The Lion King at Cadillac Palace Theatre

The musical Lion King tells the story of the life of the little lion cub Simba, who before his time has no choice but to face his fate of becoming the leader of the Pride Lands due to the unexpected death of his father, Mufasa. Mufasa, who is a supported King by the people of the territory he rules, faces immense jealousy from Scar, Simba’s uncle, which leaves Simba without a father. This forces Simba into to escape for years on end, and where the Prince's long journey and his eventual return to The Pride Lands and his seat on the throne.

Based off the late 1994 film of the same name released by Disney, The play, The Lion King was skillfully transformed to the theater platform by director Julie Taymor and the stunning ensemble and creative team. Its launch in 1997 was a fresh addition to theater, being a multi-awarded debut. Greg Evans of Variety elaborates on The Lion King with unequivocal opinions in his article, stating that “Julie Taymor's approach of Disney's The Lion King is a marvel, a assured box office hit unquestionable in its creativity, uniqueness, and vigor. Leaping far beyond its celluloid inspiration, the live adaptation enhances on each and every component of the classic 1994 cartoon film, from design elements and narrative to Lebo M's score and the newly Africanized original numbers of Elton John and Tim Rice."

The ongoing musical was also received with the ultimate reviews from fans. A post in particular makes mention of how The Lion King can accurately be considered “The musical that beats them all”, expressing how he experienced that “the show was fantastic. It was full of color and the song and dance acts were phenomenal. The African savanna setting really carried the animals to life.” Most audiences who have watched the performances over the past 20 years agree that despite being a second retelling of a movie, the iconic musical went above and beyond the original.

The upcoming October’s season of Disney's The Lion King will be performing in Cadillac Palace at Illinois on Sunday 5th October 2025. Cadillac Palace, being just as profound and energetic as the musical with its beautifully devised stage setup and seating arrangement is pointed to by theatergoers as the ideal option to host The Lion King.