New National Tour cast

From BroadwayWorld.com:


The North American touring production of Disney's THE LION KING is pleased to welcome to the company beginning Tuesday, July 13:

J. Anthony Crane as thepower-hungry lion "Scar"; BRENDA MHLONGO as the wise baboon shaman "Rafiki"; Nick Cordileone as the wisecracking meerkat "Timon"; Adam Jacobs as Mufasa's son, "Simba," the lion prince born to be king; SYNDEE WINTERS as the loyal lioness "Nala"; Monica L. Patton as the evil hyena "Shenzi"; KOLTON STEWART as "Young Simba" and MONIQUE LEE as "Young Nala." Crane, Mhlongo, Cordileone, Jacobs, Winters, Patton, Stewart and Lee will join the tour when it premieres in Vancouver, B.C. where it will play a limited four-week engagement at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre from Tuesday, July 13 to Sunday, August 8, 2010.

The press opening night is Thursday, July 15 at 7:30pm. The cast also includes Dionne Randolph as "Mufasa," the great warrior and ruler of the Pridelands; Tony Freeman as the prim and proper hornbilled bird "Zazu"; Ben Lipitz as the carefree warthog "Pumbaa"; OMARI TAU ("Banzai") and BEN ROSEBERRY ("Ed") play the evil hyenas and the role of "Young Simba" will be played by Jerome Stephens, JR.

(alternating with KOLTON STEWART) and the role of "Young Nala" will be played by MADAI MONICA WILLIAMS (alternating with MONIQUE LEE). In Vancouver, THE LION KING will play Tuesday through Saturday evenings at 7:30pm, Sunday evenings at 6:30pm, Saturday matinees at 2:00pm, Sunday matinees at 1:00pm and an additional matinee Wednesday, August 4 at 2:00pm.

Ticket prices start as low as $24.00. Premium TicketPackages, which include prime seat locations, a commemorative souvenir program and an exclusiveVIP merchandise item, are also available. Tickets are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, by calling604-280-4444, or on line at www.ticketmaster.ca. Orders for groups of twenty (20) or more may beplaced by calling 1-800-889-8457.

The Vancouver engagement of DISNEY'S THE LION KING ispresented by arrangement with Broadway Across Canada. After the Vancouver engagement THE LION KING will return to Canada in April 2011 when the record-breaking musical comes back to Toronto where it had its Canadian premiere in April2000, entertained 2.9 million theater patrons and played 1,560 performances (closing in January2004). The North American touring company will begin performances on April 19, 2011 for a limited five-week run at the Princess of Wales Theatre, the same venue where the Toronto production was originally housed. Audiences in Alberta were captivated by THE LION KING during the summer of 2009 whenthe production set new box office records during its two Canadian engagements in Calgary and Edmonton, grossing a combined total of $13 million and entertaining more than 154,000 guests.

Making a major economic impact in the Province of Alberta, it is estimated that theatergoers spent a combined total of $36 million in Calgary and Edmonton during both engagements of THE LION KING. The North American touring production of THE LION KING has been seen by over 12.5 million theatergoers and grossed over $815 million to date. The tour is one of seven productionsrunning worldwide, along with New York City, London, Hamburg, Paris, Tokyo and Las Vegas. Having already played 60 cities across North America, THE LION KING continues to entertain audiences in new cities.

Read more: http://nationaltours.broadwayworld.com/article/THE_LION_KING_North_American_Tour_Welcomes_New_Principals_to_the_Pridelands_713_20100713#ixzz0twp20NRf

Early Touring Cast performing @ Jay Leno's

A very early National Tour cast performed an astonishing Circle of Life. Unknow Rafiki. I searched on Google, the results:

-Thindsile Soni [not sure if this is her name]
-Futhi Mhlongo [original tour Rafiki]
-Tshidi Manye [was on tour before Broadway]
-Onaala Joseph

Tonya Dixon - Circle of Life

From the most known recorded show of TLK, on October 7, 2000. Tonya Lyon Dixon as Rafiki. National Tour, Pantages Theatre, Los Angeles.

Circle of Life Reprise (Live @ Tucson, Arizona)

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.

Gugwana Dlamini - Rafiki Mourns

National tour Rafiki Gugwana Dlamini performing Rafiki Mourns. Credits to YouTube user k8to2005.

Brown Lindiwe Mkhize and Phindile Mkhize performing Circle of Life

No, they're not sisters! But they are from different productions. Brown is on the London and Phindile is from the National Tour.


Credits go to YouTube user MoviesByCort.


Credits to YouTube user 0707qwerty.

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.

Seattle cast announced

From BroadwayWorld.com

The cast of the awaited Seattle engagement was announced. Seattle's most eagerly awaited stage production ever will leap onto the Paramount Theatre stage from Wednesday, February 11 through Sunday, March 15. The media opening night is Friday, February 13 at 8 pm. This Seattle engagement is one of seven current productions running worldwide along with New York, London, Hamburg, Tokyo, Paris.



The malevolent and evil "Scar" will be played by Timothy Carter, whose credits include The Three Musketeers and Macbeth with The Acting Company; King Lear, As You Like It, and Julius Caesar at Colorado Shakespeare Festival; Richard III and Merry Wives at Windsor at Nebraska Shakespeare Festival; and Hay Fever at Westport County Playhouse. Dionne Randolph will play the lion king "Mufasa." Mr. Randolph's credits include Little Shop of Horrors and Once on This Island. Phindile Mkhize (pictured), a native of South Africa, is the wise "Rafiki." Ms. Mkhize has traveled to Germany, Australia, Holland and Amsterdam performing and sharing her talents, and her credits include The Lion King: The Movie Soundtrack 94, Sarafina 2; Mama, Maria, Maria and Wozamyfohloza.


The meerkat "Timon" will be played by Mark Shunock, who has appeared in productions of Romance, Beauty and the Beast, Princess Turandot, The Skin of our Teeth, Howie the Rookie and Lovelace: The Musical. Tony Freeman, who will portray "Zazu", has previously played the role on Broadway in more than 1,300 performances. Dan'yelle Williamson, a native of Tampa, FL and a graduate of The Boston Conservatory, is the lioness "Nala" and was recently seen in Wicked in Chicago. Mufasa's son, "Simba," will be played by André Jackson, who is an alumnus of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and has numerous Broadway, film and television credits.



The three hyenas will be played by: Randy Donaldson ("Banzai"), whose past credits include Five Guys named Moe and Broadway's Wonderful Town and Annie Get Your Gun; Jayne Trinette ("Shenzi"), whose credits include Caroline or Change, Ain't Misbehavin' and Nuncrackers; and Andrew Frace ("Ed"), whose stage credits include Finding Nemo: the Musical, Roald Dahl's Willy Wonla. Performances in the role of "Young Simba" will be alternated between Chaz Marcus Fleming and Marquis Kofi Rodriguez. Mr. Fleming has studied acting and dance at the Harlem School for the Arts and has appeared in commercials and print ads for The Gap and Toys"R"Us. Mr. Rodriguez has been seen in "Law & Order: SVU," the upcoming feature film Phoebe in Wonderland, and numerous commercials. Performances in the role of "Young Nala" will be alternated between Sadé LouAnn Murray and Ah-Niyah Neal. Ms. Murray is an 11 year-old from Springfield, MA and is making her professional debut in the musical. Ms. Neal, a native of Hempstead, NY and a student at The Harlem School of the Arts, is also making her professional debut in The Lion King musical.