The 25th anniversary called for a new message to spotlight the specific “Lion King” experience.ĭesimini and the Disney team, including director of marketing Lauren Daghini and senior manager of integrated planning Greg Josken, brainstormed and began an informal survey of “Lion King” experiences. When “The Lion King” returned, the main message (highlighted in a commercial spot narrated by Heather Headley, who originated the role of Nala - and later won a Tony Award for Disney’s “Aida”) was, of course, to come to “The Lion King” - but primarily to come back to Broadway. “That being said, we were very purposeful with what we put out there,” he added. Compared to non-milestone years, Desimini said Disney “didn’t spend a ton more anniversary year.” It’s been a consistent effort on Disney’s part over the show’s quarter-century run to ensure sales. Not only is “The Lion King” still running, it’s still a hit.īut tickets don’t sell themselves. 13, 2022, the show reached an average attendance of 97.2 percent and grossed over $2 million for half of those weeks (never dipping below a weekly total of $1.5 million and breaking the $4 million mark over the end-of-year holiday). In the 22 playing weeks since its anniversary on Nov.

The Broadway production of “The Lion King” has been grossing over $1 million weekly since reopening post-shutdown on Sept. “It felt very momentous - for ‘Lion King,’ for the Walt Disney Company, for, we hope, the state of Broadway - to try to have a really positive story out there about something that is beloved and has longevity.” “Combine that with coming out of the pandemic, the state of Broadway, where everything stood,” he continued.

People celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary … It just felt bigger to us.” “Twenty-five - for all its glory - it’s a big moment in time. “I can acknowledge it was definitely a much bigger push for 25,” said Angelo Desimini, vice president of marketing, publicity, sales and education for Disney Theatrical Group. And yet, as the 25th Broadway anniversary peeked over the horizon in November 2022, the campaign surrounding “The Lion King” took the marketing of the long-running musical to the next level. The team shared more behind-the-scenes details than ever before, threw a block party in Times Square and went big on an anniversary performance and afterparty - Elton John-live-onstage big. When “The Lion King” turned 20 (in 2017), Disney Theatrical Group celebrated.

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