The Tony-winning Disney musical The Lion King celebrated 24 on years on Broadway November 13, dedicating Saturday's anniversary performance to the original Broadway Mufasa, the late Samuel E. Wright.
Wright was Tony-nominated for his performance in the musical, and also for 1984's The Tap Dance Kid. He made his Broadway debut in 1971 in Jesus Christ Superstar, but he is perhaps best known as the voice of Sebastian the Crab in Disney's animated feature The Little Mermaid. Wright died earlier this year at the age of 74.
Following Saturday's performance, The Lion King's current Mufasa, L. Steven Taylor, made a curtain speech honoring Wright. Watch the speech below.
The Lion King opened on November 13, 1997 at the New Amsterdam Theatre and transferred to the Minskoff Theatre in 2006, where it is currently running. The marquees of both theatres were dimmed in Wright's honor on November 13.
