GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — "The Lion King" ran for two weeks from Nov. 20 to Dec. 1 at DeVos Performance Hall, and it was a hit.
The musical grossed more than $2.9 million and entertained more than 35,000 theatergoers, breaking the box office sales record for a two-week touring Broadway engagement in Grand Rapids.
It's estimated the Grand Rapids engagement of "The Lion King" generated an economic benefit of more than $9 million to the city from travel, hotels, restaurants, parking and other businesses used by viewers and production staff.
That number is based on a Touring Broadway League report which found that, on average, Broadway tours contribute an economic impact 3.21 times the gross ticket sales to the local metropolitan area's economy.
"'The Lion King' was a magical experience,” said Mike Lloyd, Executive Director for Broadway Grand Rapids. “The Grand Rapids premiere of this wonderful Disney production started our holiday season with warmth and excitement. The theater was packed for every performance. Our audiences were enthralled, mesmerized by the music, the voices, and imaginative staging — like nothing they had ever seen before. Everyone felt the love.”
The North American touring productions of "The Lion King" have been seen by more than 20 million people in more than 80 cities throughout North America.
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