'The Lion King' returns to Philadelphia next month with dazzling sets, fan-favorite songs

The Kimmel Cultural Campus' Broadway Series continues next month with a beloved Disney musical that will have fans singing "Hakuna Matata!"

"The Lion King" is back in Philadelphia — for the first time in eight years — at the Academy of Music from Wednesday, Aug. 16 through Sunday, Sept. 10. Tickets for the musical's four-week run can be purchased online or at the box office. They start at $29.

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Based on the 1994 animated film — which spurned multiple sequels and a 2019 live-action remake — "The Lion King" hit Broadway in 1997, winning six Tony Awards. The show has since been seen by more than 100 million people globally. The Broadway score features Elton John's and Time Rice's songs from the animated movie, including the Academy Award-winning "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," plus three new songs. 

Throughout the show — which follows young lion prince Simba as he comes to terms with the death of his father at the hands of his villainous Uncle Scar — audiences can admire elaborate and colorful set designs, including the massive Pride Rock, on full display during the "Circle of Life" opening scene. The show also features lifelike animal puppets, including 18-foot-tall giraffes and a 13-foot-long elephant.

The cast for the Philadelphia shows includes Peter Hargrave as Scar, Gerald Ramsey as Mufasa, Gugwana Dlamini as Rafiki, Nick Cordileone as Timon, John E. Brady as Pumbaa, Syndee Winters as Nala and Darian Sanders as Simba.

The cast also includes a few actors from the region: Nick LaMedica, who plays Zazu, is from Newark, Delaware. Ensemble member Eric Bean, Jr. is a graduate of the University of the Arts and ensemble member (and Simba understudy) Jeremy Noel is a Bucks County native.

"You kind of have to see it to believe it," Hargrave said of the production. "It's a celebration of family. And it's a celebration of language, movement. It's an unbelievable piece to be a part of, whether onstage or in the audience. So, just really looking forward to sharing that with everybody in Philadelphia."

'The Lion King'