“The Lion King” has announced that longtime cast member Mduduzi Madela will assume the role of Simba, starting on Feb. 24. Vincent Jamal Hooper played his final performance as Simba on Feb. 4.
Madela has been in the ensemble of the Broadway company covering Simba since 2013. Prior to that, he was a member of “Lion King” casts in Paris, Las Vegas, the Netherlands and on the musical’s U.K. tour.
Born and raised in Umlazi, South Africa, Madela is one of only two South Africans who’ve played the role of Simba on Broadway.
Based on the 1994 Disney animated film of the same name, “The Lion King” features a book by Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi, music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice, with additional musical material by Lebo M, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Julie Taymor and Hans Zimmer. The show opened on Broadway on Nov. 13, 1997, at the New Amsterdam Theatre, and transferred to its current home, the Minskoff, in 2006. The musical was nominated for 11 Tony Awards and won six, including Best Musical and one for Julie Taymor for her direction.
“The Lion King” is produced by Disney Theatrical Group, under the leadership of Andrew Flatt and Anne Quart.
