The Lion King (Broadway)
Open run 2h 30m
The Lion King (Broadway)
91

The Lion King (Broadway) NYC Reviews and Tickets

91%
(12013 Reviews)
Positive
97%
Mixed
2%
Negative
1%
Members say
Entertaining, Enchanting, Great staging, Delightful, Must see

Puppets and live actors create a magical world to tell the story of Simba's rise to the throne.

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Member Reviews (12,013)

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1114 Reviews | 288 Followers
93
Ambitious, Absorbing, Delightful, Enchanting, Great staging

See it if you want your kids to see a great performance

Don't see it if if you don't like a great feel good story. Music and dancing are incredible.

913 Reviews | 928 Followers
80
Enchanting, Funny, Great staging, Original, Relevant

See it if Brilliantly staged. Beautiful music. A classic.

Don't see it if You don't like moral lessons wrapped in childish themes.

898 Reviews | 1027 Followers
71
Ambitious, Clever, Entertaining, Great staging, Overrated

See it if You have children and enjoy big disney productions.

Don't see it if You are expecting anything different from the movie.

1015 Reviews | 419 Followers
90
Great staging, Must see, Exquisite, Delightful, Entertaining

See it if You want to see a real piece of art. A true masterpiece.

Don't see it if You just can't get into a kids show no matter how artistically it has been interpreted.

982 Reviews | 343 Followers
75
Great staging, Original, Poor plotting, Entertaining, Family fare

See it if you have a child to take to the theater. The staging is innovative, the performances strong, the production polished.

Don't see it if you want a strong script. This show is the movie verbatim, which was never very insightful. It was written for children.

891 Reviews | 259 Followers
90
Clever, Funny, Masterful, Entertaining, Original

See it if you enjoy great music and choreography with spectacular costumes.

Don't see it if you are stuffy.

546 Reviews | 1880 Followers
88
Entertaining, Great staging

See it if you just want to have fun!

Don't see it if you don't like Disney.

716 Reviews | 157 Followers
92
Great staging, Epic, Must see, Ambitious, Entertaining

See it if You're a fan of the film, want to see some of the most clever stage effects of all time, you want to see little kids agape at their 1st show

Don't see it if You're not a Disney fan or fan of the film, never liked Elton John's music, don't like puppets or stage magic that requires imagination

Critic Reviews (26)

The New York Times
November 14th, 1997

"You can only marvel at the exotic procession of animals before you: the giraffes and the elephants and the hippopotamuses and all those birds in balletic flight. These are creatures of air and light and even a touch of divinity. Where are you, really, anyway? Somehow you have fallen into what appears to be a primal paradise. Such is the transporting magic wrought by the opening 10 minutes of ''The Lion King.''"
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Time Out New York
March 29th, 2012

"Taymor populates the stage with an amazing menagerie of beasts; her audacious staging expands a simple cub into the pride of Broadway, not merely a fable of heredity but a celebration of heritage."
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New York Magazine / Vulture
August 11th, 2007

"You will be bombarded by some of the most beautiful and spectacular sights theater can offer from before and behind, so eyes in the back of the head will come in handy.
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New York Stage Review
September 17th, 2018

"'The Lion King' was astonishing, in the jaw-dropping manner of speaking. And today, 21 years later, it still is...Taymor, the avant-garde director to whom Disney entrusted the piece, outdid herself...Everything still looks wonderful, and looks practically brand new, too. One of the stunning elements for me, this time through, was the realization of how brilliantly this show moves...The hard-working ensemble is well-drilled and exceptional."
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New York Stage Review
September 17th, 2018

"It’s Julie Taymor’s puppetry that continues to astound...The problem is that the rest of the musical is not as good as Taymor’s vision for the animals and their gorgeous ensemble numbers...Now, the beauty is there, but the show feels a bit worn...The few big numbers aside, much of the John-Rice score is middling ’90s pop rock...That said, the performances, even now, are rather lovely...But you’re not here for the performances. You’re here for the puppets. And they’re worth it."
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S
November 21st, 1997

"The Lion King is a spectacular rendition of the animated film, a brilliant theatrical adaptation that stands on its own...Taymor has risen to the challenge, translating the physically complex tale to the stage with an endlessly clever, visually stunning use of masks, puppetry, costumes and scenic effects; the stage show has the delighted audience firmly in its grip."
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NJ.com
November 14th, 1997

"A stunning stage event. Combining a graceful horde of actors, singers and dancers with a stylized world of fantastic puppets and theatrical wonderment."
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Newsday
November 14th, 1997

"The opening scene unfolds with moment after giddy moment of astonishment. South African choral harmonies, with their calming and yet exuberant rhythms of attack and release, seem to come from everywhere in the darkness. A magical rich jungle parade."
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