More news on Shannon Skye's health state

As said before, former Young Nala actress Shannon Skye Tavarez has leukhmia and needs urgently a bone marrow transplant. When she was diagnosticated, BroadwayWorld.com wrote this entire article on her.

Shannon Tavarez, who has appeared on Broadway in Disney's THE LION KING, has
been diagnosed with leukemia.

"It hit me really hard, like someone was
throwing a ball at me," the 11-year old said from her hospital bed.

Tavarez was performing when the symptoms first hit. "My lower back and
legs were tight and it hurt to walk."

The young performer now has daily
chemotherapy and needs a bone marrow transplant, but the pool of minority donors
is small. Less than 10-percent of the donor pool is made up of minorities.

Dr. Joel Brochstein of Schneider Children's Hospital told My FOX New
York it is important that Tavarez has the surgery in the next few months.

Tavarez's Broadway friends and family are organizing a bone marrow drive
to take place in July.

A simple swap test inside the mouth is all that
is needed to check to see if someone is a match for Shannon Tavarez.

"This battle is a tough one but I'll get through it," Tevarez says.

Shannon Skye Tavarez is an honor student at PS 176 in Queens, NY.
Shannon attended the Harlem School of Arts and studies at The American Dance and
Drama Studio in Flushing.

Read more: http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/STAGE_TUBE_LION_KING_Child_Star_Tavarez_Fights_Leukemia_20100617#ixzz0twm5gR3x

Major changes in Broadway

The show now runs 8-10 minutes faster, I mean, some scenes were removed. The only one that we'll miss a lot (which has been there onstage since the debut in 1997) is "The Morning Report". What you read is true. The Morning Report scene has been removed from only the Las Vegas and the Broadway production. The Paris, the Hamburg and the Tokyo productions stay with the scene.

The removal was first planned to the Las Vegas production, but when the new cast members arrived on Broadway on June 2010, it had to be removed. One more thing: actor Jeffrey Binder no longer plays his trademark role of Zazu.

From the official report on BroadwayWorld.com:
BroadwayWorld.com has independently confirmed recent online rumors that changes have been made to the Broadway production of THE LION KING when the show recently welcomed new cast members in mid-June. The show now runs 8-10 minutes shorter and has incorporated small cuts that were made first for the show's Las Vegas production. Also no longer in the show is "Morning Report."

A production spokesperson declined comment or confirmation on any changes to the show, but BroadwayWorld.com's scooper did say that audiences are responding to the show just as wildly enthusiastically as they have for years, and those following the numbers know that the production continues to sell out

Read more: http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/CHATTER_Broadways_THE_LION_KING_Undergoes_Changes_20010101#ixzz0twjoSuxR

Whoopi's rehearsal

Hakuna Matata live on Broadway

Posted on Youtube by EmoPrincessEvita.

Cast:
Clifford Lee Dickson - Young Simba
Danny Rutigiano - Timon
Tom Alan Robbins - Pumbaa
Dashaun Young - Adult Simba

Dashaun Young - He Lives In You @ Today Show

Posted on Youtube by lionkingnyc

Whoopi Goldberg as Rafiki

From Bitten and Bound.Actress and morning talk show host Whoopi Goldberg appeared on stage at the Minskoff Theatre in New York City on January 14, 2010. No stranger to the bright lights of Broadway, Goldberg was invited to play the role of Rafiki in the musical “Disney’s The Lion King” for a one night cameo appearance. Goldberg last appeared on Broadway in the 2008 production of Xanadu. Whoopi was also the voice of Shenzi in the original animated movie “The Lion King” in 1994. The show was taped and clips will air next week on “The View".

Whoopi's Photo as Rafiki by Joseph Marzullo – WENN
Whoopi's normal photo - found in Google

No Problems: "The Lion King" hits 5000th performance

From BroadwayWorld.com

Disney's landmark musical event THE LION KING celebrated 5000 Broadway performances on Thursday, November 5 at the Minskoff Theatre. Only eight other musicals have reached this milestone, including Disney's Beauty and the Beast. THE LION KING is the ninth longest-running musical in Broadway history and the first American musical to welcome 50 million guests worldwide. Now entering its 13th smash year, THE LION KING officially opened on November 13, 1997 (previews began October 13 at the New Amsterdam Theatre) and has consistently been among Broadway's top five grossing shows. The show transferred to its current home at the Minskoff Theatre on June 13, 2006.
On Broadway to date, THE LION KING has played to more than 8.5 million people, grossed $718 million, employed 223 adult actors (including 20 South African performers) and 66 children as young lions. Globally, THE LION KING has grossed $3.8 billion with 17 productions (a new production will bow in Singapore in September 2010 - a first for Disney Theatrical Productions). The London company recently celebrated its 10th anniversary making THE LION KING one of only five musicals in theatre history to play for ten years or more on both Broadway and the West End.
Based on the 1994 Disney animated film, THE LION KING continues to reign as one of the most popular shows on Broadway and around the world. The global phenomenon is the winner of more than 70 major awards worldwide, including the 1998 Tony Award® and NY Drama Critics Award for Best Musical, the 1999 Grammy® for Best Musical Show Album, and the 1999 Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Choreography and Best Costume Design. The show has been seen by over 50 million people in 13 different countries (US, Canada, UK, Japan, Germany, Holland, France, Mexico, Australia, China, Taiwan, South Africa and Korea) and translated into five different languages (Japanese, German, Korean, French, Dutch). In addition to Broadway and a North American tour, THE LION KING can also be seen on stage in London, Hamburg, Paris, Tokyo and Las Vegas.
Director Julie Taymor was the first woman in theatrical history to win the Tony Award for Best Director of a Musical. She is also the winner of the 1998 Tony Award for Best Costume Design.
Julie Taymor, along with designer Michael Curry, has created hundreds of masks and puppets for THE LION KING. Scenic design is by Richard Hudson; costume design is by Julie Taymor; lighting design is by Donald Holder. Choreography is by Garth Fagan. The book has been adapted by Roger Allers, who co-directed the animated feature and Irene Mecchi, who co-wrote the screenplay of THE LION KING. The score features Elton John and Tim Rice's music from the animated film along with three new songs by John and Rice, additional musical material by South African Lebo M, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Julie Taymor and Hans Zimmer and music from an album inspired by the animated film, "Rhythm of the Pride Lands," written by Lebo M, Mark Mancina and Hans Zimmer. The resulting sound of THE LION KING score is a fusion of Western popular music and the distinctive sounds and rhythms of Africa, embracing the Academy Awardâ-winning "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" and the haunting "Shadowlands."
THE LION KING ticket prices range from $61.50-$121.50, and are available online at www.DisneyOnBroadway.com, in-person at the Minskoff Theatre Box Office (200 West 45th Street) and Ticketmaster outlets, or by calling Ticketmaster's Disney on Broadway hotline at 866-870-2717. Performance & holiday schedule varies; check online for current schedule (running time is approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes.)

