Based off of the 1994 Disney Movie, The Lion King, this theatrical version adds song and dance to attract the audience. The costumes are lifelike and makes one do a double take to see if they are not in fact real animals. The first production opened in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1997. Because of its fame, this production has opened in worldwide cities such as London, Toronto and Seoul.

The opening act begins with Rafiki calling all the animals to Pride Rock. They are coming to celebrate the birth of the newborn cub, Simba. King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi, are proud to show their friends their new born son. During the celebration the famous song, The Circle of Life, is played. This is also when the audience gets a first glimpse of Scar, the evil and jealous brother of King Mufasa.

Simba is aged and the King takes him to the top of pride rock and tells him to never leave the safety of the Pride area. Simba and his best friend Nala do not heed the King?s warning and head to the forbidden area of the elephant grave yard. This is where the audience gets a first glimpse of the three hyenas, Shenzi, Banzai and Ed. While the hyenas have intentions on having them for lunch, King Mufasa shows up just in time. King Mufasa becomes involved through trickery from his brother and ends at the bottom of the cliff, to his demise. The crowd witness the fall of the great King Mufasa at the hand of his brother and the deceptive performance that Scar gives, in hopes of being king. Not only does Scar reveal that King Mufasa is deceased but also Simba, thus allowing him to become King.

By the end of the production, Simba takes his rightful spot on the throne. The show down between Simba and Scar is enthralling. Simba has the change to once and for all get revenge for his father?s death. Instead, Simba allows Scar to escape, unharmed, but instructs him never to return again.

With the life-sized puppets, exotic headpieces and colorful costumes, it is not wonder this is a favorite of both young and old.

Les Mis, as the musical is affectionately known, is set in the 19th century and follows the lives of many as they struggle with revolution. The story begins in 1895 with a look into the life of Jean Valjean a prisoner in a hard labor camp. He is being released after serving 19 years in prison (a five-year term for stealing bread for his starving sister, and then subsequent time for trying to escape). Jean is taken in by a the Bishop of Digne. When Valjean is caught stealing the Bishop’s silverware, the Bishop sticks up for Valjean and urges him to become a reformed man. Valjean, knowing he would not be able to live a good life on parole, breaks away.

Eight years later Valjean is assuming a new identity and is a wealthy factory owner and mayor. Known as Monsieur Madeleine he meets a factory worker. Fantine is caught sending money to her illegitimate child and gets into a fight with the other factory workers. Valjean orders the factory foreman to take care of the problem. The foreman then fires Fantine. She then sells a lock of her hair and becomes a prostitute to survive. She is being beaten by one of her customers, when she is arrested by Javert. The mayor urges for her release and she is brought to the hospital.

Valjean then discovers that someone else is being arrested because they believe it is him, so he turns himself in. Before going to prison he visits a dying Fantine in the hospital and vows to find her daughter Cosette. When he is being arrested he asks for three more days to find the daughter, but not believing his intentions are true, he needs to escape. Valjean then finds Cosette, where we learn that she has been abused, and pays the inn keepers for her.

The next act is seven years later and Cosette is an adult and in love with Marius, a revolutionist. A fight breaks out and Valjean saves Marius life. Marius and Cosette marry and Valjean prepares for his death.

Numerous musicians have had jukebox musicals made for them and one of the more successful that have been made is ‘We Will Rock You Musical.’ It is a musical based on the songs of the band Queen, as they were one of the more famous rock bands in the past.
‘We Will Rock You’ has been shown all over the world to different live audiences and the fans really love the show. The musical has its own wonderful story that make fans love it more.

The story takes place in a world where rock n’ roll is dead. Earth is called ‘Planet Mall’ and the people are forced to join the mainstream. Globalsoft Corporation is in control of Planet Mall and their leader is Killer Queen.

The story starts out with the main character, Galileo, hearing things in his head. The things he hears are songs of the past and this keeps him from joining the Ga Ga Kids in mainstream conformity. After his refusal to be like the other kids, he is captured by Khashoggi who is the head of police.

After being captured, he meets a girl who is just like him, a girl who refuses mainstream conformity. In the story, there is a prophecy that rock n’ roll would come back with the help of hidden musical instruments. Killer Queen does everything she can to prevent this from happening by killing all Bohemians– the people who believe in the prophecy.

After doing so, she celebrates with the belief that the prophecy is not coming true. Galileo names the girl Scaramouche and went on to search for the musical instruments after escaping the police.

When the instrument was found, the Killer Queen and Globalsoft Corporation was defeated by the musical instrument when it was played to the entire Planet Mall.

Blood Brothers: The Musical is the tale of the Mickey and Eddie Johnstone, fraternal twin brothers who have been separated at birth and against all chance manage to reunite during childhood and become best friends while at the same time not realizing that they are related and are actually twin brothers. The play is about their interactions with each other and others and the unintended consequences that will occur as a result of Mickey and Eddie not knowing they are ‘Blood Brothers’.

When the musical begins, Mrs. Johnstone, Mickey and Eddie’s mother finds out she is pregnant with twins. Unfortunately Mrs. Johnstone is impoverished and worries that she will not be able to take care of both of the children when they are born. She confides in her boss, Mrs. Lyons and eventually ends up handing over one of the boys to Mrs. Lyons, who is not physically able to carry children of her own. Mrs. Johnstone is told the boy will be raised with the finest things, and attend the finest schools and in general have a better lot in life. Eventually Mrs. Lyons fies Mrs. Johnstone for becoming to close with the boy she gave away, Eddie. Mrs. Lyons thinks that by firing Mrs. Johnstone she will be rid of her influence on the boy, but she is wrong and this leads to tragedy in ‘Blood Brothers: The Musical’

The boys eventually grow up together as the best of friends not knowing their shared parentage. Even though the boys come from different worlds and Eddie, now known as Edward has everything and Mickey has nothing they fit together well. When the boys reach adolescence they share affection for the same girl, Linda. They both pursue her in their own small ways but nothing comes of it. Eventually Edward and Mickey reach the age of 18 and they each know of the affection they share for Linda. Edward goes off to college and encourages Mickey to go after Linda, in order to be a good friend. Eventually when the boys get older Mickey ends up getting into to trouble and has to go away to prison. While he is in prison Edward takes care of Linda and consoles her. Mickey ends up misreading the intentions of his best friend and brother and upon his release from prison is told by Mrs. Lyons that she saw Linda and Edward together. Mickey seeks out Edward and Linda with a gun and asks him why he wished to take Linda from him. Eventually the boys are told of their shared heritage and in the confusion the police mistake Mickey’s actions as threatening and shoot him.