Last chance to catch The Lion King at Mandalay Bay!

After more than two-and-a-half years on The Strip, Disney’s THE LION KING at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino will play its final performance in Las Vegas Friday, Dec. 30, 2011. Apart from the Broadway production, this marks the longest run of the show in any U.S. city. Locals and tourists do not want to miss the final chance to see the smash hit named “Best Show” in the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s “Best of Las Vegas” awards.

Over the course of its long run, THE LION KING company, individually and as a cast, became a part of the fabric of Las Vegas to an extraordinary degree:

·         In honor of its 1,000th performance Nov. 3, 2011, THE LION KING invited 1,000 students and teachers from Walter V. Long Elementary School to experience the show. Fifth grade student Daniel Hernandez submitted the winning essay to Clark County School District’s contest “Why My School Should See THE LION KING,” earning his school the tickets. The students and teachers learned they were the winners when cast members from THE LION KING surprised them with a heartwarming in-school assembly, which can be viewed here.

·         THE LION KING welcomed its one-millionth guest May 21, 2011. The Welch family of Las Vegas took home the honor, and their prize package included an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City where they enjoyed Disney’s Mary Poppins and THE LION KING on Broadway. Before jetting off to the Big Apple, the family celebrated with a relaxing two-night staycation at Mandalay Bay in a luxurious suite.

·         THE LION KING supported multiple philanthropic organizations and events in the Las Vegas community including the Broadway in the Hood, Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Nevada, Nevada Public Radio, Ronald McDonald House of Greater Las Vegas, Vegas PBS, Three Square Food Bank, Clark County School District and Aid for AIDS Nevada, among others.

·         In July 2010, cast member Michael Hollick ran out of the Mandalay Bay Theatre in full Scar makeup and raced to the hospital for the unexpected early birth of his son. Hollick welcomed his son into the world looking like the show’s villain.

·         THE LION KING trumpeted the Las Vegas Strip with multiple national appearances including performances on “Dancing With the Stars,” “Live with Regis and Kelly” and the 2010 Daytime Emmy Awards.

When THE LION KING at Mandalay Bay ends…

·         The cast will have performed a total of 1,078 performances.

·         1.4 million guests will have seen the show.

·         The cast will have participated in 2,000 rehearsals.

·         Makeup will have gone through 34,000 makeup remover wipes.

·         Scar will have spent more than 800 hours in the makeup chair.

·         Wardrobe will have spent 500 hours fitting cast members.

·         17,000 hours will have been spent in the puppet workshop repairing and maintaining puppets.

·         Rafiki will have climbed Pride Rock more than 2,000 times and walked nearly 6,400 miles up and down since the first show.

·         Timon and Pumbaa will have said Hakuna Matata more than 38,000 times.

·         Several of the cast members will have brought eight of their own “cubs” into the world, whose photo can be viewed here.

About THE LION KING

Mandalay Bay’s production of THE LION KING is virtually identical to the other companies seen around the globe and is staged with all of the same spectacular music, sets, and costumes that have made it a worldwide phenomenon. Over 60 million people have come to discover the wonder, majesty and truly one-of-a-kind experience of THE LION KING. The critically acclaimed production continues to reign as a landmark musical event, winning audiences over with extraordinary musical score, breathtaking costumes and a heartfelt story, while earning record-breaking numbers at the Mandalay Bay Theatre. The show is performed Monday through Thursday at 7:30 p.m. with Saturday and Sunday shows at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.  THE LION KING Las Vegas will perform its final show Dec. 30, 2011. For additional information, visit www.lionkinglasvegas.com.