The talented South African cast members of The Lion King are flying our flag so high!
USA (04 August 2022) – The North American tour of Disney’s The Lion King recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, and South Africans are stealing the show!
Since launching in April 2002 at the Buell Theatre in Denver, Colorado, The Lion King North American touring productions have employed hundreds of theatre professionals and played over 9,000 performances during 227 engagements in 93 cities to an audience of more than 21 million theatregoers.
Few tours in theatre history have achieved its reach or impact, and the production has always featured many South Africans in the cast!
The San Francisco Chronicle published an article today stating that the South African cast members “bring authenticity to the stage in The Lion King.”
“The Lion King is filled with South African influences, and Disney has routinely hosted auditions in major cities across South Africa when assembling the cast for each new run. South African landscapes inspire the set design, composer Lebo M has added elements of South African music to the soundtrack, and the story pulls directly from figures of South African folklore.”
The Chronicle says that the “South African roots are particularly noticeable in the musical numbers, where their sound is distinctive.” What an incredible accolade to the talented South African cast members flying our flag so high!
The North American tour of the historical show is almost a carbon copy of the Broadway show and both feature incredible South African cast members.
Watch the first rehearsal of Broadway’s return in August last year (it will give you all the feels):
And a glimpse of the show below:
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