NEW YORK, Feb. 2 (UPI) -- The musical director of Broadway's "The Lion King," Joseph Church, was in stable condition Thursday with stab wounds suffered in a random attack.
Church was walking to teach his class at New York University's Steinhardt School Wednesday when a man stabbed him several times in the chest with a screwdriver then fled into Washington Square Park, Playbill.com reported.
Witnesses chased and caught the assailant, identified as Mark Davila, and held him until police arrived.
Church told police he did not know Davila, who was charged with assault and criminal possession of the weapon. Police said the assailant had a criminal record including convictions for robbery, drug possession and possession of a weapon.
Church was the music director for "The Lion King" productions on Broadway as well as London, Tokyo, Osaka, Toronto and Los Angeles. He served in the same capacity for "The Who's Tommy," Randy Newman's "Faust," Radio City Music Hall's Christmas Spectacular and the New York, national tour and Boston companies of "Little Shop of Horrors."
