The Circle of Life on Broadway is rarely as kind as it has been to The Lion King, which will celebrates an incredible 20 years of continuous performances since opening on Nov. 13, 1997.
In honor of this milestone, the show has a gift for its fans: all of the tickets to one special performance are being given away absolutely free.
The commemorative show will take place Wednesday, Nov. 15, at 8 p.m., and every seat in the Minskoff Theatre will be filled by very lucky lottery winners.
For a chance at getting those tickets, you must be 18 or older to sign up in person for the drawing, which will be held at these locations in all five boroughs on Sunday, Nov. 12:
The Minskoff Theatre, 200 W. 45th St. (10 a.m.-6 p.m.)
Brooklyn Public Library Central Branch, 10 Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn (1-5 p.m.)
Queens Central Library, 89-11 Merrick Blvd, Jamaica (12-4:30 p.m.)
Bronx Library Center, 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd, Bronx (12-6 p.m.)
Inwood Library, 4790 Broadway, Inwood (1-5 p.m.)
Todt Hill-Westerleigh Library, 2550 Victory Blvd., Staten Island (1-5 p.m.)
Entries are limited to one per person, and winners will be notified on Monday, Nov. 13 via email. The lottery will be held by Broadway Direct, the online service that holds daily drawings for tickets priced at $30-$40 to some of the most popular productions.
The day of the lottery will double as a celebration in front of the Minskoff Theatre, on the plaza between 45th and 46th streets in Times Square. In addition to entering the lottery, fans of The Lion King can take part in their of Circle of Life photo op on Pride Rock, get autographs and photos with current cast members, participate in a drumb circle and see the production’s Tony Award-winning masks and puppets up close.
Since premiering on Broadway, The Lion King has spawned 24 productions all over the world, from Madrid to Tokyo, performed in eight different languages.
“Though it’s been seen around the world, The Lion King was born in New York City — from the studio in the Flatiron district where we rehearsed, to the Bronx shop where its sets were built, to its Broadway home in the heart of Times Square,” said Thomas Schumacher, president and producer of Disney Theatrical Productions.
“This free performance is our chance to thank New York City for 20 years of loving support, and we hope audiences who could otherwise not experience Julie Taymor’s glorious vision will join us to toast the show born here in their hometown.”
