'Lion' meets Fox: Disney classic takes over iconic Atlanta venue

ATLANTA - More than 100 million people around the world have already experienced the magic of Broadway’s "The Lion King." And if you’re not one of them, don’t worry — Simba and his pals are back in Atlanta for an extended stay!

The current national tour of "The Lion King" opened at Atlanta’s The Fox Theatre last week and runs through Oct. 20, bringing the story, songs, and characters from the 1994 Disney film of the same name to the stage. Speaking of the original film, this year marks the 30th anniversary of Disney’s The Lion King opening in theaters — yes, it’s really been three decades — and in the years since, it’s become one of the company’s most revered properties, winning a pair of Academy Awards and spawning sequels and a CGI remake.

But the stage adaptation — which opened on Broadway in 1997 under the direction of Julie Taymor — has become an entity unto itself, thanks to its innovative use of masks, puppets, and costumes. And this morning on Good Day Atlanta, we got the exclusive opportunity to go backstage and handle some of those masks and puppets, getting a very cool look at how the stage magic is created. We also went down into the orchestra pit and met with flutist Darlene Drew, who’s been touring with the show for almost 20 years and plays a dozen styles of the instrument during performance.

To check out our morning at The Fox Theatre, click the video player in this article. And click here for showtimes and ticket information.