About 2,000 people waited in line at ASU's Grady Gammage Memorial Auditorium for tickets to Disney's "The Lion King" musical, marking the largest on-sale event ever at the auditorium.
Mesa resident Rhonda St. Louis said she arrived at Gammage Sept. 17, around 8:30 p.m. with a pillow, blanket and a whole stack of books.
"Staying overnight was worth it," she said. "That was probably the craziest thing I've done [in years]."
The next group of people arrived at 11 p.m. and the majority came around 4 or 5 a.m. the next day, St. Louis said.
Jan. 20 will be "The Lion King's" debut in Arizona with more than 50 performances at Gammage between Jan. 20 and March 6.
Gammage spokeswoman Kariann Medina said the auditorium had never seen such a high turnout the night before tickets went on sale.
"People waiting overnight to purchase tickets for a Broadway performance is a spectacular event," she said.
According to Medina, by 7 a.m. on Sept. 18, 2,000 people were standing in line.
"The line wrapped around the building, down the walkway almost to Forest Avenue, and then back to campus," she said.
Tickets cost between $19.75 and $125 and still can be purchased at the Gammage box office or online through Ticketmaster.
Medina said there's been high demand during the last three years in Arizona for the Broadway production.
"This is a tremendous event that will bring people from all over the city and the state to ASU and ASU's Gammage Auditorium," she said. "Disney's 'The Lion King' turns eyes onto ASU's Gammage Auditorium and ASU Public Events and reminds people that Tempe [and] Phoenix do have a thriving theater community that rivals the large cities."
Reach the reporter at shaina.levee@asu.edu.
