The musical stage production of "The Lion King" debuted in Minneapolis in 1997. Original director Julie Taymor became the first woman to win a Tony Award for "Best Direction of a Musical" for her work on the show. "The Lion King" has since become the top-grossing stage production of all time, earning over $1 billion on Broadway alone. The show has been performed to over 95 million people worldwide. "The Lion King" returns to Vegas at The Smith Center after a two-year run Mandalay Bay from 2009-2011.