To commemorate the 18th anniversary of the North American tour of Disney's The Lion King, which is currently on hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, the musical offers a day of free live virtual content April 27 on the Disney on Broadway's Instagram.
The festivities begin at 12:30 PM ET when a Disney teaching artist will lead a musical theatre workshop, offering fans a chance to learn music and choreography from the Tony-winning musical. The workshop will feature tour cast members Brandon A. McCall and Erynn Marie Dickerson.
READ: National Tours of Broadway Titles Halt Engagements During COVID-19 Pandemic
At 4:30 PM, as part of his new Instagram series MJS Live, Michael James Scott (Genie in the Broadway production of Aladdin) will conduct interviews with Ben Lipitz (Pumbaa since 2003), original tour company member Stefan Monssen (percussionist), and Kendra Moore (former dance captain for the tour and current assistant company manager on Broadway) to reflect on their experiences with the show.
“Despite the tour currently being on hiatus, we are so pleased to offer fun content and to continue engaging with our audiences, who we miss entertaining in-person,” said Disney Theatrical's Vice President of Domestic Touring and Regional Engagements Jack Eldon in a recent statement. “We look forward to announcing the tour’s return at a later date and to sharing once again the magic of live theatre, which is our greatest passion.”
Since launching in April 2002 in Denver, Colorado, The Lion King North American touring productions have played over 10,000 performances during 216 engagements in 91 cities to an audience of more than 21 million.