DENVER — The Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) has announced the postponement of the upcoming production of Disney's The Lion King along with several show cancellations.
The Lion King, which had been scheduled to perform at the Buell Theatre in Denver from May 13 to June 14, 2020, will now visit from Dec. 2, 2021 to Jan. 2, 2022.
Ticket holders will be notified in the future of their ticketing options once new dates are confirmed.
The DCPA has also canceled the Denver runs of Book of Mormon, The Band's Visit, The Book of Mormon, Choir Boy, Improvised Shakespeare, Mean Girls, The SpongeBob Musical and Until the Flood.
With the loss of shows, educational classes, school programs, rental events and fundraisers, the non-profit DCPA reduced staffing costs by more than 50% through a combination of layoffs, unpaid leave, reduced hours, salary reductions and other benefit reductions.
"While drastic, our goal is to make smart decisions now in order to recover from our deficit and be set up for a full lineup of programming in our 2021/22 season," said the DCPA in a statement. "These reductions will allow us to cut our staffing expenses by more than half while still maintaining essential business functions."
"Already we have taken swift action to reduce schedules of hourly employees, implement a hiring freeze, and eliminate non-essential expenses including travel, memberships, discretionary purchases. However, these are not enough to overcome the financial gap," said the DCPA.
POSTPONED EVENTS
- Dixie’s Never Wear a Tube Top
- Les Misérables
- Moulin Rouge! The Musical
- That Golden Girls Show
- Theater of the Mind
- The Crown – Live!
- The Other Josh Cohen
RESCHEDULED EVENTS
- Jersey Boys
May of 2021
Buell Theatre - My Fair Lady
Aug 11 – 22, 2021
Buell Theatre - 1776
Sep 14 – 26, 2021
Buell Theatre - Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
Nov 16 – 28, 2021
Buell Theatre - Disney’s The Lion King
Dec 2, 2021 – Jan 2, 2022
Buell Theatre - Hamilton
Feb 16 – Mar 27, 2022
Buell Theatre
ADDED EVENTS
- Mean Girls
October 12 – 24, 2021
Buell Theatre
CANCELED EVENTS
SHOWS
- Angry, Raucous & Shamelessly Gorgeous
- The Band’s Visit
- The Book of Mormon
- The Children
- A Christmas Carol
- Choir Boy
- Emma
- Improvised Shakespeare
- In the Upper Room
- Light Up the Sky
- Mean Girls (2020 Engagement)
- Mojada
- Rattlesnake Kate
- Reunion ’69 and Reunion ‘85
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical
- The SpongeBob Musical
- Until the Flood
- Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
EVENTS
- Saturday Night Alive
- Women with Hattitude
EDUCATION
- Spring Education classes (all ages)
- Summer Education classes (all ages)
- 2020/21 Theatre for Young Audiences production
- Bobby G High School Musical Theatre Awards
- Shakespeare in the Parking Lot Spring Tour
In response to the financial impacts of COVID-19 on the DCPA, Box Office staffing and hours have been reduced. The public is encouraged to visit DenverCenter.org for ticket concerns or call 303-893-4100 Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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