FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                      May 31, 2007

Release No. M-56-07  

‘LION KING’ GETS EXTENSION AT BLAISDELL CENTER

CITY OFFICIALS CAUTION PUBLIC TO BEWARE OF TICKET SCAMS

            Mayor Mufi Hannemann today announced that this fall’s presentation of  “The Lion King” in Honolulu will be extended through December 9.

            The Disney hit musical show opens at the Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall on September 15. The original Honolulu run called for nightly shows except Mondays with an additional matinee on Saturdays through October 28.

            “Honolulu is really welcoming ‘The Lion King,’ and it’s no exaggeration to say demand for tickets has been extremely enthusiastic, as I saw when I visited the Blaisdell box office for the opening of ticket sales the morning of April 28,” said Hannemann. “When the folks from Disney Theatrical Productions and WestCoast (cq) Entertainment asked to extend the run to December 9, we were only too happy to agree.”

            The mayor was joined in making the announcement by Jack Lucas, the show’s tour promoter and president of WestCoast Entertainment.

            In addition, City Enterprise Services Director Sidney Quintal warned the public against purchasing counterfeit or resold tickets for “The Lion King” and any other events at City facilities including the Blaisdell Center and the Waikiki Shell.

            “The public should avoid purchasing tickets from anyone other than the Blaisdell Center Box Office, official Ticketmaster outlets, reputable tour firms and hotels,” said Quintal. “Counterfeit tickets and genuine ones are being marketed to the public at prices many times higher than the original prices.”

             Quintal said the Blaisdell Center and the Waikiki Shell use scanners to determine if tickets presented at the door are original sale tickets or whether they are counterfeit, stolen or scalped.  Tickets that are not legal genuine originals will not be honored for admission to events at the Blaisdell Center and the Waikiki Shell.  Copies of originals also are unacceptable.

            “Don’t trust websites except for Ticketmaster if you’re buying online,” Quintal added. “Don't risk losing your money and missing the show.”           

            He advised that anyone who buys a ticket and then cannot attend the performance should take advantage of Ticket Master's Ticket Exchange to legally resell the ticket. Call Ticketmaster for more information at (877) 750-4400.

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Contact:

            Sidney Quintal, 527-5400

            Bill Brennan, 527-5767