Disney’s THE LION KING continues to reign across North America with a sold-out engagement in Seattle, which concluded on Sunday, April 6 at The Paramount Theatre. The triumphant four-week return grossed more than $6.7 million at the box office and entertained more than 90,000 patrons during 32 performances. The award-winning musical returned to Seattle following a seven-week sold-out premiere in 2005 and a successful five-week return in 2009 at The Paramount Theatre.
It is estimated that the Seattle engagement of THE LION KING generated a $21 million economic benefit to the city from travel, hotels, restaurants, parking and other businesses patronized by both theatergoers and production staff. This figure is based upon a Touring Broadway League report which found that, on average, Broadway tours contribute an economic impact 3.27 times the gross ticket sales to the local metropolitan area’s economy.
Josh LaBelle, Executive Director of Seattle Theatre Group (STG), owner/operators of The Paramount Theatre, noted, “Seattle often uses the phrase ‘art means business’ and this is an extraordinary example of just how much business the arts generate. Not only do these numbers represent spending that stimulates the local economy, but it also represents jobs for people representing every imaginable area in the arts – from technicians to stagehands and beyond. It is also rewarding to note that while the economic indicators are strong, the outreach and community engagement STG was able to offer, conducted by members of THE LION KING company during their four weeks in Seattle, made a significant deposit into arts education for our kids.”
“It is sincerely gratifying to see that the response to this theatrical phenomenon is just as strong as when it first premiered in Seattle nearly 10 years ago,” said Jack Eldon, Vice President, Domestic, Disney Theatrical Productions. “We thank the Seattle community, who have always embraced THE LION KING so warmly, for another incredible engagement and we look forward to returning to the Pacific Northwest in the near future.”
The North American touring productions of THE LION KING have been seen by more than 15 million theatergoers and grossed in excess of $1 billion to date. After 12 years on the road, THE LION KING continues to play to standing room only houses throughout North America. The current schedule is listed below.