Mary Poppins Flies into New Amsterdam in 2006; Lion King on the Move

The musical version of Mary Poppins, currently running at London's Prince Edward Theatre, is coming to Broadway next fall. The show will begin performances at the New Amsterdam Theatre on October 14, 2006 in preparation for a November 16, 2006 opening, displacing the New Amsterdam's current tenant, The Lion King. That hit tuner will end its run at the New Amsterdam on June 4, 2006 and transfer to the Minskoff Theatre, where it will start on June 13, 2006.

"We are delighted to be able to bring Mary Poppins to Broadway and continue our successful partnership with Cameron Mackintosh. After the enormous success of the show in London, I'm looking forward to these two great production companies working together for years to come," Disney Theatrical Productions President Thomas Schumacher said in a statement. "I'm happy that the New Amsterdam will be the venue where Broadway will be introduced to the residents of 17 Cherry Tree Lane, and I am eager to see The Lion King play its first performance at its new home: the Minskoff Theatre."

Based on the Stories of P.L. Travers and the Walt Disney film of the same name, Mary Poppins centers on the title character, a nanny who changes the lives of a no-nonsense banker and his two mischievous children. The show features songs from the film by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, new songs by George Stiles and Anthomy Drewe and a book by Julian Fellowes. Richard Eyre and Matthew Bourne direct. Mary Poppins, which opened in the West End on December 15, 2004, was short-listed for the Best Musical Evening Standard Award today. The production received two Olivier Awards: one for Best Actress in a Musical Laura Michelle Kelly and the other for Best Theatre Choreographer Bourne and Stephen Mear.

Based on the 1994 film of the same name, The Lion King opened at the New Amsterdam on November 13, 1997. The winner of six 1998 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, the show tells the story of a young lion cub named Simba who struggles to accept the responsibilities of adulthood and his destined role as king. The show, directed by Julie Taymor, continues to pack audiences in on Broadway--last week it made $1,059,532. The move means that it will now be in a smaller house--the New Amsterdam has over 100 seats more than the Minskoff currently does.

The Minskoff will undergo custom renovations to accommodate The Lion King. The theater's current tenant, Fiddler on the Roof, will end its run there on January 8.