Which musical based on a Disney film won the Tony for Best Musical in 1998?

The Lion King, based on Disney’s animated film, won the 1998 Tony Award for Best Musical.

The stage musical premiered on Broadway in 1997, bringing the film’s characters and songs into a theatrical world shaped by director Julie Taymor. Its visual language combines masks, puppetry, costumes, and human performers rather than trying to reproduce realistic animals. That innovative approach helped distinguish the production from a straightforward screen-to-stage adaptation.

The musical’s score retained songs by Elton John and Tim Rice, while incorporating additional music and influences associated with the stage production. Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi, who worked on the film, contributed to the stage musical’s book with Taymor.

The Lion King defeated fellow 1998 nominees including Ragtime, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and Side Show. Beauty and the Beast had been a Disney stage success earlier, but it did not win Best Musical in 1998. Frozen and Aladdin reached Broadway much later.