"Circle of Life," "Hakuna Matata," "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" — these songs not only soundtracked the Disney animated classic The Lion King but also the childhoods of an entire generation. And in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the beloved 1994 Disney flick — which won Oscars for Hans Zimmer's score and Elton John's ballad "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" — you can tune into The Lion King at the Hollywood Bowl, a live-to-film concert special that is hitting the Disney Plus platform today, Friday, February 7.
Filmed at the legendary Los Angeles amphitheater last May, the immersive musical experience saw the Hollywood Bowl get theatrically transformed into the Pride Lands, with "a 70-person orchestra, a troupe of skillful dancers, state-of-the-art projection mapping images, and the Broadway show’s award-winning costumes and puppetry giving viewers across the globe a front row seat to the unprecedented musical extravaganza celebrating the world of The Lion King," per Disney.
Among the live performances are a spirited reunion of the original voice cast from the 1994 film, including Jeremy Irons (who memorably played Scar), Nathan Lane (Timon), Jason Weaver (Simba), Ernie Sabella (Pumbaa) and Lebo M, the Grammy-winning South African composer behind The Lion King's iconic opening Zulu chant. (He also helped score the Broadway show and the recent prequel film Mufasa: The Lion King.)
Those O.G. performers will be joined by cast members of the Tony-winning Broadway musical of the same name, including Heather Headley and Bradley Gibson, as well as Billy Eicher from the 2019 live-action The Lion King remake. Special guests North West and EGOT winner Jennifer Hudson will also take the stage for musical numbers, with the latter lending her powerhouse voice to Disney classics like "Circle of Life" and "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?"
To tune into The Lion King at the Hollywood Bowl concert special from the comfort of your own home, you're going to need access to Disney Plus. Current subscription plans to the streaming service include the ad-supported Disney+ Basic option for $9.99 per month, or the commercial-free Disney+ Premium for $15.99 per month or $159.99 per year.
Check out the official trailer for The Lion King at the Hollywood Bowl before tuning into the joyous musical celebration today on Disney Plus.
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