The Lion King at Keller Auditorium

Disney’s The Lion King tells the story of the struggles of the young lion cub Simba, who before his time is forced to face his fate of becoming the King of the Pride Lands due to the unexpected death of his father, Mufasa. Mufasa, who is a supported leader by the people of the territory he rules, faces immense jealousy from Scar, Simba’s uncle, which leads to his death. This forces the lion cub into to escape for years, and where the Prince's coming-of-age story and his subsequent return to The Pride Lands and his rightful place as King.

Based off the late 1994 motion picture of the same name released by Disney, The Lion King was accurately translated to the Broadway medium by director Julie Taymor and the second to none ensemble and production crew. Its premiere in the 90s was a testament to its success, being lauded by fans at the time. Greg Evans of Variety summarizes the Broadway premiere with unequivocal opinions in his article, mentioning that “Julie Taymor's direction of this classic musical is a marvel, a assured box office hit unrivaled in its beauty, brains and ingenuity. As courageous and daring as Simba himself, the stage version greatly upgrades each and every component of the hit 90s animated motion picture, from design elements and plot to Lebo M's compositions and the newly Africanized pop numbers of Elton John and Tim Rice."

The ongoing musical was also met with the best commendations from fans. One in reference points to how The Lion King can accurately be called “The best Broadway has to offer”, expressing how he felt that “the show was spectacular. It was visually stunning and the song and dance acts were phenomenal. The costumes and masks really carried the animals to life.” Most audiences who have seen the musical over the previous 20 years can attest that despite being an adaptation of a motion picture, Disney's The Lion King went above and beyond the original.

This coming September’s season of The Lion King will be found in Keller Auditorium at Oregon on Sunday 21st September 2025. Keller Auditorium, being similarly alive and creative as the musical with its naturally planned interior and exterior architecture is pointed to by locals as the ideal choice to host this acclaimed musical.