The Lion King at Reynolds Hall at The Smith Center

The saga of Disney’s The Lion King begins in a vast savanna territory in Africa; set in The Pride Lands, the teenage heir Simba is fated to take over after his father, before betrayal occurs because of the actions of his dishonorable uncle Scar and his impulse to take the throne and become King himself. The first part's sequence of incidents leads to the young prince's banishment from The Pride Lands and the tale of his eventual homecoming to overthrow his uncle Scar and save his people.

The Lion King, since its formation, had to develop extensive research on real African culture and history given its setting. The narrative itself is actually based on real African leaders and real events – Simba actually equates to the animal version of Sundiata Mansa, the founder of the Imperial Mali who was aptly named The Lion of Mali.

Julie Taymor, the first female director in the history of Broadway to win a Tony for Best Direction of a Musical, paid due homage to the original film as source material, specifically with design, which paved the way for a precise staging of the musical. The outfits alone are respectful portrayals of several indigenous people in Africa, an exemplification of which is Simba’s costume in the musical which in fact based on Kenyan Maasi fighters' attire. Just like the late 1994 motion picture, the fantastic musical compositions penned by Elton John and Tim Rice pays homage to its African heritage, with the musical even putting in numbers with lyrics that are performed either partially or fully in African tongue including Swahili and Zulu. Moreover, the African inspiration is also evident in choreography, with a lot of the performances consistently featuring the fluidity of Bali-inspired movements.

The 3D puppetry, music, and superb acting all work in harmony to make up an smashing musical. On Wednesday 19th November 2025 and at Las Vegas, The Lion King from Broadway will be in Reynolds Hall at The Smith Center - visited frequently by local fans and visitors for holding the best musicals and plays due to the best facilities and topnotch equipment that entertainment venues can muster. Tickets to this musical on Wednesday 19th November 2025 are currently available and may be secured using the links that can be seen on the top of this page.