The Lion King (musical) the record previously held by "The Phantom of the Opera". "The Lion King" musical has grossed nearly as of 2017. As the sun rises, Rafiki the mandrill calls the animals to Pride Rock. She greets King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi before presenting their cub to the gathered animals ("Circle of Life"). Elsewhere, Mufasa's brother, Scar, laments his lost chance at becoming King. Back at her baobab tree, Rafiki paints an image of the cub and asks the spirits to conjure the new prince's name: Simba. Time passes and Simba grows into a lively young cub ("Grasslands Chant"). Mufasa shows Simba
Simba by the character Bambi from Disney's "Bambi" (1942), as well as the stories of Moses and Joseph from the Bible. Additionally, several similarities have been drawn between Simba and Prince Hamlet from William Shakespeare's "Hamlet." In 1997, "The Lion King" was adapted into a Broadway musical, with actors Scott Irby-Ranniar and Jason Raize originating the roles of the cub and adult Simbas, respectively. "Simba" is a Swahili word for "lion". It also has other definitions, such as "king". The idea for "The Lion King" originated from Disney chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg in 1989 and was originally conceived under the title "King