Lion King extends Mandalay Bay Theatre, Las Vegas through December 30, 2011
Lion King has extended its engagement at Mandalay Bay Theatre by 14 months through December 30, 2011
Already seen by nearly 800,000 people to date, the production named “Best Show” in the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s annual “Best of Las Vegas” awards will have played 31 smash months and over 1000 performances at the conclusion of its run. Apart from the still-running Broadway production, this marks the longest run of the show in any US city, eclipsing even the record-breaking 27 month Los Angeles engagement, which concluded in 2003.
The Lion King immediately established itself as one of the most critically-acclaimed productions in the history of Las Vegas when it opened in May 2009. Las Vegas Magazine, noting that it has raised the cultural bar on The Strip, declared it, “the pride of Las Vegas…The Lion King transcends cultural boundaries and the limits of the imagination.” The Las Vegas Review-Journal hailed the production as “innovative and gorgeous” while a follow up review declared it, “the best New York import I’ve seen on The Strip.” The Las Vegas Sun raved, “a dazzling dramatic enterprise and an emotionally gripping triumph” while CityLife called it simply, “flat-out brilliant.”
Lion King broke the Mandalay Bay box office record just weeks after it opened and went on to break its own record four more times. The extension allows Disney and Mandalay Bay to meet continued ticket demand for the next 14 months while allowing elements of the physical production to be committed to upcoming new productions of the show. 2011 engagements include stands in Montreal, Toronto and Providence, RI.
