Its roar as Broadway's hottest ticket and weekly box office champ may have been muffled a tad by that Mel Brooks musical playing at the St. James, but Broadway's The Lion King is far from being dethroned. Beginning its fourth year, Nov. 13, at the New Amsterdam Theatre, the opulent tuner remains a 101-percent seller week after week, with grosses invariably passing the million-dollar mark.

According to Boneau/Bryan-Brown spokespersons, there are Lion Kings currently roaming the plains of London, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Japan and Toronto, with a German troupe starting this month and a national tour starting in Denver, CO next year.

Julie Taymor (The Green Bird) directed the stage version of the animated film, both of which were scored by Elton John and Tim Rice, with additional musical material by South African Lebo M, Mark Mancina and Taymor.

The Lion King, which opened Nov. 13, 1997, beat Ragtime for the Best Musical Tony Award in 1998. However, in London, on Feb. 18, 2000, a tiny musical called Honk!, based on "The Ugly Duckling," beat the mighty Lion King for Best Musical, in the Olivier Awards.

For tickets and information on The Lion King at the New Amsterdam Theatre on 42nd Street, call (212) 307-4747.