Why Was the Lion King So Successful?

The musical adaptation of Disney’s The Lion King has been one of the most successful musical theatre productions of all time. This week on the Simon Morris blog I want to ask what was it about this beloved Disney classic that translated so well on stage.

Every kid loved The Lion King. This tale of a young orphan lion who struggles against the odds and return to the land of his birth to avenge his father’s death has touched the hearts and minds of a generation, managing to gross a staggering $987,483,777 million at the box office.

However films don’t always translate effectively onto the stage – just look at the disaster that was Spiderman. So what was it about this film that made it perfect for musical theatre?

The Lion King: A Fact File

The musical version of the film basically chronicles the same story and employs the same musical score, with adaptations and expansions incorporated into the production to make it more suitable for a Broadway audience.

The show first opened in the US city of Minneapolis in 1997, before moving to Broadway the same year and the West End in 1999. It was a raging success, bagging the coveted Tony Award for Best Musical in 1998, grossing more than $1 billion to date and playing in cities on every major continent.

For a show that may not have necessarily translated onto the stage, it did so with a fierceness that has to be admired, but it leads me to ask, what is it about the stage version that was such a hit around the world?

Simon Morris on the Popularity of The Lion King

Having had the enviable opportunity to catch this show more than a few times, I can emphatically argue that there are several reasons at least why audiences fell in love all over again once it hit the stage:

· Those songs: The songs that Disney crafted for its movie original, including ‘Circle of Life,’ ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ and ‘Can You Feel the Love Tonight’ were simply superb and manage to entrance audiences just as much on stage as they ever did on the silver screen.

· A Careful Calibration: the stage production isn’t a verbatim copy of the original, yet it doesn’t stray too far from the script. It adds a layer of depth that lends a new appreciation for the characters and the story it tells.

· The Production: Have you ever been to a stage production of The Lion King? They spare no expense. The costumes are detailed, the sets elaborate and the feel authentic. You’re transported to Pride Rock!


The Lion King has transcended its title as a Disney classic to become a staple of the musical theatre world, and it’s a place the production rightly deserves. Simon Morris readers if you ever get a chance to attend a performance of this modern classic, take it with both hands!