‘Lion King’ Returning To Sydney

After a 2003 to 2005 run to 1.35 million fans and a $120 million box office gross, Disney’s “The Lion King” is returning to Sydney’s Capitol Theatre.

This run, which begins December 2013, is scheduled for eight months, with an estimated draw of 500,000 patrons.

“It is logical that we can go to other cities,” Disney Theatrical’s New York-based president Thomas Schumacher said via satellite at its announcement in Sydney. “But the plan is not fixed yet.”

Another Disney production will open in Sydney before then, he said.

Disney Theatrical’s run at the Capitol last year drew 500,000 with a 93 percent capacity during its season.

Minister of Tourism, Major Events and Arts, George Souris, revealed that 11 percent of the show’s patrons came from interstate or Australia, and pumped $20 million into the New South Wales economy.

In 2013, musicals set to hit Sydney include “The Addams Family” and “Baz Luhrmann’s Strictly Ballroom The Musical” while Melbourne will host “King Kong” and “Ghost – The Musical.”