The big winner of the night, according to Variety, was the the French production of The Lion King, Le Roi Lion, which picked up three trophies. The Disney musical snagged prizes for Best Musical, lighting (Donald Holder) and costumes (Julie Taymor, who also directed).
Another American winner was stage and screen star John Malkovich, who was honored for his direction of Zach Helm's Good Canary.
Le Roi Lion opened at the lavishly renovated Theatre Mogador, Paris, Oct. 4, 2007. The Elton John-Tim Rice musical is performed in French. Lyrics and dialogue have been adapted by Stéphane Laporte, who earned a Molière nomination for his work on the French adaptation of Fiddler On the Roof two seasons ago. Stage Entertainment France, a subsidiary of Stage Entertainment, produces the show.
The Lion King originally opened at Broadway's New Amsterdam Theatre Nov. 13, 1997. Directed by Julie Taymor — who became the first woman to ever receive a Tony Award for Best Director of a Musical — the musical has become an international hit with productions playing all around the globe. In fact, the Elton John-Tim Rice musical has won over 30 major awards. Those include six Tony Awards, including one for Best Musical; eight Drama Desk Awards; six Outer Critics Circle Awards; two Sir Laurence Oliviers; the Evening Standard Award for Best Theatrical Event; and three Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards.
Le Roi Lion offers performances Tuesday-Friday evenings at 8 PM, Saturdays and Sundays at 3 and 8 PM. Tickets, priced €25-€99, are available by calling 338 20 88 87 86. Visit www.leroilion.fr for more information.
