The Beloved Classic ‘Lion King’ Turns 27 On Broadway Stage

In no easy feat, The Lion King has maintained its spot on the Broadway stage for the past 27 years. Ringing in the celebration recently was the actress who originated the role of Young Nala. All grown up today, Kajuana S. Marie was only 10 years old when she took the stage as the friend of the hero of the show, Young Simba.

Speaking on social media about the milestone, Marie says “Let me just tell you, the show looks just as good today as it did 27 years ago, so congratulations.” She continues, “I absolutely was here the opening night of the show because I am actually the very first Young Nala.” Back in 1997, Marie attended an open casting call for the role and beat out 3,000 other applicants.

The Lion King thrilled audiences with its use of life-size puppetry operated by actors on stage. The artistry and realistic quality of the puppets had not been seen before as the characters utilized the stage as well as the walkways of the theatre, giving audience members an up-close look. Two songs from the show also had their moment to shine, including Circle Of Life, which landed at number 2 on the US Adult Contemporary Billboard chart. Elton John’s rendition of Can You Feel The Love Tonight peaked at number one on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.

The Lion King is Broadway’s third longest running show, coming in behind Chicago and The Phantom Of The Opera in the first spot. The Lion King has brought in nearly $2 billion in revenue at the Minskoff Theatre with 6 Tony wins, including one for Best Musical. It is based off the animated film released in 1994 with lyrics and music by John and Tim Rice.

The original film tells the story of a young lion cub who leaves his pride after the tragic death of his father. Lead to believe it is of his own doing, he finds two unlikely friends along the way and soon discovers he needs to return home to take the throne as King, a place that is rightfully his. It it’s initial movie theater run, it brought in over $760 million and finished the run as the highest-grossing film of the year.

The Lion King was made into a live-action film in 2019 starring Beyonce as the voice of Nala.