Behind-the-scenes at ‘The Lion King’ musical headed to Abu Dhabi
Marking 25 years since its Broadway premiere, “The Lion King” stage musical will make its Middle East debut in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 16, providing audiences from across the region with a rare opportunity to enjoy the awardwinning production up close and personal in the UAE capital.
The long-running adaptation of Disney’s popular 1994 animated film tells the coming-of-age story of young lion prince, Simba, who is forced to mature quickly when his father dies and he has to reclaim his birthright.
“What I’m so excited in bringing the show to Abu Dhabi is that this is the original production that has been seen for over 20 years on Broadway, and has been seen on stages in the West End, in Australia, in Hamburg, Japan, in so many theatrical markets around the world, and we will be delivering director Julie Taymor’s extraordinary theatrical vision to local audiences for the very first time. This is truly an iconic production,” said Michael Cassel, CEO of Michael Cassel Group, the theatrical producer leading “The Lion King’s” four-week run at Etihad Arena, in an interview with Arab News.
“Audiences are in for an absolute treat because it is theater at its very best. The way Julie Taymor — who’s the original director of the production and the first female director to win the Tony Award for Director of Best Musical — what she imagined, and the world she’s created, as she brought the African savannah to life in a theater, is quite simply extraordinary,” he added.
Over 100 people, both onstage and behind the scenes, will be bringing the show to Abu Dhabi. “We have performers from all around the globe who are in this company of ‘The Lion King.’ It truly is an international company, which is very rare. We have a lot of cast members from South Africa, which is so important to ensure authenticity in terms of the performance and certainly also the music that Lebo M. composed,” said Cassel.
“The Lion King” runs from
Nov. 16 to Dec. 10 at Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi.