So established is The Lion King that it’s easy to forget its revolutionary origins.

With plans for Phantom, to close next year, The Lion King jostles with Chicago for its crown of longest-running show on Broadway. In April 2012, it swiped the title of Broadway’s all-time highest-grossing show from The Phantom Of The Opera, despite Phantom having almost a full 10 years’ head start. The Lion King has been a model of consistency in its march through records. I had to use all the tools in the theatre tool toolbox to make it dimensional and theatrical,' says Taymor. And here you have 'The Lion King' movie – the most cinematic. 'Most plays don’t translate to film because they’re not cinematic. It is The Lion King, and it turns 25 years old on Broadway this month. That show in a trial run in Minneapolis would soon transfer to Broadway and start a stunning streak that regularly lands it among the weekly top earners and becomes young people’s introduction to theatre. We were just overwhelmed and we knew we had something.” When the animals came down the aisle everybody shot up,” recalls director-writer Julie Taymor. “The audience started screaming so early. There is simply nothing else like THE LION KING.In the summer of 1997, audiences in Minneapolis at the Orpheum Theatre saw something no one had ever seen before: leaping antelopes, fluttering birds and elephants lumbering through the orchestra seats.

THE LION KING also features the extraordinary work of Tony Award®-winning choreographer Garth Fagan and some of Broadway’s most recognizable music, crafted by Tony Award®-winning artists Elton John and Tim Rice.

Tony Award®-winning director Julie Taymor brings to life a story filled with hope and adventure set against an amazing backdrop of stunning visuals. Winner of six Tony Awards®, including Best Musical, THE LION KING brings together one of the most imaginative creative teams on Broadway. More than 100 million people around the world have experienced the awe-inspiring visual artistry, the unforgettable music, and the uniquely theatrical storytelling of this Broadway spectacular – one of the most breathtaking and beloved productions ever to grace the stage. This is Disney’s THE LION KING, making its triumphant return to the Des Moines Civic Center! And as the music soars, Pride Rock slowly emerges from the mist. The entire Serengeti comes to life as never before.

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