Robb Sapp and Sam Linda, who had been playing the role of Ed in the Broadway and touring productions of The Lion King, respectively, switch productions this week.
Linda, who has played Ed on The Lion King North
American tour since 2024 and has previously performed at the Lyric
Opera of Chicago, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, and Drury Lane Theater, is making his Broadway debut as Ed starting June 9 at the Minskoff and continuing through September 6.
Sapp, who has played Ed in the Broadway production of The Lion King
since 2021 and has performed with the show’s Las Vegas sit-down
production and the North American tour, is playing three North American
tour engagements:
Aronoff Center in Cincinnati, June 10–July 5; Playhouse Square in
Cleveland (his hometown), July 8–August 16; and Place des Arts in
Montreal, August 19–September 6. Sapp’s other Broadway credits include Wicked and Shrek the Musical.
Conceiver, director, costume designer, and mask co-designer Julie
Taymor, the first woman to win a Tony for Best Director of a Musical,
remains actively involved in the show, launching new productions and
maintaining the flagship Broadway production. Composer Lebo M and
Tony-winning choreographer Garth Fagan hold their own records: With The Lion King at over 11,100 Main Stem performances, they are the longest-running Black composer and choreographer in Broadway history.
Many of the artists and craftspeople who launched the show remain an
integral part of it. Lindiwe Dlamini has performed in the musical since
its first pre-Broadway preview in Minneapolis summer 1997.
READ: Bonita J. Hamilton Has Played the Hyena Shenzi in Broadway’s The Lion King for 17 Years
The worldwide gross of The Lion King musical exceeds that of any film, Broadway show, or other entertainment title in box-office history.
The Lion King won six Tony Awards in 1998: Best Musical,
Best Scenic Design (Richard Hudson), Best Costume Design (Julie Taymor),
Best Lighting Design (Donald Holder), Best Choreography (Garth Fagan),
and Best Direction of a Musical. The international hit musical has also
earned more than 70 major arts awards, including the 1998 NY Drama
Critics Circle Award for Best Musical, the 1999 Grammy for Best Musical
Show Album, the 1999 Evening Standard Award for Theatrical Event of the
Year, and the 1999 Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Choreography and
Best Costume Design.
Visit the Playbill Store for The Lion King merchandise.
The Broadway score features Elton John and Tim Rice’s songs from The Lion King
animated film, along with three new songs by the pair. There’s also
additional musical material by Lebo M, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Julie
Taymor, and Hans Zimmer. It also inspired an album: Rhythm of the Pride Lands, written by Lebo M, Mark Mancina, and Hans Zimmer.
The book was adapted by Roger Allers, who co-directed the animated The Lion King feature, and Irene Mecchi, who co-wrote the film’s screenplay.
The stage production was originally produced by Peter Schneider and
Thomas Schumacher. Other members of the creative team include Michael
Curry (who designed the masks and puppets with Taymor), sound
designer Steve Canyon Kennedy, hair and makeup designer Michael Ward,
music supervisors David Kreppel and Sean Mayes, associate
director Anthony Lyn, associate choreographer Marey Griffith,
production supervisor Lisa Dawn Cave, general manager Thomas Schlenk,
associate music producer Robert Elhai, music coordinator Michael Keller,
orchestrators Robert Elhai and David Metzger, fight director Rick
Sordelet, and casting by ARC‘s Mark Brandon.
The musical is produced by Disney Theatrical Group, under the
direction of Andrew Flatt and Anne Quart.