Roncalli Middle School to perform Disney’s The Lion King JR.

Disney’s The Lion King JR. is playing at Roncalli High School starting on Friday, Feb. 28 at 6 p.m. Performances also will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday, March 1 and at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 2. The 60-minute musical is designed for middle-school aged performers and based on the Broadway production directed by Julie Taymor and the 1994 Disney film. The Roncalli Middle School cast contains more than 60 students.

“Students are excited to perform The Lion King JR.,” said Dan Berres, Roncalli Middle School choir director. “Drawing on the rich historical traditions of the South African people, this musical provides a unique challenge as many of the songs include lyrics from the languages of Xhosa, Zulu and Swahili. Singing in another language while trying to convey the story is difficult, but the students are doing an excellent job!”

The Lion King JR. tells the story of the epic adventures of a curious cub named Simba as he struggles to accept the responsibilities of adulthood and his destiny as king. Along the way, the young lion encounters a colorful cast of characters including spunky lioness Nala, charismatic meerkat Timon, and loveable warthog Pumbaa. To claim his rightful place on the throne and save his beloved Pridelands, Simba must find his inner strength and confront his wicked Uncle Scar. The Lion King JR. features classic songs from the 1994 film such as “Hakuna Matata” and the Academy Award^®-winning “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” as well as additional songs penned for the Broadway production.

All performances of Disney’s The Lion King JR. will be held in the Zimmer Auditorium at Roncalli High School, 2000 Mirro Drive in Manitowoc and are open to the public. Admission is $5. Seating is general admission. 

For more information about licensing The Lion King JR. or other Disney shows, please visit www.DisneyMusicals.com.

Disney Theatrical Group (DTG) operates under the direction of Thomas Schumacher and is among the world’s most successful commercial theater enterprises, bringing live entertainment events to a global annual audience of more than 19 million people in more than 50 countries. Under the Disney Theatrical Productions banner, the group produces and licenses Broadway musicals around the world, including Beauty and the Beast; The Lion King; Elton John & Tim Rice’s Aida; TARZAN®; Mary Poppins, a co-production with Cameron Mackintosh; The Little Mermaid; Newsies; Peter and the Starcatcher; and Aladdin. Other successful stage musical ventures have included King David in concert, the national tour of On the Record, several touring versions of Disney’s High School Musical, and Der Glöckner Von Notre Dame in Berlin. 

Disney Theatrical Group also delivers live shows globally through its license to Feld Entertainment, producer of Disney on Ice and Disney Live! For over 30 years, Disney on Ice and Disney Live! have brought beloved Disney stories and characters annually to over 12 million guests in nearly 50 countries worldwide through productions such as Toy Story 3, Dare to Dream, Rockin’ Ever After, and Disney Junior Live on Tour! Pirate & Princess Adventure. In addition, DTG licenses musical titles for local, school, and community theater productions through Music Theatre International.

Music Theatre International (MTI) www.mtishows.com, is one of the world's leading dramatic licensing agencies, granting schools as well as amateur and professional theaters from around the world the rights to perform the largest selection of great musicals from Broadway and beyond. MTI works directly with the composers, lyricists, and book writers of these shows to provide official scripts, musical materials, and dynamic theatrical resources to over 60,000 theatrical organizations in the U.S. and in over 60 countries worldwide.

MTI is particularly dedicated to the idea of theater as education and has created special collections for younger performers. The MTI Broadway Junior Collection® includes JR. titles, 60-minute musicals for performance by middle school children; and KIDS titles, 30-minute musicals for performance by elementary school children.  MTI School Editions™ are musicals that have been annotated for performance by high school students, and the Theatre For Young Audiences (TYA) Collection are 70-minute musicals designed for adults to perform for children.