivia.
DisneyPhoto-by-Deen-van-Meer