Brown, who is making his Broadway debut with The Lion King, was seen as Andre in the national tour of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. He has also been featured in the Shaw Festival productions of Merrily We Roll Along, The Man Who Came to Dinner, On the Twentieth Century, Easy Virtue, Shadow Play and She Loves Me.
The performer joins a cast that includes Alton Fitzgerald White as Mufasa, Tshidi Manye as Rafiki, Jeff Binder as Zazu, Ben Jeffrey as Pumbaa, Fred Berman as Timon, Adam Jacobs as Simba, Chaunteé Schuler as Nala, James Brown-Orleans as Banzai, Bonita J. Hamilton as Shenzi and Enrique Segura as Ed. The role of Young Simba is alternated between Judah Bellamy and Aubrey Omari Joseph, and the role of Young Nala is alternated between Nia Ashleigh and Imani Dia Smith.
The Lion King began as a 1994 animated feature-length film developed and produced by the Walt Disney Company. The story, a coming-of-age parable set among animals indigenous to its setting, the African savanna, tells the tale of Simba, the lion cub who rises to be the King of the jungle. The Broadway score features Elton John and Tim Rice's music from the animated film along with three new songs.
Directed by Julie Taymor, the book has been adapted by Roger Allers, who co-directed "The Lion King" animated feature, and Irene Mecchi, who co-wrote the film's screenplay. Other members of the creative team include Steve Canyon Kennedy (sound design), Michael Ward (hair and makeup design), John Stefaniuk (associate director), Marey Griffith (associate choreographer) and Clement Ishmael (music supervisor). Anne Quart serves as associate producer.
Produced by Disney Theatrical Productions, The Lion King is the seventh longest-running musical in Broadway history and one of only five productions in theatre history to play for ten years or more, both on Broadway and in the West End. The musical won six 1998 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Scenic Design (Richard Hudson), Best Costume Design (Julie Taymor), Best Lighting Design (Donald Holder), Best Choreography (Garth Fagan) and Best Direction of a Musical.
The Minskoff Theatre is located at 200 West 45th Street. For more information visit www.DisneyOnBroadway.com.
