GREENVILLE – Disney’s “The Lion King JR.” is playing at St. Clair Memorial Hall starting on Feb. 8 and Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. for both shows.
The 60-minute musical, designed for middle-school aged performers, is based on the Broadway production directed by Julie Taymor and the 1994 Disney film. The The Greenville Middle School Theater Workshop cast contains approximately 25 students led by Director Kari Lemon
“The students started working on the production in November and have been working every day after school to prepare for these performances,” Lemon, who is in her fourth year directing the group, said.
“The Lion King JR.” tells the story of the epic adventures of a curious cub named Simba as he struggles to accept the responsibilities of adulthood and his destiny as king. Along the way, the young lion encounters a colorful cast of characters including spunky lioness Nala, charismatic meerkat Timon and loveable warthog Pumbaa. To claim his rightful place on the throne and save his beloved Pridelands, Simba must find his inner strength and confront his wicked Uncle Scar.
“The Lion King JR.” features classic songs from the 1994 film such as “Hakuna Matata” and the Academy Award-winning “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” as well as additional songs penned for the Broadway production.
For more information about licensing “The Lion King JR.” or other Disney shows, visit www.DisneyMusicals.com.
Greenville Junior High Theatre Workshop was founded by Grace Kensinger and Marty Davis in 1985. This is the 34th production by the group. The workshop organization is made up of students in the fifth through eighth grades attending Greenville Middle School, St. Mary’s Catholic School and DeColores Montessori in Greenville.
Disney Theatrical Group operates under the direction of Thomas Schumacher and is among the world’s most successful commercial theater enterprises, bringing live entertainment events to a global annual audience of more than 19 million people in more than 50 countries.
Under the Disney Theatrical Productions banner, the group produces and licenses Broadway musicals around the world, including “Beauty and the Beast;” “The Lion King;” Elton John and Tim Rice’s “Aida;” “TARZAN;” “Mary Poppins,” a co-production with Cameron Mackintosh; “The Little Mermaid;” “Newsies;” “Peter and the Starcatcher” and “Aladdin.” Other successful stage musical ventures have included “King David” in concert, the national tour of “On the Record,” several touring versions of Disney’s “High School Musical” and “Der Glöckner Von Notre Dame” in Berlin.
Disney Theatrical Group also delivers live shows globally through its license to Feld Entertainment, producer of “Disney on Ice” and “Disney Live!” For more than 30 years, “Disney on Ice” and “Disney Live!” have brought beloved Disney stories and characters annually to more than 12 million guests in nearly 50 countries worldwide through productions such as “Toy Story 3,” “Dare to Dream,” “Rockin’ Ever After” and “Disney Junior Live on Tour! Pirate & Princess Adventure.” In addition, DTG licenses musical titles for local, school and community theater productions through Music Theatre International.
Music Theatre International (www.mtishows.com) is one of the world’s leading dramatic licensing agencies, granting schools as well as amateur and professional theaters from around the world the rights to perform the largest selection of musicals from Broadway and beyond. MTI works directly with the composers, lyricists and book writers of these shows to provide official scripts, musical materials and theatrical resources to more than 60,000 theatrical organizations in the United States and in more than 60 countries worldwide.
MTI is particularly dedicated to the idea of theater as education and has created special collections for younger performers. The MTI Broadway Junior Collection includes JR. titles, 60-minute musicals for performance by middle school children, and KIDS titles, 30-minute musicals for performance by elementary school children. MTI School Editions are musicals that have been annotated for performance by high school students, and the Theatre For Young Audiences Collection are 70-minute musicals designed for adults to perform for children.
