Julie Taymor to Oversee Spanish Language The Lion King in Madrid

Tony Award winner Julie Taymor will oversee a Spanish language production of The Lion King, which will begin performances on October 21 to run at the Lope de Vega Theatre in Madrid, according to a report on the website for the U.K. magazine The Stage.

Taymor won Tony Awards for her direction and costumes of The Lion King, and most recently served as director and co-book writer for the Broadway production, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.

Based on the 1994 Disney animated film, the stage musical features Elton John and Tim Rice’s music from the film along with three new songs by John and Rice; additional musical material by Lebo M, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Taymor and Hans Zimmer; and music from “Rhythm of the Pride Lands,” an album inspired by the original music in the film, written by Lebo M, Mark Mancina and Hans Zimmer.

In related news, it has been announced that Shrek the Musical will also be seen in Madrid later this year. Tomas Padilla will direct the show, which is scheduled to begin performances on September 21 at the Nuevo Apolo Theatre.