The Lion King at William H. Mortensen Hall

The saga of The Lion King starts in a fictional land in Africa; set in The Pride Lands, the little heir Simba is destined to succeed as King, before betrayal occurs because of the deeds of his evil uncle Scar and his impulse to rule the Pride Lands and become ruler himself. The first half's sequence of occurrences leads to the young prince's banishment from his home and the account of his eventual homecoming to overthrow his uncle Scar and save his people.

The 1997 Broadway play, since its inception, had to maintain accuracy using real-life sources from real African society and historical texts given the play's content. The plot itself is actually taken from historical African heroes and factual happenings – Simba actually equates to the animal version of Sundiata Mansa, the founder of the Malian Empire who was appropriately referred to The Lion of Mali.

Julie Taymor, the first female in the history of Broadway to gain a Tony for Best Direction of a Musical, paid due homage to the original film as source material, particularly outfits used, which resulted in a precise Broadway production of the show. The regalia in particular are perfect portrayals of several indigenous people in Africa, an exemplification of which is Simba’s costume in the show which in fact inspired by Kenyan Maasi fighters' armor. Just like the original 1994 movie, the iconic musical score written by Elton John and Tim Rice pays homage to its African roots, with the stage adaptation even adding songs with lyrics that are sung either in part or completely in African dialects such as Swahili and Zulu. Moreover, the African theme is also evident in dance numbers, with many of the performances consistently featuring the seamlessness of Bali-inspired choreography.

The costume design, song composition, and stellar performances all merge effortlessly to deliver an impressive musical. On Wednesday 20th November 2024 and at Hartford, Disney's The Lion King performs in Mortensen Hall at Bushnell Theatre - famous to locals and visitors for holding the premiere shows and plays owed to the top amenities and topnotch sound system that theater venues can offer. Seats to The Lion King on Wednesday 20th November 2024 are currently available and may be secured using the links provided on the top of this page.