Original Cast Playbill photos

Tom Alan Robbins (Pumbaa)
Tracy Nicole Chapman (Shenzi)

Stanley Wayne Mathis (Banzai)

Scott Irby-Raniar (Young Simba)

Samuel E. Wright (Mufasa)

Max Casella (Timon)

Kevin Cahoon (Ed)

Tsidii LeLoka (Rafiki)

Kajuana Shuford (Young Nala)

John Vickery (Scar)

Jason Raize (Simba)

Heather Headley (Nala)

Gina Breedlove (Sarabi)

Geoff Hoyle (Zazu)

Source: LionKingDigital.org

Heather Headley - Shadowland

From "The Late Show with David Letterman". Performed by Heather Headley, Tsidii LeLoka, Gina Breedlove and the original ensemble.

"They Live in You/He Lives in You", "Endless Night" and "Circle of Life" @ Rosie O'Donnel's

In a performance hours the official opening night of the musical, on November 13, 1997, the show's former actors, Jason Raize (Simba), Tsidii LeLoka-Lupindo (Rafiki), Scott Irby-Raniar (Young Simba) and Samuel E. Wright (Mufasa) performed "He Lives In You", "Endless Night", "They Live in You" and an amazing "Circle of Life", with chorus from Lebo M. and the original swings.

Cast Recordings playlist

Uploaded on YouTube by Juan261094 (my account), this is a playlist containing songs from all of the Cast Recordings. Please watch, rate and comment. Note: The South African cast recording is entirely live.

Gugwana Dlamini (?) performing Circle of Life

Former Rafiki from the Gazelle tour, Gugwana Dlamini (?) performed Circle of Life. I don't know if its on the production she's acting as an understudy or if its performed by one Tshidi's Broadway u/s.

Some of the Broadway Rafikis

Pictures from Google, Facebook and other sources.

Selloane Nkhela

Mpume Sikakane

Rema Webb

Angelica Edwards Patterson

Sheryl McCallum

Tshidi Manye

Tsidii LeLoka-Lupindo

Good Morning America (1998?)

The original Broadway Simba and Nala performing "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" on Good Morning America, (I think) 11 years ago. Jason Raize as Simba and Heather Headley as Nala. Credits to YouTube user "raizeresource". For those who don't know, Raize died in 2004, by suicide. (http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/02/14/1076548275532.html?from=storyrhs)

New websites

Oh my! It's been my first post in months! lol! I have to say that the site for The Lion King's Broadway version has been updated with links to "New York", "Las Vegas" (see counter for the prémiere), "North American Tour" and "International Productions". Here's it!

Also, in the Las Vegas tab, a small preview (a clip for the London production) is avaliable.

Cast Albums

I thought you wanted it, so, I did this video to show you the released Cast Recording albums for all productions of The Lion King.

In order of appearing, the CDs are the following:

• The Lion King [Het Album van het Nederlandse Cast] - Scheveningen Cast
• Der König der Löwen: Das Broadway musical aus Hamburg Hafen - Hamburg Cast
• The Lion King [Original Broadway Cast Recording] - needless to say
• Lion King [Japan] - Tokyo Cast (Fukuoka's one is very different from the others and it's not a Cast Recording, actually)
• Le Roi Lion [La Bande Originale en Français] - Paris Cast

Oh! And I almost forgot! This song's name is "Alles Ademt en Leeft" (Everything Breathes and Lives). And here is the lyric:

Alles ademt en leeft (Everything breath and live),
in die trage stroom (In that slow flow), die ons voort doet gaan (Which conducts our), in hoop en vrees (Hope and apreehension).
Altijd onderweg (Always underway),
altijd in beweging (Always in movement),
In de cirkel (In the circle),
Die ademt en leeft (Which breathes and lives).

"The Lion King" to celebrate 11 years on Broadway!

Playing on Broadway since 1997, Disney's The Lion King will celebrate 11 years on Broadway in November 2008. It is unknown what Disney will do to celebrate it, maybe a new production. Who knows? Last year, we've got the South Africa production. In the photo, the original Broadway cast performing Circle of Life (Reprise).