‘The Lion King’ to come to Sarasota in 2018-19

One of the most popular musicals of all time is heading to Sarasota.

It’s heading here slowly, though. Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall announced Friday that “The Lion King” will be part of the hall’s 2018-19 season. The exact dates have not been announced, which means it could be more than two and a half years away.

It’s still exciting news, though. Van Wezel traditionally doesn’t draw a lot of the elite Broadway tours. But the number of such shows that come to Van Wezel has significantly increased in recent years, and officials have said they’re continuing to beef up their Broadway offerings.

You can probably count on “The Lion King” staying in town for at least a week once it gets here. Its most recent run in Tampa, its third, played to packed houses for three weeks.

The musical debuted in 1997, and it’s still running. It’s the third-longest-running show in Broadway history behind “Chicago” and “The Phantom of the Opera,” both of which also are still running.

The show has great songs by Elton John and Tim Rice, including “Circle of Life,” “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” and “Hakuna Matata.” But it’s just as well known for its visual elements. including large puppets, spectacular costumes and a compelling story adapted from the 1994 Disney movie.

This story was originally published September 30, 2016 at 12:22 PM with the headline "‘The Lion King’ to come to Sarasota in 2018-19."