A special performance of The Lion King will be held Tuesday, Oct. 22 to benefit The Actors' Fund of America.
The Actors' Fund, which was founded in 1882, is a non-profit organization that provides for the social welfare of all entertainment professionals. Some of the many programs The Actors' Fund provides include a nursing home and assisted living care facility; senior and disabled programs; mental health services; chemical dependency services; entertainment industry assistance programs; the Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative; the AIDS Initiative; and supportive housing on both coasts.
To purchase tickets ($35 - $100) for this special Actors' Fund performance, call (212) 221-7300, ext. 133 or Ticketmaster at (212) 307-4100. For more information, visit www.actorsfund.org.
Directed by Julie Taymor — who became the first woman ever to receive a Tony Award for Best Director of a Musical — The Lion King has become an international hit with productions in London, Toronto, Tokyo, Fukuoka, Los Angeles and Hamburg. There is also a U.S. national tour, which is currently making a stop in Houston, Texas.
Worldwide, 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. The Lion King plays the New Amsterdam Theatre (W. 42nd Street); go to www.disneyonbroadway.com for more information.