ORLANDO, Fla. – I was 13 years old when Disney released its blockbuster animated film, “The Lion King”, in 1994.
I remember watching it in the movie theater for the first time that summer with a little girl whom I was babysitting and trying my hardest to fight back the tears that were rolling down my face. Lucky for me, I was soon able to get my own VHS copy and could watch it over and over again.
Recommended Videos
“The Lion King’s” impact and success cannot be overstated. It became the highest-grossing film of 1994, even beating “Forrest Gump”! A few months later, when my family adopted a yellow lab, I suggested we name it Simba, of course.
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]
Just three years later, that success transferred to Broadway, where it took home the lion’s share of Tony Awards and is now the highest-grossing Broadway production of all time at about $2 billion.
Fast forward about 30 years, and I still had not seen the musical, until now.
Seeing “The Lion King” the musical with my own two sons for the first time and being able to share this experience with them gave me, for lack of a better word, a huge sense of pride.
This musical is beautiful in every way possible. For me, watching this show was like walking through a world-class art museum: every second, you were treated to a new artistic masterpiece. It is literally two and a half hours of pure eye and ear candy.
The first act is almost verbatim to the movie script up until the legendary “Hakuna Matata” song. It opens with the iconic “Circle of Life” song and a parade of animals in the most eye-catching and breathtaking puppets and costumes I have ever seen.
You are immediately awed with the ever-changing backdrop of stunning visuals and sounds, which afterward, my youngest son looked at me with his wide green-blue eyes and said, “This is Amazing!”
In the second act, the musical deviates from the original film script and incorporates a few new songs. The ending, however, is the same, with Simba taking his rightful place in the circle of life, king of Pride Rock.
The Lion King will be performing at the Dr. Phillips Center from April 23 - May 18, 2025. On certain nights, guests will get to see Orlando’s own Julian Villela perform as young Simba.
Lisa’s tips
If you’re taking children to this show (which you should—I took my 11 and 8-year-old boys), definitely consider a matinee. The show runs about two and a half hours. Our show started at 7:30 p.m. and ended around 10:15. Once we made our way through heavy traffic, we finally arrived home around 10:45 p.m.
If you’re able to get tickets on the first floor, look for seats near the aisle— you’ll be in for some up-close special treats throughout the performance.
Follow the Dr. Phillips Center on social media to see if and when they announce discounted rush tickets.
For more information and show times, click here.
Setting the Stage gives you the latest and greatest info from Central Florida's performing arts scene.
