No one is saying just how many tickets are still left for Disney's "The Lion King," but the show is counting on great buzz, positive reviews and upcoming cast and crew promotions to keep the seats filled.

"The Lion King" is heading into its third weekend of a 12-week run at Blaisdell Concert Hall, and could generate up to $30 million of spending here, said show presenter Jack G. Lucas of Spokane-based WestCoast Entertainment. That figure, he said, is "based on national studies where, typically, every $1 spent on Broadway show tickets yields $3 returned to the community."

Hawai'i audiences have welcomed "Lion King" with roaring approval since its Sept. 15 launch.

"Sales are going well, and we're as excited as we've ever been because of the good buzz," said Lucas, speaking from Washington state after spending more than a week here to oversee the mega-musical's premiere.

Following the branding practice started more than a decade ago by "The Phantom of the Opera," with its white mask and rose, and "Les Miserables," with big-eyed young Cosette, the Blaisdell Concert Hall has been transformed into a can't-miss "Lion King" landmark. Two images of a lion are projected on the facade. Looking like ceremonial good-fortune lions, they're visible to passing motorists at night.

Meanwhile, nearby restaurants also are singing a happy tune, becoming part of a circle of spending linked to "Lion King" as crowds line up to grab a bite before or after the show.

"We noticed dressier ladies and lots of families," said Stephanie Nozawa of Compadres at Ward Centre. "They've been coming in since opening night. And it's been great for us."

"Anything at Blaisdell brings in the crowd, and we get hit," said Jan Ajimine, manager of the Makiki Zippy's. "We have a pretty fast turnover, so it's no problem. What's been unusual is the large number of children with families eating late — after the 'Lion King.' "

Yanagi Sushi has had a surge of early diners, from 5:30 p.m. up to the musical's 8 o'clock curtain time. And French restaurant Le Guignol, on Victoria Street across from Blaisdell, is booked up for dinner for much of the run of "The Lion King."

UNSURE AT FIRST

The extended run for "The Lion King" is out of the ordinary for Honolulu, which periodically hosts touring shows for two to six weeks. Promoters initially wondered whether ticket sales would hold up over that period of time. But rapid initial sales have indicated that there's enough interest to make a long run profitable.

"We were somewhat apprehensive about putting another six weeks on sale," said show presenter Lucas. "Because this is the single longest running entertainment event and Broadway show that has ever performed in Hawai'i, we were uncertain that the support could be sustained.

"However, we are encouraged by the initial reaction to the production. If audiences continue to react with enthusiasm, and ticket sales continue at their present pace, we are certainly looking forward to a successful run."

Two "Lion King" productions are now touring — the Cheetah company, currently in Honolulu, and the Gazelle company, playing in Dallas. Both are contributing to stellar box office receipts on the road.

According to show biz bible Variety, "Lion King" accounted for box office grosses of $107 million — more than one-fourth of tickets sold — out of $487 million generated by all touring shows last season.

On Broadway, where "Lion King" marks its 10th anniversary on Nov. 13, the Julie Taymor-directed spectacle was one of three musicals posting $1 million-plus grosses for the week ending Sept. 20. Its box office take was $1,048,250, following "Jersey Boys" ($1,234,306) and "Wicked" ($1,405,642).

Honolulu is one of three cities (the others are Milwaukee and Washington, D.C.) where "Lion King" is appearing for the first time this year — and it's the only stop on the current tour with a 12-week-plus playdate.

"The thing we fight when you're in a market this long — nearly 13 weeks — is the comment from folks that we're sold out. That's what we need to overcome; there are great seats available, especially for the second six weeks of our run, with better choice for seats Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays," Lucas said.

Ticket tallies are confidential, he said, but weekend performances to date have attracted near-capacity crowds.

"We're happy with current ticket sales; but we have to keep the momentum going," he said.

To date, box office figures have been released only for first-day sales, which amounted to 19,000 tickets for the first half of the run (six more weeks were later added), grossing $1.64 million, a local box office record.

In comparison, "Phantom" grossed $11.3 million for a multi-week run here in 1994. "Les Miz" raked in $8 million in 1993.

'SO CHARGED UP'

Lucas said the performing cast is revved up about its Honolulu reception.

"Kevin Gray (who plays the menacing Scar) came up to me and said, 'You know, Jack, opening night here was like an opening night on Broadway. The audience was so charged up,' " Lucas said. "He knows — he was the Phantom (on Broadway)."

Word of mouth has fueled box office sales, said a city official.

"We're busier than I can ever remember," said John Fuhrmann, veteran events and services manager at Blaisdell, who has monitored previous blockbusters. His advice: "People should get their tickets right away to ensure they don't miss out."

A lot is at stake, Lucas said: If this show is successful, more touring productions may alight in Hawai'i.

Over the next couple of years, Disney expects to launch a touring company of "Mary Poppins," its newest Broadway musical. "The Little Mermaid" opens on Broadway in November.

"We've created this partnership (with Disney) since 2004, and we want to keep it going," Lucas said. "Disney has other products. We're looking for a long relationship, not short-term. I know we'll be back."

Bringing to Hawai'i a cast of 40, plus the sets, costumes, masks and necessary cargo to re-create the stage magic costs a lot more than touring the Mainland, where tractor-trailers transport gear city to city.

"We chartered two 747 freighter-type planes to bring the equipment over the pond, so to speak, at a cost of $1.5 million," Lucas said. "We had to pay the expense of removing seats (and later replacing them) to create the aisles for the opening number, to maintain the integrity of the show."

To build momentum and to spur future sales, the presenters are contemplating occasional promotions with cast or crew within the community.

The first of these outside-the-theater projects is a "Lion King" mask and puppet display through Oct. 17 at HomeWorld Furniture in Honolulu, with the exhibit moving to HomeWorld's Pearlridge site Oct. 19 through Nov. 11.

Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com.