The Lion King at Cadillac Palace Theatre

The Lion King follows the fate of the young lion cub Simba, who before long has no choice but to come to terms with his role of leading as the leader of the Pride Lands due to the unexpected death of his father, Mufasa. Mufasa, who is a supported leader by all of the territory he rules, gets stabbed in the back by from Scar, Simba’s uncle, which ends in his murder. This forces the lion cub into into hiding for a long period of time, and jumpstarts the Prince's long journey and his subsequent homecoming to The Pride Lands and his seat on the throne.

Inspired by the late 1994 film of the the very same title created by Disney, The Lion King musical was accurately translated to the Broadway medium by director Julie Taymor and the unforgettable ensemble and creative team. Its debut in 1997 was the first of its kind, being lauded by fans at the time. Greg Evans of Variety summarizes the musical with very positive words in his article, stating that “Julie Taymor's approach of Disney's The Lion King is a phenomenon, a theatrical achievement unrivaled in its creativity, uniqueness, and vigor. As courageous and daring as Simba himself, the Broadway adaptation improves upon each and every component of the previous 1994 cartoon movie, from visual artistry and narrative to Lebo M's compositions and the beautifully Africanized pop songs of Elton John and Tim Rice."

The stage adaptation was also received with the premier commendations from audiences. One in reference makes mention of how The Lion King can aptly be considered “The musical that beats them all”, sharing how he perceived that “the show was exceptional. It was visually stunning and the score makes you feel all kinds of emotion. The African savanna setting really brought the animals to life.” Most viewers who have seen the musical over the previous 20 years can attest that despite being an adaptation of a film, Disney's The Lion King went above and beyond the original.

The upcoming October’s run of Disney's The Lion King will be performing in Cadillac Palace at Illinois on Thursday 16th October 2025. Cadillac Palace, being equally alive and creative as the musical with its naturally planned stage setup and seating arrangement is considered by theatergoers as the perfect choice to host The Lion King.