'The Lion King' musical to play in Antarctica

April 1 (UPI) -- Disney Theatrical has announced it is bringing its stage musical The Lion King to Antarctica.

The show is set to open at the 2,000-seat Ice Theatre on April 1, 2019.

"Julie Taymor [the original Broadway musical's director] has decided to re-invent the entire show, so it suits the locality," resident director Michael O'Donnell said in a video posted on YouTube Saturday. "For instance, emperor penguins are quite populous in Antarctica, so our horn-bill -- Zazu -- will now be turned into an emperor penguin."

The blockbuster show -- which is based on the 1994 animated movie -- has played all over the world since 1997. Featuring music by Elton John and Tim Rice, the story is about a young lion who tries to wrest back control of his late father's kingdom from his uncle and his hyena henchmen.