In honor of The Lion King’s 20th anniversary on Broadway, Elton John pleasantly surprised nearly 1,700 guests with a performance (November 5th).
John, who co-wrote the music for the animated film and stage show, followed the musical’s curtain call with a performance of its opening song, “Circle of Life,” with the entire cast.
Since premiering on Broadway in November 1997, The Lion King has been staged in 24 global productions, won six Tony Awards, including Best Musical and earned almost $1.5 billion making it the highest-grossing stage show in history. As if that wasn’t enough, the show also holds the title of Broadway’s third longest-running show, with more than 8,310 performances.
The story is also getting new life on the big screen, which features a starry cast that includes Donald Glover and Beyoncé. The film is slated for a July 19, 2019, release.
NEW: @Disney announces the cast for the live-action #LionKing movie, releasing in 2019; includes @Beyonce, @donaldglover and more pic.twitter.com/828RIV4HCu
— Good Morning America (@GMA) November 1, 2017