The Lion King is a 1994 animated musical film from Walt Disney Pictures. It is the 32nd feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series. It tells the story of Simba, a young lion, who is supposed to take his father Mufasa’s place as king of the animal kingdom. However, when Simba’s uncle, Scar, kills Mufasa, Simba is forced to keep Scar from taking the kingdom and avenge his father’s death. The storyline was so successful and popular among viewers that Disney followed up with the sequel, The Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride and the spin-off, The Lion King 1 ½, which told the story of the original movie through the eyes of the comedic characters Timon and Pumbaa.
On this day, October 19th, in 1999, the Lion King musical debuted at the Lyceum Theater. The musical was based on the film of the same name and featured actors in animal costumes and giant, hollow puppets. The cast was invited to perform in front of members of the British Royal Family during the Royal Variety Performance in 2008.